Ministers could be shown ‘yellow card’

Wednesday 4th April 2007, 12:00AM BST.

CHIEF Minister Frank Walker wants the power to show a ‘yellow card’ to ministers who step out of line.

He says there is no way of formally sanctioning ministers short of trying to have them removed from office, and that he wants a halfway measure to be adopted. ‘At the moment all I can formally do is talk to them, or ask the States to effectively eject the minister from his or her position,’ said Senator Walker, in his evidence to the ministerial government review panel yesterday. ‘It seems to me there should be something in between the two. The latter course is extreme and I think thought could be given to some form of penalty, if that is the right word, short of having to come to the States and ask the States to dismiss a minister.

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