Her first was with the "Business Connect" discussion at the Town Hall between 1pm and 2pm.
It was part of the series of such meetings where business people - mostly from Finance - are confronted with their own image by various speakers.
Not many active farmers seem to attend - although there were at least two retired agriculturalist sitting at my table - but today's audience was more varied than usual.
Other speakers were Geoff Cook of Jersey Finance, Richard Syvret who was the first chief at the JFSC in 1998, and Father Francis Macauley, the newly arrived priest at St Thomas'. John Scott facilitated well to keep four speakers contained within the hour available and Business Connect will be posting a video of the proceedings via YouTube in due course.
I interviewed Helen shortly before she set out to speak at the Georgetown Methodist Chapel.
I wonder whether the Christians are getting to grips with such issues rather more usefully than the "progressive" politicos in Jersey at the present time?
Christian Aid website is
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/
The full video of the debate at lunchtime will be available on the web site of business connect and on YouTube. Here is the link http://www.businessconnect.je/
ReplyDeleteYou may watch the full debate.
It was good to see Geoff Cook speaking there as Finance usually refuses to engage with its critics for fear of giving them legitimacy. However today Mr Cook came out with the usual rhetoric. Unbelievable given we are in YEAR V of the fiancial crisis, the cause of which has much to do with Shadow Baning and offshore financial centres.
The difficulty is 'business' is reticent to engage with political activists. Never mind that they have their own political cmapaigning and lobby groups (the Chamber of Commerce and the IoD). 'Safe' non-political groups like the National Trust and Christisn Aid are seen as much more acceptable.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the practical issue the meetings are held in town during working hours. Attendance is simply not possible for many of us employees under those conditions.
If it's political engagement you want there are enough groups who meet in the dark hours to join - such as the new Jersey liberal forum or the old JRA or the JHRG or the newly formed SSTAG (see the sstag.blogspot)and Dep Tadier is proposing to walk the "Road to Reform" at the Peirson pub this very night from 8.30pm according to Sam Mezec's blog. Though in the true tradition of half baked progressives in Jersey Monty does not mention it on his own sleepy blogsite.
ReplyDeleteIf all else fails you could always start your own political party or group and be its prima donna and sole. Everybody else does it - why not you? See you around comrade or is it Christian?
...Yes I forget that the latter group meeets every Sunday at 50 or more venues all over the Island and they do discuss moral, ethical and other related issues all the time and have a good sing song too. There is surely something for everybody out there.
I find that in saying what you truly believe, even if others don't agree with you, doesn't affect business...
ReplyDeleteI would happily sponsor political groups that I personally supported, any of the six strains of libertarianism - Classic Liberal preferred but Volutarianists, Paleo-Conservative, Cosmotarians, Liberaltarians or even Tea Party at a pinch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwxBj5OfeGM
As long as you believe government is the problem, not the solution!
What you mean is that most businesses are hoping to get lucrative government contracts in which they can charge more than the market rate for the work performed...
As to the national trust I would say it is the closest thing to a political party which exists in Jersey, they just do not put up candidates for election.