SCRUTINY is BACK - but where's Charlie, Richard and Kate ?

The new States term really got under way today 17 July 2018 with the first open to the public scrutiny hearing. But although there is a new smart table in Le Capelain Room - there were some empty places and Senator Moore and her new Scrutiny Panel members were not amused. The new supremo Charlie Parker, Treasury Chief Richard Bell and Kate Nutt, Chief of the External Affairs Department had all been invited but failed to show. CM Le Fondre thought that Charlie was interviewing yet more senior civil servants but although the Panel had some questions ready - they must wait for another day - except that there is a secret briefing planned for Friday and the CM suggested that Senator Moore might get some answers then. Hard luck on the public who cannot even be told where the new Central States Offices are to be sited. Is it a new or existing building? We could not be told....

So its a new table but still the same lack of respect being shown for the Scrutiny process and as the Q & A session progressed it became obvious that this is not the only problem. There is a galaxy of new boards, commissioners, accounting officers, chief officers, renamed departments and scrutiny panels not to mention ministers and assistant ministers all being released from their "silos" but hoping not to get in each others way - or conflict - as they call it in this business. In fact it was obvious in the public seats that this must be a formula for certain failure and PLAN B cannot be far away....

It was not all bad. Bloggers were allowed to video the initial few minutes the same as the laughingly called "accredited media."

Unfortunately the new table keeps the Panel at a distance from the Minister and his team so if an improved standard of "cooperation" and engagement is to be encouraged then something might need to be done about that. We don't want them getting too close of course but the House of Commons rule about two swords lengths apart should not apply in Jersey and I don't know where Charlie and his colleagues might have been sat if they had turned up. It also makes it difficult for the public to follow all the proceedings  in such a small room but the "ear phones" are still working and the "hearing loop" is marked as available.

The standard of discussion was high which came as a surprise since this was the first public appearance of the two teams. It all rattled along at a good pace and many topics were raised if not always answered.
Evidently there is much still in the planning stage and such important subjects as "disability" responsibility were yet to be sorted. Very worrying.

Also to be decided is the latest "population policy" which still needs more consideration (there is a COM meeting tomorrow) besides more data and "modelling". For certain is that the planned 11 September debate will not take place.
In the meantime the CM wants to proceed with police checks - if a way can be found - and he is still keen on "work permits" of some sort but apparently there is an imminent threat from something called BREXIT....

The transcript and podcast should soon be available for anybody wanting more details and "streaming" is still proposed.

One subject not discussed was democratic reform following the CPA Observers Report but there were several States members in the public seats so not all have flown off to Trumpland or other exotic places for their hols....

A promising start but as we all know the proof of the pudding is in the eating etc and there was not very much to sink the teeth into.  Maybe just the recipe book image today with better and more substantial dishes yet to be served up....