THE Council of Ministers closed ranks to fight for their collective political life in the States today.

Chief Minister Frank Walker and his nine colleagues face a vote of no confidence brought by former Health Minister Stuart Syvret in their toughest challenge since the introduction of ministerial government in 2005.

In response to the proposition, the Council of Ministers yesterday released a 16-page defence, summarising their record of achievement to answer the charge of incompetence being levelled against them.

If the council survive the no-confidence vote, debate on which will continue tomorrow, Senator Walker will then face a vote of censure for inadvertently misleading the States over the financial plan for building the planned Esplanade Quarter on the Waterfront.

In related debates also scheduled for this week’s historic States sitting, there will be calls for the sacking of Waterfront Enterprise Board chairman Gerald Voisin – who is criticised today in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General for failure to declare his business interests – and his fellow WEB directors, and for the rescindment of the Esplanade plan.