From Marianne Sunier.
NOW that we have completed the elections for Senators and Deputies, I am extremely pleased to see that we have settled on a legislative body that includes experienced individuals who have already served our Island in different capacities outside the States, an increased percentage of younger members, and more women as well as many stalwart politicians who have served faithfully in their previous terms.

All these individuals hold different politics and viewpoints and all have told us in one form or another that they stood for government to serve our Island and that they will be the voice of the people. As an electorate, we have many different views and our elected representatives must reflect these. We require of our politicians that they serve us by putting forward these different thoughts and viewpoints in a researched and cohesive manner that informs and inspires realistic government policy-making.

It will be true that those who become part of ministerial government will try to deliver the policies that are decided upon by the Council of Ministers to the best of their ability and judgment, and also true that those individuals who form the all-important Scrutiny part of government will also serve us richly by scrutinising and reviewing these policies in a robust manner that challenges their effectiveness, thus providing the tension that is required within government to make it effective, discerning and accountable.

The first ministerial government has been led very ably by retiring Chief Minister Frank Walker. Whatever their politics, there are many Islanders who are highly appreciative of the immense time and effort that he has devoted to serving his Island and performing his duties over his 18 years in the States.

At a time when there are now calls for more individuals to devote their time freely to helping the community, he comes from that generation of politicians who did do just that and he, like many others, gladly served the community as a politician for many years without payment.

We do not all agree with the policies that he and his ministerial team have introduced, yet the rationale behind many of the more controversial policies and a lack of substantive alternatives, led his colleagues in the States to back even the most emotive by majority vote.

Senator Walker very obviously did not set out to win a personal popularity mandate. Some of his Council of Ministers’ decisions, which effectively decreased the money that we have to spend in our pockets, would bear this out. It seems to me that he could so easily have deferred any really difficult decision-making until his time in office was over, if he had just wanted to be popular, and leave the brickbats for his successor.

It is very much to his credit that he had difficult decisions to make and, just like any housewife with her budget or any managing director looking after his company, he made them for the good of Jersey and her people.
So thank you, Senator, for your time spent in the States and for the hard work you put into serving your Island.

Senator Walker took a great deal of personal insult and invective while in public office and it would be fitting if his retirement could mark an end to such personal attack, which is also routinely endured by other States Members.

Let us hope that our newly elected government can take this point to heart and remember that attacking policies is acceptable and to be applauded; attacking individuals is cowardly and shows a lack of reasoned argument not befitting a representative of the States of Jersey and its electors.
Cape House,
Rue de Pontliétaut,
St Clement.