Fury over Members’ ‘contempt’ for debate on food
Monday 6th April 2009, 2:57PM BST.
AGE Concern has accused politicians of showing contempt for the battle for GST exemptions after their tardy time-keeping forced the debate to be cut short.
Daphne Minihane, chairman of the charity, said that she was ‘furious’ that such an important debate was brought to a premature end because so few States Members returned to the Chamber after lunch.
And she added that it was ‘astonishing’ that three of the Island’s most important politicians – Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur, Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean and Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf – did not even bother to speak during last week’s debate.
Mrs Minihane (pictured) said that although she had to accept the decision to reject the exemptions, she could not accept the way Deputy Carolyn Labey, who brought the proposition, was treated.
• How Members voted: See today’s Jersey Evening Post
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Its the Old Boys Club at its best. Irrespective of the GST ‘debate’, this is how our elected Ministers treat the public who put them into office. Pure contempt.
It is disgusting that some members didn’t return to the Chamber after the lunch recess.
They should be fined or at least docked the days pay, I suggest the monies raised be donated to Age Concern.
Maybe they were enjoying another bottle of wine at the tax payers expense.
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George Bush had the right idea for bad timekeeping. Anyone who was late for a meeting didn’t get in, this famously included his chief advisors after 9/11 when they couldn’t get a plane back to America due to air travel restrictions.
Can you imagine if normal people with real jobs sauntered back after a long lunch 2 hours late if at all.
This shows the contempt they view the electorate in.
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disgusted but not surprised, this is after all the old boys club we’re talking about.
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#2 Keith
“Can you imagine if normal people with real jobs sauntered back after a long lunch 2 hours late if at all.”
Yes, very easily. Otherwise there would be no need for restaurants and clubs which cater for business lunches (and States members)!
After all, the people who enjoy this lifestyle almost certainly consider themselves to be normal people with real jobs.
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The contempt the COM appears to have for ordinary (non wealthy) people, Jersey people and other states members outside the priviledged few should by now be totally apparent. The situation with Sen. Perchard and the Chief Minister’s endorsement of his work, behaviour and attitudes is also thrown into sharp focus here.
Can someone, anyone find out if and how a general election could be forced sooner rather than later for the sake of this island and its people?
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Keith, I think that was the only right idea George Bush had in eight years….
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I think what really happened is that those campaigning against GST have now realised it is the only real solution and have gone back on their original misgivings. May be some on the HYS should do a bit of research or come up with an alternative solution.
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scared and Anon – there is no hope – unless everybody rich and poor protest, refuse to pay taxes until these old boys are forced to leave and hey we could even try to take away their expense accounts – after all why should we the taxpayer fork out
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I suspect this was more a case of having considered the matter in great detail previously and formed a view what was the point in hearing the same arguments rehashed again.
A thought – how about charging to income tax all capital gains on property in Jersey other than resulting from the sale of your home instead of charging GST ? The thing about denying a large proportion of the people living here the right to buy is that it simply means someone wealthy will buy and let the property to them. There will always be those who either cannot or choose not to buy in any society without excluding thousands and thousands of additional ppl by virtue of having quallies. What this does is make it massively appealing for buy-to-let investors to come in and profit as they know that finding a tenant and charging exorbitant rents is like shooting fish in a barrel and there is no capital gain charge on their investment. It is a result of this that prices are so high and out of reach of most working here even if they have the right to buy as house prices are not related to salaries but distorted by a disproportionate number of landlords.
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You are so right Al,A capital gains tax on any property that is not your actual home would rake in the ££, so what we are up against here is the rich lording it over the poor,an age old issue,but one that has been allowed to take on obscene proportions here because we have been willing to stand for it, those who don’t vote have no say and are already regretting it,as for the rest of us,knock on the doors of your representatives and have it out with them, it’s your right and you’ll see what you’re made of…………
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joker an alternative for you take the cap off of social security. Oh yes you will probably say no sorry you can’t affect the richer or businesses in Jersey with higher costs.
There are alterantives but the states won’t use the cheaper less costly options for fear of upsetting the apple cart. Much better to have GST, drive more people into poverty, and drive the smaller businesses out of existance due to the burden of policing the collecting of a hated tax for an incompentent government in my eyes.
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utter contempt is too good a word to use for these individuals who are supposed to represent our interests.have they forgotten they are our servants,and are there to serve us.they should be sacked for bad time-keeping like every other job.
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