THE Council of Ministers have survived a vote of no confidence by an overwhelming majority.
The States today rejected the proposition by 41 votes to eight, with two abstentions.
The proposal had been brought by Senator Stuart Syvret who suggested that the vast majority of Islanders had ‘no confidence, faith or trust’ in the Council.
But at lunchtime today, after a day’s debate, Members made clear their support for Chief Minister Frank Walker and his nine colleagues.
Support for Senator Walker was reinforced this afternoon when a proposed vote of censure against him failed by 47 votes to two. It was proposed by Deputy Geoff Southern who accused the Senator of misleading the House over the financial plan for the building of the finance centre on the Waterfront.
21 Article Comments
NOW…let the people speak and give their opinions. Oh, I forget the council of Ministers do not listen to the people and bully other members into keeping them in place.
People want a clear answer from each of the 41 who voted to keep them in as to why they did. If not, then the idea of transparency is a total myth.
I think that it was pretty obvious that they would survive - I mean at the end of the day who wants to lose their jobs. Frank Walker should be sacked with immediate effect - he is a total laughing stock and is making a total mockery out of the judicial review within the Island. In fact I should go so far as to say that the Island of Jersey should be renamed as “Walkersville” because whatever he says, goes. There is no choice over here - and Frank Walker has had his day - it is an absolute disgrace. Although I do not agree with the way Stuart Syvret has gone about things - I totally agree with what he is after - the truth - whilst Frank Walker is in power - we will never hear the truth.
no surprise really, I mean the 10 ministers are not going to vote themselves out of a well paying Job were you could do whatever you want without ever having to accept responsibility for when you get it oh so wrong (witch is 99.9% of the time), so that’s 10 out of the 40 and let’s not forget the rest of them who are too comfortable to rock the boat, on the other hand how many football teams actually get better after sacking their manager every five seconds.
Whilst I wish the ministerial government would end or “pull a white rabbit of a hat” to save the island from this God awful mess, who else would be able to run the place. Stuart Syvret’ and his band of naysayers, the JDA , God I hope not they both have even less of a clue of what this island needs over than turning the clock back 50 years, playing the blame game and asking the U of the K for help every time something goes fowl, there all nuttier than squirrel…
so they’ve survived this vote….the public vote they may not survive….!
Suprise, suprise! I suggest we bring back the stocks, set them up in the Royal Square and let the people of Jersey convey their feelings.
Is it a case that the Council of ministers are the best of a bad bunch? Would more have been done or acted upon if it wasn’t Syvret who brought the action? and the usual suspects moaning Southern etc. i hope some fresh faced business men run in the next election and oust the current old, silver spooned Jersey blood line states members.
Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. So remember if you all choose to actually vote next time that in the majority of cases you will be voting for a turkey. More often than not a country gets the government it deserves; hey we have turkeys, so we deserve turkeys. Does this mean our government is fowl? Quite frankly who cares? We go from scandal to scandal and the States vote in the same old way; obviously not in self interest because they are there to represent us. But nothing changes and never will. The States of Jersey has every confidence in a bunch of people who could not run a Parish fate let alone what is supposed to be a rather small semi-independent state (state being the operative word). I suppose at the end of the day in a country where the vast majority do not turn out to vote we cannot expect real accountability or democracy and actually when you really drill down to it is our (me and you) fault. In conclusion I feel really sad; so thank you elected representatives you are really doing us proud; what is your favorite group Status Quo? Well anyway I am off to make a curry!
Why do we do bother with politics if this is what we get for our money?
Two key things need to change so the people of the island get what they want (which I believe is altruistic leadership):
(a) Increased remuneration for the senators/deputies (e.g. £70k+) so as to attract people in to it
(b) A smaller quantity of paid politicians so we stop the “good ideas club” - they all have to justify their position (whilst also trying to line their pockets)
What we do not need is more businessmen - they’ll all want to profit out of it, getting their company to win resurfacing contract at Bel Royal etc etc. Altruism is what we need. However, if we get a balance of both, then great, then the people can vote for the best of that. Smashing.
And another thing:
(c) NO JERSEY ENTERPRISE BOARD. (That’s another way to line pockets without evening being a politician, and it’s where Frankie wants to be).
(d) NO WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT - WHAT’S THE HURRY - LET THE NEXT GOVERNMENT VOTE ON IT AFTER THE ELECTION.
Gino - how about pressing for that?! You’d get my vote.
RR.
If enough people had voted at the senatorial elections in 2005 then Walker wouldnt have stayed in the States therefore he would not be chief minister! The events so far this year have grasped everyone’s attention and I hope for the future of this Island, that people will go out and vote this year. If things then stay the same what do we have to moan about - The people of Jersey would have spoken……
Well judging by the comments made so far, I don’t feel that there is anything else to say!
Apart from 1 word - UNACCOUNTABILITY !!.
We should never have had a ministerial government or have paid our States’ members. If you can’t make it in real life you either work for the state or the parish or better still become a States member. An obviously bad situation for us mere plebians.
Well well well now there is a surprise, did anyone in their right mind think that this latest debacle was going to have any other outcome then this one ? the answer to that a great big fat quiet Frankly NO ! why would any of our loyal well paid politicians take any notice of the general public and did any one think for one minute that they would give up or risk losing their well paid cushy jobs ? NOT on your life if any one had the guts to vote against our dear chief minister they know that it will be the end of the road for them, I for one would like to see who voted and how they voted but I guess that will never happen and who just sat on the fence and didn’t have the guts to vote one way or the other. Oh well at the end of the day nothing will change until we the general public vote otherwise, lets hope our young 16 year olds do a better job of voting and make better decisions about our future politicians after all the YOUTH of today are our FUTURE even if the chief Minister does not think so and is only supporting the funding of child care for early years so he gets parents votes !!!!!! but don’t get me started on that one ! I will wait and see IF and thats a BIG IF the funding materialises in September as promised ! maybe the chief minister and his team would like to take a pay cut to help fund it NO i didn’t think so.
Oh you are KIDDING?! Did not see that coming.
Time for a revolution….
Well now you know - there are 41 States members out there who shouldn’t be in power. The answer - go to the hustings before the next elections, ask all those seeking election how they would have voted and certainly do not re-elect any of our current members apart from those who voted for the proposition. Not that I fancy Stuart Syvret as the next Chief Minister. The people should choose who is to be Chief Minister in any case.
So lets see.
I’m the boss, I run this country, I then do something grossly unsuitable that puts my job at risk, i then get the chance to vote to keep my job.
which way shall i vote?
Oh and along the way i will make sure the other minions vote for me or i will make their life difficult.
Sounds like Zimbabwe to me.
as we all new the old pals act rears its
head again let the people vote and lets
see the out come then you may have won this
one but remember the elections
They would have stood a far greater chance of being re-elected at election time had the vote been closer. Such a resounding victory only serves to enhance the public perception of an ‘old boys network’ governing our island.
You Jersey folk really know how to mess up your Island.
Did anyone, and I mean ANYONE actually believe that non-vote was going to make a shred of a difference? Here we have a bunch of no-marks, desperately trying to look as if they control a major world power, and not just a lump of rock nr the English Channel, whilst also grabbing every opportunity to spend public money on anything that shows a huge profit and filling the void they have created by turning this island from a virtual paradise, to one of, if not the, most expensive place to live in Europe, all this in less than 20 years. For example, they look at shutting a Fire Station to save 50 thousand or so, look at cancelling school milk to save another 300 thousand or so, force a charity to provide medical equipment that they have failed to provide, (another 40 thousand saving) refuse free tv licences for the elderly, all things of true benefit to various groups within the island, whilst happily passing the spending of 330 milion on a road we patently do NOT need. This on top of the debacle at Bel Royal.
Their glorious leader accepted a £250 piece of scrap paper, that arguably gave someone no more than the right to collect seaweed from the shore, and promptly exchanged a 10 million pound value piece of the waterfront for it. That ground breaking decision was closely followed by Frank Walkers lapdog Le Suer, giving the banks etc a 100 million windfall, and making the general public pay GST to cover the “loss”. Not enough that more people voted against it that have EVER voted in elections, but still he (Le Suer) arrogantly declares he isn’t going to take a jot of notice and will run roughshod over the will of the public. Frankly I for one (and I know many more) have had enough of them. Next thing you know Frank will have been nominated for a knighthood for “services rendered”.
Perhaps FW and his supporters should read the various comments in this column, and try to recognise what the people of this island REALLY think of him.