MY & DEPUTY SHONA PITMAN’S QUESTIONS FOR JANUARY 17TH; + A PETTY, COWARDLY ATTACK ON DEPUTY GEOFF SOUTHERN FROM ARCH-HYPOCRITE SENATOR PHILIP ‘THE EGO’ BAILHACHE…

TREVOR’S ORAL QUESTIONS

Below I list the oral questions that I have on the Order Paper for next Tuesday 17th January. Pitched to both ‘Chief Minister’ Ian Gorst and Chairman of PPC Constable Simon Crowcroft not surprisingly they both focus on the appalling attempt to sell out the States large majority decision of only March 2010 to put reform in the hands of a fully independent Electoral Commission.  See my last post for the full details.

QUESTION 1: Deputy T. M. Pitman of St. Helier will ask the following question of the Chairman of the Privileges and Procedures Committee –

“Will the Chairman advise whether the recent decision by the Privileges and Procedures Committee at its January 4th meeting to seek the agreement of the States to reverse its majority decision to have a fully Independent Electoral Commission and allow it to be chaired by a States Member was made unanimously and if not would he advise which Committee Members voted in favour of the proposal?”

QUESTION 2: Deputy T.M. Pitman of St. Helier will ask the following question of Chief Minister 

“What justification does the Chief Minister have for withdrawing his support for a fully independent Election Commission, and proposing instead that his Assistant Minister chair the Commission, especially given that this was a factor in garnering the support of several Members in his election for Chief Minister, and will he now be offering his resignation as a consequence of going back on this commitment?”

 NOTHING BUT THE BALD TRUTH WILL DO!

Forget the rubbish about a clear four to two vote that was claimed in the JEP. If my good – but clearly misguided friend, Simon Crowcroft says anything other than the truth i.e. that the decision to risk sacrificing all of Daniel Wimberley’s excellent hard work on the alter of Senator Philip Bailhache’s colossal ego actually was passed by just one crucial vote – that of Philip Bailhache - then the words ‘Sir, the Chairman is misleading the House!’ will be echoing around the Chamber. I’m sure I will have no need…

As for ‘Chief Minister’ Gorst it is really quite difficult to imagine what his response will be. It should be something like a short and humble: “I’m really very sorry. I apologise. I have gone back on my word about inclusive government. I have gone back on my word about revealing the details of the disgusting ‘golden handshakes’ paid out under by predecessor. I have been pressured to go back on my word to support a fully independent Electoral Commission. But today I am going to show that I do have some backbone and say “Sorry Philip, I’m not going to let you hijack this after all!” Should we hold our breath? Sadly I doubt we should…

SHONA’S ORAL QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: Deputy S. Pitman of St. Helier will ask the following question of the Minister for Social Security –

“Will the Minister advise whether there have been long-standing problems within his Department concerning the loss of documents, data being mislaid and conflicting information given out to the public from different members of staff, if so, what measures will he be implementing to resolve this situation?”

QUESTION 2: Deputy S Pitman of St. Helier will ask the following question of the Minister for Housing –

“What action if any, is the Minister taking to ensure that Housing Trusts take responsibility for maintenance matters?”

TWO PROBLEMS THAT REALLY DO NEED SORTING URGENTLY

The only answer to Shona’s first question can really be an emphatic yes – and it really isn’t acceptable. It is also equally true to remember that this problem has not been of Senator Le Gresley’s making. It has been inherited from the former Minister, Senator Ian Gorst who proved wholly ineffectual in both accepting this and rectifying it. To be fair this was probably not helped by him choosing an Assistant Minister who was spectacularly useless, the now thankfully ousted by the public, former Deputy Angela Jeune. 

Hopefully Francis can give some assurances that he is finally going to sort things out. I mean, promising young cancer victims that the Department will meet the cost of resultant dental care – then going back on this. Just how low can government sink?

The second question is one that should have been tackled way back when the ‘partnerships’ with Housing Trusts was first set up. It wasn’t and I and a number of others have spent a great deal of time lobby the various Housing Ministers over the last three years to put it right. I am actually confident that Deputy Andrew Green will do what his predecessors failed to do so badly.

TREVOR’S WRITTEN QUESTION

Given the JEP’s disgraceful and desperate attempt to reinvent Det Sup Mick Gradwell as some kind of ‘whistle-blower’ these three questions to Home Affairs Minister, Senator Ian Le Marquand about the ‘Abuse Enquiry’ are a nice little wake up call. I say ‘Abuse Inquiry’ rather than ‘Historic’ Abuse Enquiry because we really shouldn’t be buying into the media PR nonsense that this is all something old and long ago that doesn’t matter any more.

It isn’t. It is current. Just ask the victims still suffering everyday while clowns like Ben Shenton, Jimmy Perchard, Sean Power and co try to muddy the waters with innuendo about the News of the World. Which reminds me?  Come on boys, you had a lot to infer about Harper and wholly un-evidenced ‘leaks. Surely you would like to write in and condemn what we now know about the behaviour of Mr. Gradwell? Or is that…different?

I’ll leave further comment until after we have the answers. Though the one about how much of our taxpayers’ money the Minister has spent and how many convicted/disciplined Police Officers we have had as a result looks like it may be absolutely fascinating…

As for my other written question to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee this is an issue that I have pursuing for a long time, Not that you would know it from the JEP reporting! I will obviously be supporting Deputy Roy Le Herissier’s proposition but I think this work needs to be championed by PAC too. It is, after all, our taxpayers’ money that the Establishment Party is giving out to keep the silence of so many failed senior Civil Servants. It needs to stop and politicians and whoever else be held accountable.

QUESTION 1:   

“As a part of the Historic Abuse Inquiry did the investigators research and consequently obtain a full list of all individuals who were, at any time, on the Board of Governors of Haut De La Garenne (whether in paid or purely voluntary roles) under each of the various authorities under which the facility operated during the period of investigation?

Were all those individuals still living subsequently interviewed and, if so, will the Minister provide Members with a full list of those interviewed or advise where such information can be viewed?”

QUESTION 2:

“Will the Minister provide details of how much money has been spent on external inquiries and reviews in respect of alleged disciplinary issues since November 2008 and how many police officers, if any, have been convicted of any criminal or disciplinary charges as a consequence?”

QUESTION 3:

“What investigations, if any, have taken place in respect of the allegations that States of Jersey Police officers acted illegally during the investigation of the case of Curtis Warren and others; and if there has been an investigation, what was the total cost and the outcome?”

QUESTION 4:

“Will the Chairman advise whether the Public Accounts Committee intends to investigate and subsequently publish a report into the amount of taxpayers’ money used under the last Council of Ministers, under Senator T.A. Le Sueur, to provide ‘golden handshakes’ to senior Civil Servants leaving their posts early; further still, will the Committee be investigating the absence of detail on such payments within published States accounts?”

SENATOR PHILIP BAILHACHE – A MAN WHO HAS SPENT TOO MUCH TIME WATCHING ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’?

Disappointed that instead of improved transparency the new ‘critical friends’ running Scrutiny are going to make all of their non-hearing meetings closed to the public? Perhaps I can suggest an alternative? Get down to the next PPC meeting instead. Why? Well, if nothing else you will be able to see that regardless of what he spouted on the hustings, lecturing States Members about ‘respecting’ others what Senator Philip Bailhache says in public is very, very different to what he actually does! 

Indeed, no wonder he wanted the media – and just as importantly Daniel Wimberley and I who were also watching proceedings - removed before he would speak! Luckily this demand was challenged by Deputy Judy Martin or we would still not know exactly the low and underhand manner in which this horrible, arrogant little coward really works.

What am I talking about? Well, not content with trying to hijack the independent Electoral Commission (as documented in my last post) now Bailhache even wants to try and dictate who can sit on other sub-committees! Worse, sub-committees only being set up because he is too lazy and pompous to include them in the Electoral Commission’s work as Daniel Wimberley had set out in his successful proposition! Even worse again, of course, he wanted to try and have another member prevented from participating but wanted it done in secret so no one would be any the wiser! So much for all that pious talk of ‘respect’ eh Senator?

The target of the Egotistical One’s spite today was Deputy Geoff Southern. He had foolishly offered his services to contribute to a sub-committee being set up to look at election laws, campaign timescales etc. Bailhache’s objection? Southern (like my wife, Deputy Shona Pitman of course) had been prosecuted and convicted for the awful, heinous ‘crime’ of assisting a few elderly/disabled people to complete an application form to request that they could be registered for a postal vote in 2008

Of course, this isn’t a ‘crime’ in any known democracy in the free world. In fact it is actively encouraged. The candidate assisting the elderly/disabled person to apply to be registered to be able to participate in the democratic process is, of course, long gone by the time they are actually sent their voting slip several days later.

But leaving that aside Bailhache had then had the appalling arrogance and downright gall to insultingly compare Southern’s action with an analogy of ‘If you created a criminal law commission to look at burglary you wouldn’t invite a convicted burglar to join the commission.’

As I really had to ask of the PPC Chairman and this pompous little man when Daniel, the reporter and I had to leave for part B of the agenda. Having put forward my own name for the sub-committee hopefully we would be able to look at the legitimacy of such non-Human Right compliant local laws? Even more so the fact that why Deputies Southern and Shona Pitman were taken to court for ‘crimes’ they had stood up in the States and openly said that they would be left no option but to commit out of principle, wasn’t it funny that two other individuals in the very same St. Helier No. 2 district in 2008 did exactly the same – but didn’t get prosecuted.

Hell – Southern was even originally charged with one of these individual’s offences! We still have the relevant police documents. The only difference? The other two weren’t in the JDA.  Just for the record one individual had a five letter name beginning with the letter ‘A’. The other is detailed as having a three letter name beginning with the letter ‘R’ and is also described as having a beard. FACTS…

Still, sickening as all of this hypocrisy and spite is at least the ‘Historic’ Abuse Committee of Inquiry should be safe from hijack. I mean you, wouldn’t invite a former Attorney General who allowed a convicted paedophile to be sworn into the Honorary Police on to a body set up to investigate best practice on child protection matters would you…

Keep the Faith

Trevor

NEW ASSEMBLY, NEW YEAR – BUT SAME OLD ESTABLISHMENT PARTY WRECKING TACTICS OF SELF-INTEREST OVER THAT OF THE WIDER PUBLIC’S…

Maybe it is because other, more important demands on my time as a politician have meant that I just haven’t got around to blogging for the past few weeks – but this post has ended up considerably longer than usual. Then again given what is actually going on behind the scenes and its potential highly negative impact if left unchallenged the length of explanation is probably wholly justified…

THE EGO HAS LANDED

Though in the classic children’s tale the Grinch may well have seen the error of his ways and not gotten away with stealing Christmas, unless we are very careful what is now happening at PPC will see Jersey’s own political Grinch, Senator Philip Bailhache, stealing the absolutely essential - and very hard won at that – independence of the Electoral Commission.

The result in my view will be what I can only describe as a further ‘rigging’ of the democratic process to try and ensure that the already under-represented voters in Jersey’s urban areas like St. Helier are forever at an insurmountable disadvantage to the self-interested ‘Great and the Good’ and their ‘I’m alright Jack’ supporters who think Jersey is their own private club to exploit as they see fit and stuff the consequences for the rest.

MAINSTREAM MEDIA GET IT WRONG AGAIN

Readers and anyone genuinely interested in democracy should be aware that what was reported in the JEP this Saturday is a woefully inadequate report of what tactually transpired at the PPC meeting. Trust me – I was there; the JEP had not a single reporter there throughout. If they have been fed their story as fact then they have been misled.

The apparent ‘clearing of the way’ reported for our most egotistical of Senators to usurp the agreed independence of the Electoral Commission and pervert it to the desired ends of the Establishment (a Party finally waking up to the fact that the challenge on behalf of true democracy coming from the motley bunch of peasant democrats like me isn’t going to go away so easily no matter how underhand their tactics) is just more ‘spin’ to make this most poisonous of pills a bit more palatable to a misled public.

Indeed, the JEP report that this decision – which isn’t actually to change what was agreed following Daniel Wimberley’s excellent proposition, but to give States Members the chance to do so – was not passed by the emphatic two to one ratio claimed at all. No. With Deputies Montford Tadier and Kristina Moore not even present it was actually slipped through by just three votes to two.

Incredibly – and I bet readers could never see this particular sham coming – the decisive vote to allow the possibility of Senator Philip Bailhache being able to hijack the ‘commission’ with the collusion of new Chief Minister Ian Gorst was actually taken by…

Senator Philip Bailhache!

As you have probably fallen out of your chair in shock I’ll repeat that for you. The decisive vote was Senator Philip Bailhache’s

SHAMBLES OR PLOT - THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE THE SAME

As a former member of PPC I can state as fact that in my experience of past meetings if what was being discussed involved one of the members in a highly contentious issue then he or she would not vote on the matter. Common sense really as I am sure most would agree.

Yet whilst hiding behind the complete baloney that the move wasn’t actually being engineered to allow Senator Bailhache to take the Chair of the review but rather allow any politician to potentially do so this common sense dictate was not adhered to.

Other politicians and more importantly the ordinary people of Jersey need to be aware of what is going on here. It is that serious. Not least Chief Minister Gorst’s part in what can only be described as another betrayal of what he promised within his pitch to become Chief Minister and his stated intent to bring about a brave new dawn in local politics.  Check for yourself – its all their within Hansard and various media reports from the election.
In the meantime should anyone think I am being too harsh on the Chief Minister then just consider the following facts? The reality is that Senator Gorst was only elected to the role of Chief Minister on the back of securing the decisive votes of the political ‘Progressives’.

ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A ….

The key fact here is that this ‘Progressive’ support for Senator Gorst was given on the back of promises of wholesale political ‘inclusion; and of equal importance his firm stated commitment to an INDEPENDENT Electoral Commission. Yet as we have subsequently seen this first promise of political inclusion was jettisoned no sooner than the Senator had been safely secured in the top job.

Indeed, maybe some readers are not aware of this fact; but this betrayal can be emphasised further by the fact that according to Senator Gorst every Minister was to be ‘instructed’ by him to take on an Assistant Minister with a ‘different’ political perspective to theirs to ensure this happened. A great idea but whatever happened to it, Senator Gorst?

Obviously not every Member can be a Minister. Yet even the most rabid of right-wing buffoons (Jon the Troll aside perhaps?) could not maintain an argument that the likes of ‘Progressives’ such as Senator Alan Breckon and Deputies Geoff Southern, Shona Pitman, Montford Tadier, Mike Higgins and yes- even me! -  had less ability or appropriate experience than many given other roles within this new ‘inclusive’ government: some who didn’t even give the Senator their support for the job!

And tell me if I’m wrong, readers but in what way exactly does Deputy Eddie Noel have a ‘different political perspective’ to his new Minister at the Treasury, Senator Philip Ozouf? I think the appropriate term is: I rest my case - unless being even more right-wing than your Minister is seen as meeting the instruction’s criteria?

‘THE BEST POLITICIAN WE HAVE HAD FOR A VERY LONG TIME’

No, don’t worry I didn’t proclaim the above nonsense: JEP reporter Ben Quérée did. I wonder what the said reporter – who I seem to recall only a year or two ago held the very same rose-tinted view of Senator Ian Le Marquand – thinks now?  Because just days after giving Gorst the above glowing testimonial Ben Quérée had to report on the next act of betrayal.
This was the new Chief Minister going back on his word to me that he would bring some transparency to the shameful scandal of taxpayers’ money being used to line the pockets of discredited, incompetent senior Civil Servants under the Le Sueur regime with obscene ‘golden handshake’ pay-offs amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

So here we are in only January let us remember. We are still to have the first States Sitting of 2012. Two promises made. Two promises broken. And now we get what has the potential to be the most damaging of all: the selling out of the independent Electoral Commission to pacify one Senator’s hugely inflated ego. It is to put it quite bluntly sickening.

As I have highlighted, being the only States Member who sat in on the PPC meeting this past Thursday (for the record the only reporter there was the BBC’s Chris Raynor) I witnessed the contempt with which the ordinary public of Jersey and all fair-minded politicians within the Assembly are being treated by the likes of Gorst and Bailhache for my self. 

WILL THE REAL CHIEF MINISTER PLEASE STAND UP?

Though under no obligation to do so having defeated Senator Bailhache for the role of Chief Minister, Senator Gorst is now displaying all the political backbone of a jellyfish in colluding with him to ensure real, beneficial change to the make-up of the States that an independent Electoral Commission could not fail to recommend does not happen.

Worse that as a result while the people of less fortunate countries are risking their lives for genuine democracy we will likely slip backwards toward something resembling some shambolic, oppressive hybrid of a neo-Feudal State and the Weimer Republic! If it doesn’t worry you it really should.

Believe me – if Philip Bailhache gets his way democracy in Jersey, flawed as it is, can be kissed goodbye for at least the next generation. We will be on the way to a legalised dictatorship. The result will include the removal of the limited and wholly inadequate checks and balances that exist now.

Checks and balances such as the ‘Troy rule’; creating instead myriad extra token ‘Assistant Ministers’ that effectively mean no questioning of the ‘leader’ and thus no meaningful ‘opposition’. In truth almost unfettered power for a Chief Minister who will alone pick his chosen ‘inner circle’ of sycophants. Worse still a permanent imbalance in representation between country and urban parishes that will dwarf that which we all know exists already.

And all of this is being justified, legitimised with excuses that I’m afraid are at best garbled, pseudo-intellectual nonsense; and at worst downright untruths. It is quite frankly shameful, morally bankrupt, and the public must be made aware of it before it is too late. Yes, it seems that while Senator Gorst may have won the vote for ‘Chief Minister’ he clearly already holds the title only in name? Or surely he would not let this happen?

WE ARE BEING SLEEP-WALKED INTO A DISASTER

Check it out for yourselves. Senator Bailhache is desperately spinning the myth that he somehow ‘has a mandate’ to usurp the States agreed independent electoral commission simply ‘because he topped the Senatorial poll having talked about reform’.

Even by the Establishment Party’s long record of 1984-style rewriting of history this is nothing more than demonstrable garbage. Indeed, it is absolutely risible. Should you be tempted to disagree just consider the case of former Senator, Stuart Syvret.

Love him or loath him – and I have certainly had my serious disagreements with him as I have observed before – Syvret was the most popular politician in Jersey for the best part of two decades. With the advent of Ministerial government (and the lack of a mature party political system as exists in most proper democracies) Syvret surely could have had every justification to claim that he was the majority choice of the public to become our first Chief Minister.

Cast your mind back. Did this hold any water with the Establishment Party members inside the States in 2005? Not a bit of it – the role went to Frank Walker who had scraped in to be re-elected by the skin of his teeth. In the words of so many Establishment figures at the time Syvret’s popularity apparently gave him no such mandate whatsoever.

Yet now, surprise, surprise we are being asked to do an about turn; ask no uncomfortable questions and agree that Philip Bailhache can hijack the Electoral Commission just because he topped the poll in the latest elections of 2011! But let’s also get a few further points spelt out quite clearly as well.
 
There are others in the States even now who might not have topped the Senatorial poll but have been elected not just once, but twice, three and even four times on a reform platform. And a reform platform at that far more coherent and considered than the elitist hotchpotch being put forward by Philip Bailhache.

Senator Bailhache is also on record, of course, as saying he doesn’t even support the idea of an electoral commission process. He in his boundless arrogance it seems thinks he knows best even though analysis clearly demonstrates otherwise.

Indeed, though having sat in the Chair as Speaker for many years whilst Assembly after Assembly have failed over countless debates to manage to agree meaningful reform that would be beneficial to ALL of the Island’s community Senator Bailhache incredibly further states that the problem apparently ‘isn’t too difficult’. In fact he said it again in the PPC meeting. Oh to be so superior!

THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION HAS TO BE INDEPENDENT – AND ITS RESULTS HAVE TO BE PUT TO THE PEOPLE FOR SUPPORT OR REJECTION

Without so many vested interests at play it would be possible to agree with the Senator on coming up with a wholly workable reform. But then… all I want from electoral reform is a system that is constructed so that all, rich or poor, town or country Parish dweller has fair and equal representation.

This is also all that every other ‘Progressive’ that I know wants. Sadly it isn’t what the Establishment party wants. They want to maintain their grasp on power and control; and the fact that this grip is slowly loosening means they will fight all the more desperately to try and cling on to it. Don’t make any mistake – this attempt to hijack the Commission is a mark of their growing desperation.

Vested interests are what make the independence of an Electoral Commission and the public having the ultimate power of rejection or support absolutely essential. I repeat: the potential for the influence of vested interests are precisely the reason why Philip Bailhache, like any other States Member, cannot be allowed to shape the reform process.

Deputy Daniel Wimberley’s successful proposition made this clear and that is what we must continue to support under this insidious attack.

THE COMMISSION HAS TO BE GIVEN A BLANK CANVAS

I’ll leave readers with these final thoughts. Whatever one thinks about reform – for example, whether the Island-Wide mandate should go as would happen under Senator Bailhache’s adoption of ‘Super Constituencies’; whether all seats should need an Island-Wide vote; or any other variant – this in itself is not the issue.

Suggesting that Deputies should go, the Constables, the Crown Officers, the Dean or whatever – it is all absolutely fine. Let the Commission examine it all. Let them reach conclusions. And then right or wrong let their recommendations be put to the people.

What is wholly wrong, divisive and what must not be allowed to happen is doing what Senator Philip Bailhache wants to do: i.e. say that we must reduce numbers but that retaining the position of the Constables is non-negotiable. Perhaps even worse is to attempt to justify this by misleading people by spouting supporting facts that simply aren’t true. Why do I highlight this point so forcibly?

One of the few amusing moments in the meeting came when Senator Bailhache came out with the complete fabrication that it was quite clear that the vast majority of the Island’s people wished to retain the Constables in the States.

For a man who is busy desperately trying to give everyone the impression that he alone is the great font of all reform wisdom; someone who can succeed where all mere mortals have failed, one might have thought even the Senator would know that his claims were absolute nonsense. Perhaps he did know?

Whatever the truth I did have to smile when the Greffier – a really genuine repository of reform debate knowledge – politely interrupted him to point out that, even at the time of the last Mori poll, opinions were pretty much hotly split down the middle between those who strongly wanted the Constables to remain and those who equally strongly wanted them removed. Exposed the Great One fell silent.

The most telling point of all? The fact that by his own words Senator Bailhache said he would not be content to just have a seat on the Electoral Commission – he will accept only being able to control it as Chair. If this doesn’t give cause for concern to all of those who might be tempted to be sleep-walked into this disaster then frankly there really isn’t any hope. Let this happen and who knows - before long we’ll likely even begin to believe that collagen can be found in coconuts…

But just to stop all you democrats from having nightmares and to leave you on a positive note. Don’t despair. We aren’t a dictatorship yet. There are ways to fight this. Oh yes, Senator Farnham would be proud of us…

Keep the Faith.

Trevor

THE NEXT SMALL STEP TOWARD POLITICAL TRANSPARANCY …

When will we ‘meddlers’ ever give up?

 

Nobody who has read the JEP for any length of time is likely to be under any impression that the Island’s only newspaper welcomes political opinion, or indeed, political policies at variance with or critical of the elitism of their beloved Establishment Party any more than a Manchester City fan wearing a ‘6 – 1 Ha! Ha! Ha!’ tee shirt would be welcomed in the middle of the newly named Sir Alex Fergusson Stand.
After all, questioning of the newspaper’s commitment to fair and balanced political ‘reporting’ can be traced right back to the elections at the end of the Second World War when some were understandably determined to fight for a fairer society where money and might would not automatically be accepted as always right.

An in-depth subject for another time I’m afraid. – and one I think very well worth doing.  But for now anyone in any doubt should just consider the words of legendary Jersey politician, the late Senator Norman Le Brocq in his 1940’s book ‘Jersey Looks Forward’.

Readers really should check the book out for themselves – the reference Library certainly has a copy. But it is surely enough to mention here that Le Brocq highlights what he saw (and others I have actually spoken to who were there) felt to have been a campaign of misrepresentation and editorial repression from the then Evening Post in the vein of the notorious Dr. Goebals. And so it has gone on. And still goes on today. Or am I just one of Lucy Mason’s political ‘meddlers’? 

‘Meddlers’ or simple democracy - does Lucy know the difference?

I was put forward for the role of Education Minister. Unreasonable? Well, I was the only one who had a professional background in the field. The role went to a politician who I’m told has a background in the landscape gardening business. That’s democracy. Yet like others who tried, unsuccessfully for ministerial roles, it seems that I am actually a ‘meddler’?

Funny, Lucy, but I think that you will find politics is all about people holding strong and different views and policies; and as a consequence putting themselves forward for positions where they may be best placed to try and progress these to benefit the community?

But maybe you too are also one of those who believes that those who veer from the Establishment Party line no matter how discredited and redundant should know their place and either keep quiet; or perhaps occupy ourselves with Scrutinizing the proliferation of doggy-doo on our beaches?

Frankly if this is the extent of your political analysis I really couldn’t care what you think. Like so many members of the public who I have been approached by I just don’t think it is fair or professional for a newspaper to try and spin such groundless garbage. 

Nevertheless, to return to the original theme of the post, being someone always happy to be proven wrong I am actually writing a piece to send to the JEP. This is on the quite pathetically inadequate reporting of the hard facts arising from the Scrutiny investigation into the circumstances underlying the BDO review. Will the JEP print my letter in full? Well, let’s hope so.

But print it or not the point is that as Chairman of the Scrutiny review I really shouldn’t have to be writing such a letter anyway. Why? The facts are all there in plain black and white in our report: a report that even the out-going president of the Chairman’s Committee stated was “an excellent piece of Scrutiny work”.

To any self-respecting journalist let alone editor these facts surely should demand discussion? They blow the nonsense we have been spoon fed for nearly three years out of the water. No. I won’t spend time re-listing all the Scrutiny findings here – the full report can be accessed easily through the link to the States website on the www.thebaldtruthjersey.co.uk  links page. Indeed, to understand the true picture the report should be read in full.

A few uncomfortable facts…

But put quite starkly the real question that needs to be answered by our Island’s media - and not just the JEP by any means - is why are they so desperate to pretend that these facts below, as just a few key examples do not exist?
•    Why are they so desperate to continue the threadbare lie that the monies spent on the Historic Abuse Inquiry were all wasted to the very last penny?
•    Why does our media wish to continue the myth that the only faults or blame for any mistakes are all – every one – down to just two specific individuals?  That the actions of senior figures within the States Assembly and Home Affairs department are above reproach?
•    Why do they wish to perpetuate ‘the myth of the £7.5 million’ i.e. that monies actually spent both by other States departments and by Messrs Warcup and Gradwell after Power and Harper had departed the police should still be attributed to these two alone?  
•    Why do our journalists – or perhaps more accurately those who hold the editorial strings of power – wish to whitewash out, as do so many Establishment Party politicians, the reality that the individual whose opinions have largely been used to justify trashing the child abuse investigation, far from being the perfect policeman would have actually been facing very serious disciplinary action for his behaviour had he not retired?

Yes, all of this whilst the solid facts that prove otherwise along with a whole lot more are presented before them in cold black and white.

Indeed, given the predictably front page JEP story highlighting the shoddy, misleading and wholly unforgivable reporting from UK journalists out to sell more papers during the unfolding of the Historic Abuse Inquiry you would have to think that this issue was more relevant than ever.

Yet relevant it apparently isn’t. ..

Could the problem just be that real, in depth debate of such facts by our media and some in power when all of this unfolded would necessitate a process of rather uncomfortable self-analysis in the mirror?

There is absolutely no excuse for journalists or anyone else exaggerating stories just to sell more newspapers. By extension it must also be true that attempting to underplay or conceal facts that pull the rug from under a story – no matter how often that story has been spun and repeated – as our Scrutiny investigation has done with local media reporting is equally wrong.

Having no allegiance to anyone or anything but the truth I repeat again: that Messrs Power and Harper were not perfect in their investigation is beyond doubt. In fairness as the unfolding of the Scrutiny review has made clear to their credit neither man has made any attempt to claim otherwise. Yet if some of their actions have been less than perfect they are clearly not alone. Not by a long way.

The difference - at least from what I and my colleagues have seen within the course of our review? Flaws and mistakes acknowledged at least it is quite clear Power and Harper were genuinely searching only for the truth. I ask: can we really also believe that of politicians, journalists and editors who seek to pretend uncomfortable facts such as those I highlight above just don’t exist…

Which all brings me back to my headline: ‘the next small step toward political transparency…?’ 

Having won the right for the public to be able to see which way those they elected voted for Chief Minister what I had intended to write about was having today lodged a follow-up proposition; seeking to make all elections for office within the States Assembly open and transparent.

It has been welcomed by every member of the public that I have told about it. It should also be welcomed by everyone within the States. Yet that it will be opposed by Senator Philip Bailhache at least – the man who thinks that he alone should be able to construct and inflict on us his own special variance on Barclay Brothers-style, vested interest driven democracy can surely be guaranteed.

So…when will we ‘meddlers’ ever give up? 

We won’t. Looks like it is going to be a long three years…

Keep the Faith

Trevor

ELECTION 2011: A MIXTURE OF PLUSES & MINUSES

With apologies for the lack of posts during the past month I am quite sure all genuine readers will understand where my and other Progressives’ priorities had to be primarily focussed. Indeed, with my Scrutiny sub-panel also working throughout the period and keeping up my constituent work the reality that something just had to be sacrificed was only more pronounced.

Still, at least those of us outside of the Establishment Party fold in St. Helier No. 1 District didn’t quite have to contend with the new low in political smear campaigns achieved across in No. 2 District where Rod Bryans certainly showed the true nature of his ‘qualities’.  Not that he was alone.

But a little more on this – including the happy and long overdue political demise of that ‘whiter-than-white’ candidate Mr. Bryans’ was oddly most happy to have as his political running mate; ex-Senator Terry Le Main - in coming posts when I will look back at some of the election results in greater depth.. But in the meantime… Did you really lose that much money with ‘Honest’ Nev, Terry? To think - Jon had said that you were a shoe in…

A great big ‘Thank You’…

For now above all else let me just say a great big ‘Thank You!’ to all of those who came out to support me with your vote on October 19th. Shona has similarly asked me to pass on her own thanks via the site as well. With the Horsfall/Walker/Ozouf faction pulling out all the stops to knock out the Progressives your support is greatly appreciated; as have been all of the numerous e-mails, letters, phone calls etc since the result. Believe me – they all mean a great deal indeed. Thank you!

Yet as some have also said to me; in a perverse way perhaps that ‘thank you’ should even be extended to the lowlifes who apparently have so little in their sad existences that they put so much energy and hate into the desperate tactics to try and stop the likes of Shona and myself getting re-elected?

Even with the Assembly undoubtedly shifting slightly to the right - as a result no doubt of many people clearly not being wise to the con being spun with regard to which candidates were ‘independent’ of the Establishment – that the smear tactics against us backfired spectacularly cannot be denied. Better still, in three years time they may just come back to haunt some people. Yes, how very poetic…
 
Two politicians who really will be sadly missed…

But whilst I will look at the pluses and negatives of the election result in greater detail in forthcoming posts I still really do have to just comment briefly here on the loss of Deputies Debbie De Sousa and Bob Hill. 

Bob Hill has been a genuine and dedicated servant to transparency and doing what he believed to be right throughout five electoral terms. Some record by anyone’s standards. He will be a real loss to the democratic process – probably simply paying the price of being a free thinker within a somewhat conservative area in St. Martin.

One thing is for sure: Bob can hold his head up with pride. I wish him well in whatever he does next. They say you only really miss what you have had when it’s gone: could well be the people of St. Martin may well come to experience that reality for themselves before 2014.

Debbie De Sousa may have only been in the States for one term but she too can hold her head up having a record of hard work and sticking to her principles that is a real credit to her. She worked tirelessly for both her constituents in St. Helier No. 2 and played a full role in the States generally. Indeed, Debbie had probably come on more than any other of the new Members over the past seven or eight months. I also have to agree that I think she was badly let down by the Portuguese community for whom she had worked so particularly hard.

But devastated as she will be what Debbie really can hold on to is the fact that - should she wish to stand again in 2014 - I am certain that she can be re-elected in three years time. I have no doubt whatsoever that she can certainly oust Establishment lightweight Rod Bryans - who will now, of course, actually have to do some political hard work and come up with some policy – something starkly conspicuous by its absence in both his ‘manifesto’ and his lie-filled ramblings on his website. 

Of course, as the wider interests of the people of St. Helier are obviously the key underlying factor it is much more beneficial that in 2014 the likes of Bryans are sent packing. However, Debbie can also quite probably take the seat of my former JDA colleague Deputy Geoff Southern if push comes to shove.

Why do I say this? Well, sad as it makes me, if Geoff really thinks it is okay to go around telling people ‘one vote only’ so desperate was he to finish top (as so many people from Number 2 have told us he was doing in stark contrast to Shona and Debbie herself) and risk knocking out a hardworking fellow Progressive as a result then quite frankly its probably time he too sailed off into the political sunset.

Progressives need to focus on keeping out the real enemies of ordinary working people – not just think about looking after themselves. Yet strangely, there is actually a much better chance of this now happening following on from this election. But more about the need for the so-called Progressives to take a leaf out of the Establishment approach to sticking together in the near future.
 
The next post: Chief Minister and beyond – who is up for what…

With regards to who might be our next Chief Minister I suppose the one good thing you can say is that at least we already know that we have a choice. Sadly the caveat is that at present that choice is like being told you have to spend the next three years of your life shacking up with one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

We can only hope that Senator Alan Breckon does indeed throw his hat into the ring to provide real choice. Not just choice but an alternative to elitism; incompetence and the failed, greed-based policies of free-market fundamentalism that have taken us to the brink. So other than trying to re-assure a couple of posters that: yes – I really will do my utmost to get back to putting a new post up every week or two I think I will leave it there.

Well…apart from answering the following question as to my own future approach. 

Will I be bowing to pressure from our newly self-proclaimed ‘leader’ Senator-Elect Bailhache i.e. that apparently his eminence can insult or attack who he likes (just read the interview in the JEP again and spot the hypocrisy) but anyone who isn’t on the cocktail circuit is obviously an unruly peasant and must be fined and silenced if they should dare to question)?

Put it this way. As one older lady and her friend wanted to make quite clear to me when casting their votes at the polling station: ‘What we want from you Trevor is more of the same - only even louder! These tax dodgers need to understand this Island belongs to us ordinary people too! We’ve paid our way its time they did. We’re relying on you to make them listen.’
Ladies, I can only say I will do my very best to comply.

As for Jon. Sorry, I guess you’ll just have to console yourself with sending out childishly insulting posters and talking to yourself on the net. Still, if it keeps you from making any more sick; cowardly death threats to innocent people …

Keep the Faith.
Trevor

OPEN VOTE FOR CHIEF MINISTER – 99% OF PEOPLE HAIL A VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY!

And the only ones not happy are Horsfall, Ozouf, Le Marquand and the rest of the Establishment Party gang who hold the public in utter contempt…

With apologies for the shortness of this post following on from a couple of weeks when I simply haven’t had the time to focus on the internet. Many States Members it is true have been doing nothing for some weeks. Others, such as Senator Terry Le Main have to be roused from their snoring even when actually in the States being paid by you and me!

Inconvenient as it certainly is when trying to run an election campaign I’m pleased to say that I have not been one of those taking it easy. Constituent work has continued to grow and grow. Whilst with my Scrutiny colleagues Deputies Roy Le Herissier and Daniel Wimberley we are also putting the finishing touches to the much anticipated report on the review into the Historic Abuse Inquiry finances.

The report is set to be completed by the end of the coming week – yet a late, surprise piece of evidence may still yet have to be incorporated. Watch this space…

If a candidate won’t tell you clearly who they would ideally vote for in the race for Chief Minister do not vote for them.

Canvassing this past week, and judging by the amount of people who have stopped me in the street, phoned or e-mailed, my successful proposition to turn back the tide of ever-increasing secrecy under Ministerial government has been one of the most widely supported States decisions of recent years. Indeed, it is such a fundamental part of a democratic and transparent government that one really would have thought that it would have been passed unanimously.

It wasn’t, of course, for the truth is we have many in the States who support democracy and respect for the ordinary working public only as lip-service. Anyone in doubt should just consider the words proclaiming commitment to a ‘fairer, more equal society’ we see the Executive happily sign up to with Strategic Plans: words that then strangely never make it into policy.

My proposition was actually won by just two votes. There are still those desperate enough to risk trying to scupper it when it returns for what is normally the formality of a PPC motion to put the wishes of the majority into Standing Orders. The list of the democrats who supported me and the nineteen supporters of the Old Boys’ network who voted against already available on this and other sites, my advice to all readers attending hustings in the coming weeks is quite simple.

Ask all candidates who they would like to vote for as Chief Minister. This simple question is guaranteed to reveal who is worthy of one of your votes and who isn’t. Should a candidate refuse or claim they cannot say yet he or she will be revealed to be either a liar or a supporter of Senator Philip Ozouf and the policies running Jersey directly into the Abyss of a two-tier society. Quite probably they will be both. Either way he or she giving such answers can be guaranteed not have the interests of the Island’s ordinary people at heart.

Want an example? I am told that Mary O’keeffe-Burgher was asked this question by former Senator Ted Vibert, one of the six people who turned up to her recent ‘Meet the Establishment party candidate’ meeting. Apparently she refused to say. She supports secrecy and keeping the public in the dark. Say no more…

Grouville Hustings

Grouville was the first of the Senatorial hustings that I have been able to attend. As these hustings are being reported elsewhere on the net I will say only this. Love him or loath him – and I have certainly had my strong disagreements with the man - the undeniable fact is that on the night Stuart Syvret was simply streets ahead of the other candidates in terms of the quality and depth of his answers.

As for Philip Bailhache, not only did he not manage the same level of applause as Syvret – even in his home parish – the fact is that his incredibly arrogant and frankly plain stupid statement that too many ‘backbenchers’ haven’t got enough to do, and that there are apparently ‘too many questions’ preventing the Great and the Good from doing their work really said all that needs to be said about what an out of touch and politically lightweight candidate this man really is.

Yes, strip away the self-promoted myth of the great Statesman and the truth is actually pretty threadbare. As for his truly bizarre attempts to suddenly pretend that he isn’t a proponent of independence from the UK at all – this really is too ridiculous for words. Though many in the Establishment party might like it to be so we aren’t quite yet living in the pages of Orwell’s 1984!

Keep the Faith

Trevor

Nomination Night Speech

I publish below the speech kindly written by my proposer, Janine Catterson, in support of my nomination for re-election as Deputy for St. Helier No. 1 District at the Town Hall last week. 

Unlike many candidates who, as is the established practice, had written the speeches for their proposers to read out I had not seen Janine's speech until minutes before she read it out!

Thankfully, I can still thank Janine most warmly for her both her support and her time in putting this together. Indeed, what an excellent  contrast to the awful, arrogant and misleading speech read out by former Senator Horsfall in support of one of the Ozouf/Walker favoured candidates Mary O'Keefe-Burgher.

Yes, 'the fight back does start here' Mr. Horsfall. It is time to take our island back from the speculators, anti-democrats and tax avoiders who have such contempt for ordinary working people who made this Island the success it has been!

I would also like to thank my other nine proposers for their support and list their names below. Of course, that same sincere thanks goes out equally to all those others who also offered to be amongst the ten names but were not needed. I look forward to meeting you again whilst canvassing.

Keep the faith.

Trevor

Proposers

Janine Catterson

James Loader

Raymond Foster 

Joy Foster

Venetia Bucholz

Mathias Bucholz

Stewart Bannon

Eileen Bannon

Diane Keedwell

Ladies & Gentlemen

My name is Janine Catterson , I am a Compliance Officer for a local Trust Company. 

I am pleased to be here this evening to propose DEPUTY TREVOR PITMAN for RE-ELECTION in St Helier No 1 District.

As a resident of the Havre des Pas area I first met Deputy Pitman through my local residents association, for which I am the spokesperson.  

The local residents of Havre des Pas Gardens and adjoining streets needed assistance in dealing with a pressing planning issue and Deputy Pitman was kind enough to attend several of our meetings and provide clear and independent guidance as to how to navigate what might otherwise be a complex process.  He also enlisted assistance from his colleagues and his advice proved invaluable to us.  

 Deputy Pitman’s commitment to the local community was clear long before his election to the States in 2008.  Whilst pursuing a career in business management Deputy Pitman was extensively involved on a voluntary basis in youth projects and eventually retrained to become a Full time professional youth worker.

Since his election in 2008 Deputy Pitman has shown himself to be a very active member of the states concentrating his efforts on a wide variety of issues with a very strong attendance record at State’s sittings.

In addition to his work directly for his constituents such as myself Deputy Pitman has been actively involved in :

• St. Helier Representatives Group
• P.o.St Helier Police Advisory Group
• The St. Helier Youth Committee
• Friends of the Town Park
• The Privileges & Procedures Committee (PPC)

to name but a few.

Deputy Pitman’s key policies are:

• Social Justice
• Fair Taxation
• Making Politicians Accountable
• Protecting Public Services
• Diversifying the economy
• Protecting the local environment
• Affordable Housing
• Education and investment in youth
• The regeneration of Fort Regent

These clearly cover a wide variety of local issues affecting our Community.  I am sure you will agree that we are privileged to live in this small island and the issues that affect us are naturally interlinked.  The phrase “joined up thinking” may be a horrid piece of management jargon but for me it aptly describes what is needed.

It may seem strange that, as finance employee, I am here encouraging people to vote for someone whose policies include diversifying the economy.  However, I think it is important that we recognise that Jersey needs the Finance Industry to thrive but that it shouldn’t and needn’t be to the detriment of other industries nor is it right to allow an economy to lean so heavily on one industry. 

When the public and politicians alike talk about diversifying the economy and making efforts to boost tourism, surely there is an inherent link to our planning policies. Creeping over development, (or. should I say. the relentless march of construction: lining the pockets of some and yet damaging our beautiful island, whilst new office developments remain empty - sometimes for years on end) cannot be allowed to continue unchecked.  Otherwise this beautiful island - which we hope people will want to come and visit - simply will not be a place they want to come and visit.

In this way our policies on the economy, environment and planning are intertwined and need to be dealt with accordingly.  Having grown up here and seen Jersey, especially St Helier, change almost beyond recognition, I for one want politicians who won't allow another monstrosity such as the Waterfront and who will push to redevelop existing facilities such as Fort Regent.  More to the point I want to know that the politicians we elect and the departments of the States will be accountable for these decisions .

Deputy Pitman stands for all these things and has a track record of having done so.

It is perhaps unsurprising, given his involvement in youth Projects before his election in 2008, that Deputy Pitman continues to take a keen interest in youth and education. He is particularly interested to ensure that local school leavers have access to education, be it vocational training or university to ensure that as far as is possible our school leavers are equipped to gain jobs within our economy. 

Since he was elected he has served as Vice-Chairman of the Education, Sport & Culture/Home Affairs Scrutiny panel amongst others 

As a professional educator Deputy Pitman is therefore keen, should he be re-elected to stand for Education Minister.  I am sure we would all agree that it is important that this role be undertaken by someone who has experience of both working with young people and the Education Department itself.

It strikes me that Deputy Pitman’s policies represent the joined up thinking that this Island needs and if you would like to know more I would strongly suggest you have a read of his blogsite: “the bald truth Jersey”.