Should Bernard flouquet resign ? "D Day"

what can one say??

Ah Bless, wot a tosser, next he'll be thinking that he is on a par with Barack. The most powerful man in the world and Trots mate, yep I can see the similarity.

we agree.........at last.

Looks like some want him to resign,

I think his little joke is going to cause a lot of trouble

At a time of political sensitivity over our relationship with America the guy proves what a complete muppet he is. Our Deputy Chief Minister has to resign over this. Lets face it this isn't the first time his mouth has got him in trouble.

The job is well paid, and comes with a certain amount of responsibility. News travels fast nowadays and this faux pas will be global before you know it. If he doesn't do the right thing, then he should be sacked to save what little reputation this Island has left.

He tells a joke OK not a particularly good one but a joke his position as dep CM makes it a lot worse . Having said that he is being asked to resign i have not made my mind up on this yet. If he goes what about another Deputy even higher than him swearing and using threatening behavior against another deputy is OK then.

IMO the States should have a egm asap to debate the TWO issues and sort this utter mess out . Just think if it was you or i we would have been sacked on the spot on both accounts.

I agree with you digger, in my opinion both incidents are resignation issues, however the CM incident is in the past now. The point is if something happened to CM then BF would be the CM and representing us on the world stage. I have had dealings with him in the past and found him rude, arrogant and basically his motto was ' my way or no way' I believe he thinks he is untouchable.

What was in the man's head, thinking that a press conference about capital expenditure was the right time to crack a racist joke! Not that there is a right time. This just gives the Guernsey bashers more ammunition to fire at us, especially with the ongoing Landsbanki situation.

He should resign himself ,but i doubt very much he has the bollocks to do that,maybe he needs a gentle push. :)

i will give him the push.with great pleasure ...it was a press comferance what the hell was he doing ..acting as if he was in the playground"
If he wants a responsable job he should at least show he has the inteligence to do the job
All he has done is cause unnessasarly embarisment for our Government
A fine from his pay toward the third would might ease the joke a little!

yes without a doubt, Guernsey cannot be taken seriously on the world stage as long as we allow comments like this to pass without action being taken.

Should you have missed the Joke

LINKY

DEPUTY chief minister Bernard Flouquet is today at the centre of a race row after telling a racist joke at a press briefing.
Opening a presentation yesterday on the work needed at Guernsey Airport, he told journalists he wanted to lighten the mood with a funny story he had heard.
It included a reference to American president-elect Barack Obama and the Americans agreeing to allow golliwogs to be put back on jam jars in return for being allowed to use the Queen’s head on their stamps. Deputy Flouquet, pictured, last night issued an unreserved apology. However, pressure on him to resign as deputy Chief Minister was growing this morning as a result of the gaffe.
Callers to a Radio Guernsey phone-in were very critical and many felt he should go. Additionally, his Policy Council colleagues refused to say anything, radio reported, suggesting it does not know how to respond to a hugely unwise remark by the minister.
At the press conference, Deputy Flouquet had said: ‘A little joke was said that apparently the British Government - and I took this quite seriously when it was said to me - that the British Government had agreed with President Bush in America, and we all know that he’s going out of that position and Barack Obama is going to be taking over, the agreement was the Americans were looking for permission to use the sovereign’s face on all their stamps and, in return to show their appreciation, they would allow Britain to put the golliwog back on the jam jar.’
No one there laughed. (from Guernsey Press)

what a load of nonsense.leave the guy alone.slap his wrist if needs be but resign no way.gollys to my generation were black soft toys and badges. we used to save the little gollies on the jam jars to get a golly badge.pc has gone mad.i had the joke texted to me as well as some worse ones the day after the us elections and i found it to be funny..would you call it racist when jokes are told about micks,jocks ,paddies etc.

Deputy Carol Steere says he should give up his Deputy Chief Minister Post, but stay as a Deputy, I have to agree with her

senior politician was today facing calls to resign after joking that in the wake of Barack Obama's election golliwogs should be put back on jam jars.
Deputy Chief Minister of Guernsey Bernard Flouquet made his shocking comment at a press conference about the island's airport.
When opening the presentation he told assembled dignitaries and journalists he wanted to start with a 'little joke' he had heard.
Stunning his audience into silence, he mentioned Barack Obama taking over from President Bush, before saying: ‘A little joke was said that...the Americans were looking for permission to use the sovereign’s face on all their stamps and, in return to show their appreciation, they would allow Britain to put the golliwog back on the jam jar.’





Controversy: Bernard Flouquet (left) faces calls to resign after his 'golliwog' joke at Barack Obama's expense

Following the 61-year-old's comments there was stony silence in the room.

Fellow politician Carla McNulty Bauer immediately stepped in and said 'It's not very PC', to which Mr Flouquet replied: 'But it's still a joke, nevertheless'
Following outcry over his comments, in which the island's radio station received calls from outraged listeners calling for Mr Flouquet to be sacked, the deputy issued a full 'unequivocal apology'
He said: 'I would wish to make an unequivocal apology for my comments made this afternoon.
'I have the utmost respect for president-elect Obama and intended no offence.'
Retired builder Flouquet, who is minister for public services as well as deputy chief of the island, maintained he had been told the 'joke' previously.
H claimed that when he first heard it he had believed it to be true.
Deputy Flouquet apologised and added he had supported Obama during the election saying: "I believed in what he stood for".

A spokesperson for the British Humanist Association condemned the minister for his inappropriate comment.
Hanne Stinson said: 'You would think that public figures would have learned by now that making racist jokes will get them into trouble, but it's more than that.
'I find it worrying that a Minister, or anyone holding public office, is not committed to equality and respect for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, religion or belief, or indeed any such personal characteristic.
'This isn't about political correctness, it's about dignity and respect, and it does matter.' (from the Daily Mail)

sack him if he does not resign. I find it amazing how people are defending what he said with some of his supporters saying sweep the whole incident under the carpet..........they are all from the same mould it seems. Good for Gary Burgess that man is like a breath of fresh air on what was a death radio station. I bet he gets some flack fro mthose who love the establishment at BBC RGsy.

I don't normally hold a controversial view, but reading the comments on this matter it seems that I do in this case.

I am not condoning racism in any form - albeit there were racist undertones in his 'gaffe', but look at all the errors of judgement made over the years by the Duke of Edinburgh amongst others. There are websites devoted to these sorts of things.

Once again I think that this is a case of the anti-states media sensationalising a story and bringing undue attention to a matter that would otherwise have been long since forgotten. BF would have realised his error as soon as the room went silent.

Can everyone who is 'disgusted' by his comment honestly say that they have never sent, forwarded, told or laughed at similar material?

His biggest mistake was airing an inappropriate joke in the company of the media. I don't for one minute think that this is the view he would represent the island with on a wider stage, but people have now made it such an issue.

I don't think he should resign, but it is looking likely that the power of the press hyping this up will end up removing him instead.

hye i want the goliwog back on the jam jars i miss him,i use to collect them n wanted one of them badges
PC gone wrong? dunno but do know that nowadays u cant say boo to a ghost bit shit all this cock n bull with what one can and cant say
n e way it was a shite joke and he aint got no timing at all poorly delieverd as well

Here you go, gsyguy.

LINKEY

wayside wrote:BF has apologised so has done what he can, To ask for his resignation is stupid it was just a joke told very badly by the way. The Media should be ashamed at its self turning what was a comment made to a handful of people into an Island wide broadcast, I am not sure who is worse.

If I was getting ready to do an interview, I would not expect any comments made prior to the interview staring to be reported, transmitted or published by everyone.

Many people had this joke text to them by friends and colleagues, I wonder how many complained to the ones who sent it, probably none yet some think it’s a sacking offence?

Here is the answer why he should resign


Hanne Stinson said: 'You would think that public figures would have learned by now that making racist jokes will get them into trouble, but it's more than that.
'I find it worrying that a Minister, or anyone holding public office, is not committed to equality and respect for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, religion or belief, or indeed any such personal characteristic.
'This isn't about political correctness, it's about dignity and respect, and it does matter

Pete Burtenshaw wrote:sack him if he does not resign. I find it amazing how people are defending what he said with some of his supporters saying sweep the whole incident under the carpet..........they are all from the same mould it seems. Good for Gary Burgess that man is like a breath of fresh air on what was a death radio station. I bet he gets some flack fro mthose who love the establishment at BBC RGsy.

But Gary Burgess is a englishman born in bury manchester and according to 99% of your threads there is no place for outsiders in guernsey and here you are praising one. :roll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2008/03/14/rg_gary_burgess_feature.shtml

As usual MarkyD a well thought out and balanced post and i must say i agree with it , when you put all the bits together look at them its not the crime of the century . Ok wrong person saying the wrong thing at the wrong time but i do not think there was any malice in BF's comments.

What might be a good idea is for BF to hold another press conference and say publicly that i got it wrong ,issue an apology to the people of Guernsey and see if we can move on .

As i have said before another Deputy got away with imo something a lot worse not so long ago .

Bernard a word of advice stick to the job in hand and try not to crack jokes :) .

Chok Dee Ja wrote:

Pete Burtenshaw wrote:sack him if he does not resign. I find it amazing how people are defending what he said with some of his supporters saying sweep the whole incident under the carpet..........they are all from the same mould it seems. Good for Gary Burgess that man is like a breath of fresh air on what was a death radio station. I bet he gets some flack fro mthose who love the establishment at BBC RGsy.

But Gary Burgess is a englishman born in bury manchester and according to 99% of your threads there is no place for outsiders in guernsey and here you are praising one. :roll:

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2008/03/14/rg_gary_burgess_feature.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2008/03/14/rg_gary_burgess_feature.shtml[/quote[/url]]


first and foremost I am not a racist. I deplore any form of racism towards minority groups. My grandfather was English, my great gran was a German Jew and my father was Irish. I defend the rights of the local to get full employment over those who are not local this is not a racist view but a realistic view. I have friends who are English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Latvian, French, and Local..........