Deputy in bid to save Senators
Thursday 17th February 2011, 2:59PM GMT.
Deputy Carolyn Labey
A LAST-ditch attempt is being been made to save the four Senators’ seats that States Members have voted to axe over the next two elections.
Deputy Carolyn Labey is proposing that the States reverse last month’s decision to cut two Senatorial seats during the elections on 19 October and another two at the elections in 2014.
If her proposal is approved at the next States sitting, the States’ senior clerk will write to the Privy Council -–the UK body that scrutinises Jersey legislation before it is enacted – to ask them that the reduction of Senators be withdrawn.
Last month’s decision has already proved controversial – a petition against the change is being circulated and there have been threats of legal action to the Privy Council.
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Carolyn the people are with you, if not the States.
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Good on Carolyn Labey and at least she has swiftly moved on from the silly e-mail scandal.
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They FINALLY make a decision on something & it’s still being nitpicked. Every debate seems to go round in circles – glad Jersey doesn’t have any REAL problems that they get paid £40k to solve…
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#1 Mark: No they are not please implement all of Clothier now so there is only one type of States Member
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I’d rather we concerned ourselves with the quality, rather than the quantity of the people representing us.
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This is so much time wasting. You don’t need these people WE DON’T NEED SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE STATES OF JERSEY. It costs too much money and if we had a few good people that were paid even more money it would be better than the current situation where we have way too many people for the work that needs to be done. Sorry…..
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good luck with this carolyn.
to me it is undemocratic.
if we do lose them, then hopefully some new blood will act to overturn this act.
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1.Mark
Totally agree
9/10 people I spak to think their decision and the ballot process has been eroded by the decision to reduce States members – I hope for once they listen and out their own interests behind them.
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How many times will this be voted upon, until the COM ministers get the answer they want. It’s been voted upon, the house said there are out, what part of democracy do you not understand. Ex Senators are exactly that, they do not have a vote in the House, unless the establishment want them too. There are too many members, all the constables should go next, except St Helier and the deputies halved. Only have the states members speak in any event.
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Not sure who you are speaking for Mark 1, but a lot in Grouville Parish alone are not with you Carolyn that’s for sure.
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At last some sense out of nonsense. The States assembly must take now grasp the nettle and put aside political differences and self interest and reverse their decision.Perhaps then the island wide electorate can have a say on reform, with an independent electoral commission.Well done Deputy Labey and seconders.
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We need a compromise. Why not have senators as senior members who can only be elected from elected deputies (& maybe constables). Only elected senators can then be ministers.
The risk I see with the proposition, including the petition of Lyndon Farnham is that – despite being in the name of democracy – it is actually quite undemocratic. Jersey has the right to self-determination which would be undermined if the Privy Council oover-ruled the States – right or wrong.
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Well done Carolyn. The Status Quo must remain (return the four Senators)until an electoral commission is formed to deal with the whole issue of electoral reform. Any recommendations made to the States must be consulted with and then endorsed by the electorate before becoming law .. Good luck
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Like a developer keep puuting in another application until you get what you want!!
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Get rid of the Constables.
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There are serious problems with the present system in which six senators are elected every three years.
Taking the 2005 results as an example.
Number of voters (who voted)… 21,495
Stuart Syvret (Independent) 15,131 … 70% for….30% against
Ben Shenton (Independent) 14,025 … 65% for …35% against
Freddie Cohen (Independent) 13,704 …64% for …36% against
Terry Le Main (Independent) 12,159 …57% for ….43% against
Terry Le Sueur (Independent) 9,976 … 46% for …54% against
James Perchard (Independent) 8,998 …42% for … 58% against
The voting figures clearly demonstrate that only the top four have over 50% of voter support. The bottom two have under 50% support despite the fact that each voter can chose up to six candidates.
Can it be right that the bottom two are elected despite the fact that the majority of electors have rejected them.
This leads to the ridiculous situation whereby one third of the senators have been elected with between a half and two thirds of the voters saying that they don’t want them. Reducing the number from six to four would remedy this absurdity.
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Phil #7 makes a strong point.
Elections are supposed to be about electing into office those candidates that the majority of electors support … it is not meant to be about electing into office those candidates that the majority of electors do not support.
It is interesting also to note that, on average, electors use only 4 out of their 6 possible votes. This supports the view that on average electors have made a conscious decision to reject those that they have not voted for.
(It’s very different from the first past the post system where voters only have one vote and often have to choose between two or more preferred candidates. )
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#12 Perspicuous. Totally agree with you. I think my letter to the JEP on 24th January encompasses and enlargens your suggestion.
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