THIS week’s farcical States debates ‘take a pickaxe’ to the Island’s reputation as a respectable democracy, according to Senator Philip Ozouf.

And he has taken a thinly veiled swipe at his fellow minister Senator Stuart Syvret by referring to the need for ministers to act in a statesmanlike way. Economic Development Minister Senator Ozouf says this week’s debates on the censure of Health Minister Senator Syvret and the removal of Deputy Rob Duhamel as senior Scrutiny chairman do the States no favours in its work to have the Island taken more seriously by other countries. During his evidence to the panel reviewing the first year of ministerial government yesterday, Senator Ozouf said: ‘The legislature is our parliament. ‘The States must be treated with respect and if Jersey is maturing and being regarded as a small self-governing nation-state, competent in the running of domestic affairs and certain international matters, then we must respect the institutions. ‘I have to say that certain actions that have been going on this week are effectively akin to taking a pickaxe to the foundations of our parlimentary democracy. And I think that is a matter of huge regret.’