Chief Minister sticks to his guns on population

Thursday 5th March 2009, 2:54PM GMT.

CHIEF Minister Terry Le Sueur has said that Jersey should still aim for a population of 96,000 – despite opposition expressed by some Islanders.

Last month Senator Le Sueur sparked heated debate when he claimed that Jersey could cope with a population of 100,000. Later he revealed that projected immigration levels in the Strategic Plan could increase the population by 5,000 by 2035, acknowledging for the first time that he was planning for a peak of 100,000.

Following this, dozens of Islanders posted comments on www.thisisjersey.com and wrote to the JEP letters page voicing concerns over the projected population increase. Senator Le Sueur has now said that he was aware of the concern, but added that Jersey would have no problem sustaining the population levels over time.

He said: ‘With the suggested net inward migration we would peak at about 96,000, and I believe that this is sustainable and is necessary to pay for an ageing population. I have no desire to see the population go over this, but if it did it would not create any problems with regard to hospital services, sewers and roads.’

Pictured: Senator Terry Le Sueur

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1
ann

March 5, 2009 at 3:01 pm

There’s no need to build any more offices, shops, carparks, flats or houses because the population is to stop at 96,000 and we can make do.

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2
Paul

March 5, 2009 at 3:10 pm

I don’t think this will be an issue in the next few years. As non residents are made redundant they will not remain in Jersey as they have no claim on Social Security.
Expect the population to return to 90,000 very quickly and like the economy and house prices will continue to fall as things get worse.
Why would someone remain in Jersey without any financial support when they can receive the support in their native land?

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3
Mogit

March 5, 2009 at 3:16 pm

I’m one of the aging population Tez, but don’t worry about me because come retirement I couldn’t afford to stay here anyway!!!

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4
phil

March 5, 2009 at 3:43 pm

Just thought of a way round this…we can reach terry’s target of 100,000 without the need for any inward migration.
Soon there will be thousands unemployed all spending loads of time at home looking to entertain themselves. Nature will take it’s course and terry will get the population boom that he wants. Easy!

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5
Pip Clement

March 5, 2009 at 4:07 pm

Perhaps the Chief Minister could tell us what these people are going to do?
It looks like he is planning for an Alice in Wonderland future in which the finance industry is likely to continue to grow when a lot of the indicators are suggesting that it may not.
Major banks around the world are in difficulties and are cutting back and concentrating on their core business.
Elsewhere governments are waking up to the fact that they have pretty much bet the farm on their reflationary measures to save the world economy and although the huge borrowings may be fundable through the issue of government stock it is going to be a huge cost for decades to come.
Also it is not only Jersey that is facing an aging population, most of Western Europe is facing that as well, every government is going to be scrabbling around for the last cent in tax revenue to pay for pensions and health care so if there are billions sitting in an off shore centre that they feel should be yielding them some revenue they will be around looking for it!
Also Terry le Sueur seems to think that the decades of cheap and plentiful oil that characterised the latter decades of the 20th century and its economic development will continue well into the 21st century, if it does not then all his bets are off!

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6
Mark’s perspective

March 5, 2009 at 4:21 pm

Nice to see the captain will do the honourable thing and go down with his ship. Where is the nearest life boat?

Good too that this blog is starting to have the recognition it deserves.

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7
Mistershifter

March 5, 2009 at 4:45 pm

Err, what was that about listening to the public’s opinions? The on-line debate, which by his own admissions, had a disappointing response.

This statement just adds fuel to the ‘not listening’ argument, ‘la la la’!

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8
Adrian

March 5, 2009 at 9:24 pm

Aren’t we above that already? Where does he get his figures from? I would guestimate 110-120,000 already judging from the traffic congestion everyday on the way to work.

I don’t think the states really know who is over here at all. We could have 90,000 or 150,000 how does anyone know without proper checks in place?

Mogit I do hope you get a pension but I wouldn’t bank on it for too much longer, give it another 10-20 years and there will be too many people sitting at home enjoying retirement for the States to be able to pay for that luxury. I think work till you drop could become the next big thing.

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9
Grumpy Beggar

March 6, 2009 at 10:00 am

No problem, once the finance bubble has burst the population will return to about 50,000.

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