The Last Legacy: A Movie (costing £200,000) starring Outgoing Minister Alan Maclean
The States of Jersey Development Company will be building flats on the waterfront in partnership with a French company, signed off by the outgoing Minister. Once the nomination day takes place, it is agreed that Ministers will carry out their duties but not make major policy decisions.
This decision by Alan Maclean, which binds the new Assembly, shows complete contempt for the electorate. He states it is just "business as usual" and there would just be a delay before the new Treasury Minister approved it, but there is no reason to believe this at all. There is no indication that he has consulted any of the Senatorial front runners, for example. There is no indication this move was afoot, or if it was, it was kept very quiet from the general public.
Deputy John Young was quite right when he commented that the number of "important changes" being made were a cause for concern in the run-up to the election: "These things are absolutely not open and transparent, they are really buried away and difficult to find. They're published late and I think, generally speaking, it's come as a surprise to me and, I believe, the public that so many are there."
It is not the first time. In 2008, Deputy Guy de Faye, outgoing TTS Minister, having lost his seat, managed to sign off on the new Incinerator during the interval between the election and the new States taking their oaths of office (while he was effectively still in office!).
This deal was signed so quickly the movement in the financial markets was not taken into account and hedged against, causing a significant increase in cost. It was another outrageous action when the government should be just in "caretaker" mode.
A Strange Endorsement
Simon Bree writes: "I have no direct connection nor relationship with The Jersey Action Group. The fact that they have chosen me as one of "our senators" is solely their choice, and I can confirm that I was not contacted by them prior to their posting, requesting my permission to do so. That said it is purely up to them which candidates they may choose to support, as it is any other person's right to do so."
But while it is within their right to do so, by saying "our Senators" rather than "the Senators we endorse" it suggests a cosy familiarity which does not exist.
Midsomer Murders
The episode on Sunday showed a "death by drone". Methinks some of those standing for Senator would be well qualified in that regard. I was listening to Election Call with Gino Risoli taking part, and not only does he drone on and on, he also interrupted other candidates and the presenter. That was just plain rude. Taking turns and listening is something a politician really needs to do, and he needs to work on those skills.
NIMBY Award
NIMBY Award
Awarded to Susie Pinel, Deputy of St Clement, who declared it was a shame the Hospital had not gone on the People's Park in St Helier, a proposal she supported.
Best Election Call
St Saviour No 3. All of the candidates came across extremely well, and indeed shared a lot of commonality in outlook, and even praised each other's ideas. It's a pity all of them couldn't get elected, but there's only one seat.
Nasty Tricks
One of the earliest examples of internet nastiness surfaced in 2008,
when someone got hold of the domain name for Senator Mike Vibert, which he had
allowed to lapse over the 6 years since his last election, and set up a fake
website as a deliberate attempt to smear him.
Now it has to be said that, in my opinion, since leaving the ranks of
Deputy for the lofty heights of Senator, Mike had become progressively detached
from the electorate, often expressed in quite arrogant and offhand ways.
Nevertheless, this was a calculated piece of mischief, and whether or
not it had an effect, it was the first sign of nastiness that was to come out
in more force in this election.
Online media fakery is very easy to do, but what is perhaps the most
blatant and nasty attempt is the production of a one page fake Reform flyer
which is in essence a character assasination of Geoff Southern. It seems that hundreds
of these have been printed and put though letter boxes in St Helier No 2.
And the racists are also out. There is a lot of fake news being shared out
there by Jersey racists (yes they do exist) trying to undermine Carina, who if
elected would become Jersey’s first ever Portuguese speaker and dual
Portuguese-British national. What is excellent is also the way she is explaining Jersey's political system to the Portuguese community in their own language. There have been translations of manifestos, but this is the first real engagement of this kind. I hope it pays dividends.
A Blessing or a Curse
I have been reliably been informed that one of the election posters for a Senator has seen a seagull descending, dive bombing the poster, and leaving a little present on it.
Is this a sign from heaven? It’s not quite in the same league as a dove descending on Jesus, is it! Kindness prevents me from telling which man the seagull took a dislike to.
As far as I am aware, this is not a nasty trick. No one has been training seagulls to drop bird shit on candidate's posters.... unless it was an act of revenge by seagull Gulliver on being shipped to Les Minquiers.
They said it first...
Lindsay Ash begins his manifesto: "Not all fairy tales begin with ‘Once upon a time’, some begin with ‘When I’m elected’."
But it didn't originate with him. It came from Edythe Held and the first mention seems to have been November 1975, in Florida Today
This doesn't really tell you anything important, but I just thought my readers might like to know.
Some Levity
Breaking News....
Kevin Pamplin demonstrates how eco-friendly he is by supporting Puffin!
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