Meet Senator Philip Ozouf – the Island’s third Chief Minister
Friday 26th June 2009, 2:59PM BST.
From Ray McCredie.
BEFORE we know it, Senator Philip Ozouf will be installed as the Island’s third Chief Minister. This is as certain as death or taxes.
I suspect that Senator Terry Le Sueur is merely keeping the seat warm for him and he will be artificially placed in this position by a handful of like-minded cronies – totally undemocratic!
Had there been party politics in Jersey, the leader of the party voted in to power by the electorate would automatically become the Prime or Chief Minister, which is fair enough.
As no party politics exist in Jersey, the only democratic method is an Island-wide vote on such an important issue. Our current method is favoured only in Zimbabwe and other dictatorships.
It should not be forgotten that Senator Ozouf made one of the worst political decisions in memory when he allowed GST to be added ‘on the shelf’ instead of at the till, consequently costing every resident in the Island hundreds of pounds annually.
As GST will again rise, we will be subjected to more of the same obscene mark-ups encouraging the rampant greed which exists everywhere one looks on this Island on rents, travel and the prohibitive cost of food.
He also promised a third supermarket which 80% of the population desire, but it will not happen.
It is generally recognised that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and, on that basis, Alistair Campbell must be delighted with Senator Ozouf’s style of politics, spinning like a top, pulling all the strings and directing most of the political traffic around Jersey.
5 Tunnell Street,
St Helier.
2012 CYCLE SLAM
Dallaglio Flintoff 2012 Cycle Slam
Read Graeme Le Saux's daily blogs
Greece-London Marathon on a Bike
The Dallaglio Flintoff 2012 Cycle Slam
Travel
To, from and around the Island
Airport Arrivals/Departures
Harbours Arrivals/Departures
Bus Information/Timetables
This is Jersey
Jersey Evening Post
Useful links
It’s an interesting point Ray
Though it takes a bit of time and commitment I decided to see how our states members voted to see if there was any patterns.
I used the http://www.statesassembly.gov.je/ website and created a spreadsheet that shows how all the states members voted for 2009.
Tony Bellows gave me the idea in his comment to Ben’s week in politics (22nd June).
Once I had populated the spreadsheet it was easy to see the most common trends including who regularly consistently vote in support of our CM’s vote and against.
Unsurprisingly Senator Ozouf’s votes were almost identical.
Again I find this unsurprising as they need to show a united front but seriously they also must realise people expect them to have their own opinions and that a differing opinion is the basis for a democratic system.
The spreadsheet also showed the shocking amount of time our elected and highly paid representatives spent away from the states chambers.
If I was absent from my job for as much time as some of them I am sure my employer would be looking for a replacement sharpish………
But I digress is it a gimmie that the closest allies of the current chief minister gets to be the next.
I think the answer to that question will be proven in time as the system is far to new to show a trend like the voting patterns of the elected
Report abuse
Hit the nail on the head Mr McCredie
Report abuse
Not this argument again! Look at the voting in the last elections and if we in by your theory Ian Le Marpuand would of won it by a distance. Personality politics is not getting anywhere in Jersey and the so called groaners need to face it for a change. An Island wide vote is not a problem but no law breakers will get a majority, keep that in mind. So ask yourself who would win?
Report abuse
I have been saying this person would get the job after TLS had had a go, when the previous incumbant was in post. A dead cert in my book. However I personally cringe at the thought. I myself have no faith or trust in this person getting it right for the majority over here.
Report abuse
AN excellent first minister would be roy le herrisier
Report abuse
But who would be better? We need experience and brains in the States and like David says, we don’t want law breakers running this Island, I for one do not want people that do not support the majority (people that it), wealthy, middle class and poor.
Report abuse
5. Ray – Yes, I agree – someone like Roy would be excellent – not another proponent of awful buildings and throwing our money at finance willy-nilly. We need someone who is actually interested in people not just money.
Report abuse
No party politics in Jersey What utter rubbish we have the JDA and look at the mess they make !
Report abuse
8. Kate – I think you’ll find that the expensive blunders have been made by the “Establishment” party – not by the JDA or free thinking States members.
Report abuse
kate we have had a party in power since the end of WW2. It is called the establsihment party. Only recently have we an alternative in the JDA. What is wrong with that?
As per making a mess you have to be in charge to do that don’t you? Since when have the JDA been in a position to do anything?
Yes Roy would be much preferable to many others in my honest opinion. I am not into spin and sound bites myself, or people who think they themselves are marvellous.
Report abuse
I think Philip Ozouf would make a first rate chief minister.
Who else? Red Geoff and his merry band, who have great ideas on how to spend money, but none on how to fill our coffers?
Report abuse
I think it is fair to point out that Phillip Ozouf and his band of merry men can get rid of the cash at a fair rate of knots.
£10M on the incinerator, hundreds of thousands on suspended staff, huge subsidies are being paid to the leisure pool on the Waterfront, etc.
The laughable thing is that many of the current CoM are accountants or businessmen but cost control, accountability or any idea of the value of money seems to go out of the window when they are handed the £500M States ‘pot’ to play with!
Report abuse
If the Boy Phil ever becomes First Minister , that will be my cue to sell up and move on , that is if i can actually sell my house
Report abuse
Easy to get embroiled in this,but is the point not that this system of Govt.has failed miserably,the COM have only succeded in being divisive,withholding important information from those other house members who you voted for remember,so in effect the COM have castrated and nullified your vote,how can your Deputy of choice be effective if they can’t get access to the pertinent information needed to make informed decisions to then vote on, which is how half the junk stuff gets through unnoposed..they have just rigged the game in their favour,for what they seek is unopposed power,where is the Honour..? gone,disgraceful overspends,behaviour of guttersnipes,yet they have the gall to remain in office even when caught red handed,how can we trust people like Perchard again…no a root and branch change with all voting on same day and ALL to be the same rank, or there can be no true representation,and what is that phrase..? Ah yes “No taxation without representation” let not the tail continue to wag the dog……
Report abuse
Truthseaker
You speak a lot of sense, ref has ministerial government failed us.
But I fear a government made up of all deputies (I think that’s what you are advocating)we would not have a dog for the tails (note plural) to wag.
Report abuse
Stuart Syvret or Geoff Southern would be a much better choice. At least the Island would be ruined quickly rather than this slow death by a thousand cuts
Report abuse
tricky is right. At least if Stuart or Geoff was running this Island HD Ferries may be tempted to come back.
Report abuse
What utter rubbish there is no establishment party. We have standing independents and the JDA who are costing the Tax payer a fortune. I understand your version of the establishment party is anyone who disagrees with the JDA. Fortunately past JDA members are now distancing themselves.
Well stated Tricky 16 by the way
Report abuse
Nellie #9
Yes because fortunately most of the JDA’s ridiculous, expensive and damaging proposals are blocked!
tricky #16 – LOL!
Report abuse
I’ve worked with Philip. 3 things you can say about him that you can’t say about all States members:
1) He works very, very hard at his job. He probably puts in over 100 hours a week, every week.
2) He isn’t motivated by money.
3) He’s not got a criminal record.
I wish people would realise that Southern and Syvret want to destroy the Island. Look at how they vote: they will spend money on anything other than income generators.
Report abuse
What do people think of Senator Ozouf now that he has reneged on his promise that Jersey would not be using our incinerator to burn Guernsey’s rubbish and the only reason that we needed such a big incinerator was due to all the new immigrants we “need” to keep the Island out of the red? Also that it “had” to be at La Collette because this was the best site for it?
Did you hear the news on the radio this morning? Clearly stated Jersey were in negotiation with Guernsey to take their rubbish…..
Report abuse
I would like to see some real party politics. I want there to be a group of people with a leader. I want to read their manifesto, their “promises” and then vote for who I think will do good for the island and me.
If they do not perform, I can vote them out. The leader will become the CM and I will know what he/she and his party stand for and how they intend to deliver it.
Other parties, during elections, can compare manifestos and find problems and make them known to me to get me to follow their thoughts and solutions. All healthy debating to help me make my right choice on the day.
I want to see a collective party plan for the next 5 years before I vote, not see it emerge after the CoM has been selected.
Something I would like to know: Is the current system maintained because it is easier for a particular island industry to influence policy for that industry to benefit and not necessarily the people of the island.
Report abuse
Scott [1] – I am sure that if your sorted the votes into those cast in the best actual long term benefit of the Island and those cast to gain additional popularity with no thought of the actual consequences or damage then I am sure you will get the same result.
As regards for Nellie suggestion of Roy for chief minister then we have three years of total indecision and dithering. As regard Stuart Syvret, that would really be turkeys voting for Christmas.
Report abuse
The day of the independent States’ member is almost over. I would say that there are maybe a half dozen independents left in chamber.
The rest vote in a fairly predictable manner and I can write down the vote on any issue and get it 80 – 90% right.
The CoM are a government in all but name, the only things they lack are cabinet discipline and a formal whip.
In my opinion it is likely that these will appear in the next few years together with a formal opposition and ‘shadowing’ of key posts.
Report abuse
All Geoff, Stuart and the other dozen or so have done this year is vote against personalitys and that goes vica versa. This is why they are not getting anywhere. Some use Tuesday proposals for personal attack. They fill the NET full of garbage and then they think they are popular. Philip Ozouf will get the job, he is 110% better than all of them.
Report abuse
Nellie [21] what rubbish [no pun intended]. It was an excellent idea but Guernsey did not want to participate. Are you saying that Philip is also part of the Guernsey oligarchy as well?
How about a bit of balance on the incinerator – it was claimed by the “anti establishment” that Guernsey would show us the correct way – and they have just ordered a £150 million pound incinerator with an additional £30 million interest bill on top.
This is further evidence that Senator Ozouf and the other states members you persistently attack are working for long term benefit of Jersey and not just the short term popularist vote. That is why in our democratic society they received more votes than other more controversial, extreme and confrontational members. A lot of very tough and unpopular decisions have been made in the States over the last couple of years and it fortunate that we still have politicians with the courage to put the Island ahead of their election considerations.
Report abuse
Ray the writings on the wall. How can we stop it you tell me? as I dought if anyone can, if you put yourself forward in the next election I will vote for you and I’m sure many more would we need straight forward and out spoken people like you in the states
Report abuse
So sanity thinks that senator ozoef is the man to make the proper decisions for the long term future of jersey? well think again,his decision to add GST on the shelf instead of at the till was the worse decision ever and his reason for doing so was sad and pathetic he certainly is not the man for the job.good for you nellie you see things as they are.
Report abuse
19.Joker – I don’t support all the JDA propositions (some of them are definiately too costly – doesn’t mean they’re not right sometimes though) however the JDA did not propose the enormously expensive incinerator when a far cheaper and smaller option is available – they didn’t instigate the costly Victoria Avenue revamp etc etc etc
23 Sanity – re R Le Herissier as CM – I would like to see someone LIKE him as CM – a moderate, middle of the line person who would go a long way towards uniting the various factions in the States. All this infighting is counter-productive and good propositions get turned down simply because the proposer isn’t in favour by the ministers – not good for Jersey.
26. Sanity – Guernsey did not want to participate first time round because Jersey wanted to charge them too much for taking their rubbish – this time they are over a barrel. Do you really believe we had to have such a huge incinerator simply to cope with the population growth? If that’s the case what is going to happen when the population grows as per currently envisaged and we are also taking on Guernsey’s rubbish? I think you’ll find that the incinerator will have ample capacity because PO et al have already tailored this into the equation – hence the enormous incinerator we “had” to have.
As for putting the Island ahead of their election considerations – you can’t have been at the recent hustings – there were a lot of promises made then that have already been broken by these people – not to mention dodging the questions and clouding the issues.
Report abuse
Nellie
Please tell me what personal advantage any of the establishment have by ‘overspending’ on an incinerator. Are you saying the establishment were given advice to only spend £30m and they said no because they just ‘felt’ like they needed to spend £100m or they have been infiltrated by ATTAC with the aim of bankrupting Jersey? There is no logical reason for claims to say the majority voted for the proposed solution against the information used to make the decision.
If you are claiming the information the decision was based on was flawed then that’s your (sorry I should say Jeremy’s) right to vote against. However the majority thought otherwise and there is no reason to suggest that it was not the right decision other than someone’s opinion.
Report abuse
“well think again,his decision to add GST on the shelf instead of at the till was the worse decision ever and his reason for doing so was sad and pathetic”
Really? The reason for doing so was to try to prevent big UK chains adding 3% to pre-priced products. So you think trying to save Jersey consumers 3% is sad and pathetic?
Report abuse
This is hilarious and it is good to see that I am not alone in thinking that Stuart, the JDA and even the meagre party Time 4 Change are useless in running the Island. Philip Ozouf got my vote in the last elections because he works hard. He is intelligent. He slices through his critics and like mentioned he behaves in a mature and professional manner. Nellie needs to start smelling the coffee.
Report abuse
Yes the comments on Ozouf are hilarious as is the copy cat.
Report abuse
Sensible mature politics is winning in Jersey. Look at the latest proposal on TV Licences proposed by Deputy Tadier. What a waste of money to the tax payer just to try and get popular. The left have only one objective and thats to waste money on proposals in a desperate attempt to get some popularity. Well the truth is everybody is sick already of this approach to running the Island and you can ask people on the street about it. The council of ministers is the best we could possibly have at the moment. Fighting recession and doing their best to keep spending down. The left are already going against their manifesto and trying to keep spending up. Senator Ozouf is winning and like the letter says is now favourite for the job he fully deserves.
Report abuse
Favourite for the job because all treasury ministers are groomed for the position.
Report abuse