Jersey Reform Day.
This site is dedicated to the day, now officially recognised annually by the States of Jersey, to mark the anniversary of the events of 28 September 1769.
Jersey's own Independence or Bastille Day.
Following on from yesterday's Scrutiny hearings today it was the turn of
John Young the recycled Environment Minister and
Dominic Jones of JP (Jersey Potteries) Restaurants
to appear before the public Scrutiny Panel hearings.
I have recorded the first 5 minutes only of each hearing as posted below.
John Young says he will be more interesting in 6 months time and hopes to be invited back then.
Following the announced closures of the CIs Coop Food Warehouses and Amal-Grow the Jersey in Transition group organised a public meeting at the "Townhouse" pub in St Helier.
It was a "full-house"
The video below in four parts is a recording of most of the main meeting.
Sebastian the musician has been deleted for technical reasons with the acoustics but nothing has been edited except to shorten the introduction or because of some later recording limitations.
The Environment Minister will appear before two Scrutiny Panels next week on Friday 20 March at 10 am regarding Environmental Policies and again at 2 pm regarding the International Finance Centre. Both hearings are open to the public and take place in the Royal Courts/States Building.
Anybody can attend but must remain silent....
Today – 23 July – it was Deputy Bob Duhamel who opened the batting for the good guys v the Council of Ministers and Senator Ozouf’s latest brainwave, namely the “Mid-Term Financial Plan.”
OZO has cunningly arranged for this to be sprung upon the “nation” during the summer hols so that even the Environment Scrutiny Panel had only had a few hours to study the vast document.
Rest assured that the paying Jersey public will have virtually zero chance to discuss it or learn to love it or hate it before the States Assembly endorse it in October or November.
With all the current and recent “public consultations” going on with electoral, social security, housing, health, Taser issues etc – nobody but a glutton could possibly have any appetite to swallow this latest offering. And, of course OZO and his team know that very well.
As always, yours truly was the only member of the public to sit through today’s 90 minutes of concealed despair from Bob Duhamel – hung out to dry for following the CSP aims and achieving the demanded savings of 19% so it seems. Now his Planning Department just does not have the funds or resources to carry out even the minimal tasks set down in the recently agreed Island Plan!
Well and truly shafted – all in the name of USER PAYS – because as Bob explained Jersey Planning and Building Control fees are probably already the highest on the planet and they are about to be increased considerably yet again.
Never mind that Building Control fees are already down 50% on last year's and if they do not pick up there will have to be further savings or yet more price hikes.
Other Departments and their Ministers will now trudge through the same Scrutiny rooms to appear before other Panels. Tomorrow it will be Sen Le Marquand explaining why the Fire and Ambulance service will want proof of an Insurance Policy before turning out for an emergency and why the Prison is being emptied through “repatriation” to save costs.
Later in the day it will be TTS – and they are sure to be asked about their composting and scrap yard costs because Bob flagged those up today as examples of funding that will be agreed and then diverted to other uses (just a matter of £3 millions so nothing serious!).
On Thursday the Minister for Education will be looked at and perhaps he will have a cunning plan to make all schooling USER PAYS too and maybe nobody will even notice?
