Should Bernard flouquet resign ? "D Day"

Leave the guy alone. There are much more important things to worry about than a badly told joke. This whole saga has been blown out of all proportion by a very active minority.

Quite right there are more things to worry about, for instance why is a senior politician telling this type of joke?

The issue is not how he told the joke (badly or not) it is what the content was and why he considered a racist joke to be worthy of a media meeting which in turn showed very poor understanding on BF's part.

I agree with the thought already stated here that he should resign as the Deputy Chief Minister - but he is a reasonable and fair person and does a lot better than some of his other ministerial colleagues so should stay in the States.

Has this 'gaffe' had anything to do with the lack of 'Honours' being granted to anyone in the Bailiwick this year? Hmm..... I wonder!!

I find the " im going to knock youre f'in teeth out " more of a problem.

my sentiments exactly gimp.twotty should have resigned as chief minister.

Should that be on a different thread? This is about BF not LT..........

If Barack Obama can get away with his "you can put lipstick on a Pig" quote, then i think Berni should have nothing to worry about!.

Wasn't the Barack quote a reference to a quote made earlier by another politician, I think Bush.
Difference with Trott was it was done in private and the person concerned was apologised to personally and did not wish to take it further. Having said that he should have resigned.

Guernsey's deputy chief minister faces a formal reprimand over a racist joke he told in November.
A code of conduct investigation into the comments by Bernard Flouquet made the recommendation.
But Mr Flouquet could face calls to step down when the matter is debated by the States at the end of January.
Mr Flouquet told a derogatory joke about US President-elect Barack Obama to journalists at a press briefing and has refused to resign.
Mr Flouquet made his remarks at the start of a press conference about the airport runway on 20 November 2008.
He has apologised to both the States and the people of Guernsey for what he called his "indiscretion".
The code of conduct committee agreed unanimously that a reprimand would suffice.

DEPUTY Chief Minister Bernard’s Flouquet’s political future will be decided by the States tomorrow.

He faces a motion of no confidence after he told a joke with racial undertones at a press conference in November.

Before that the States will also debate a code of conduct panel recommendation that he be reprimanded, but which said it was for the Assembly to decide on his deputy chief minister role.

It is understood that Deputy Flouquet is planning to speak only in the debate on the reprimand, not the motion of no confidence being led by Deputy Leon Gallienne. Some have warned that the debates will be seen as the States tearing itself apart.

Deputy Flouquet is expected to issue another apology for his actions, having done so immediately after the incident, in a later statement he read out in the States and after the panel’s findings were issued.

But he remains firm in his commitment that he will not stand down as deputy chief minister having taken extensive soundings from fellow members (from thisisguernsey)

i think enough has been said about this.for goodness sake BF apologised at the time.i wonder which deputy from the baying group calling for resignation wants the job of DCM.the island has more to worry about with a recession knocking at our door.

Dell wrote:Should that be on a different thread? This is about BF not LT..........

why should it be on a different thread twotty broke the code of conduct to but barry brehaut decided not to take it any further .more fool him .

Thistle wrote:i think enough has been said about this.for goodness sake BF apologised at the time.i wonder which deputy from the baying group calling for resignation wants the job of DCM.the island has more to worry about with a recession knocking at our door.

To be fair in the great scheme of things "who the hell is Bernard Flouquet" however I think you're missing the point Thistle. Brushing the incident aside saying that he apologised is not acceptable. The point is that he may be sorry, but is he worthy of his position, considering that he did not think about what he said prior to saying it. He is not in the school play ground. Also what happens in the future if he represents Gsy in a multi cutural assembly, if he votes against a motion that is supported by a coloured majority, whether he is right or wrong, the race card will be pointed at him. It is also a measure of his character that he has not volunteered his resignation and then waited for his peers to declne it.
It will be another sad day in Gsy politics if he is not told to stand down.

i do know what you are saying plimmerton.i don't believe BF is in the least bit racist.i just feel he has been villified enough for what was after all a very badly told joke.

Thistle wrote:i do know what you are saying plimmerton.i don't believe BF is in the least bit racist.i just feel he has been villified enough for what was after all a very badly told joke.

I don't think I have said that he is racist, just stupid and not equipped for the position that he is in. Badly told joke, in poor taste, told by a politician about another politician, lets not try to defend the man. He should have thought before he acted, hey we are talking about a press conference, just to make it a bit worse. The point is now, if he hasn't got the bottle or gumption to resign, have the states got either to sack him.

It's not about having the Bottle to resign he obviously feels that he does not need to and I agree, he cocked up, said sorry 1000 times and that should be enough,

People make me sick when they always say "he did that" "she did this" so the only option is to resign why?

If he cant do his job then resign if he can he should stay.

If people dont like him they should not just use this as an excuse to out him, I dont really like the guy but as far as I am concerned he has already paid the price for his stupidity.

The Media are the ones that should be punnished for turning it into something much bigger than it was.

But don't you see that this is not about HIM, it's about the political process. I couldn't give a monkey's about the bloke, I care about the liability of someone with limited judgement in a position of political power. Part of his job is to speak on islanders' behalf. If the States choose to be 'confident' in him, and we voted for the lot of them, then that persupposes that Guernsey people are happy to be a 'little bit racist as long as it's deemed a joke'.

That is sad for those of us who are interested in politics and it alienates many that are undecided whether or not to trust politicians.

at last Fast R, someone who gets 'the point!!'

Deputy Flouquet given a reprimand in the States...

galliennes no confidence vote has been lost pour21 contre 24

maybe now they will get down to more important things in the billet.

Thistle wrote:maybe now they will get down to more important things in the billet.

Absolutely, I mean what's a little racism between friends?

I for one am totally confident in Bernard's ability to represent the island in international matters, just because he has admitted that he is "stupid" (over and over again) doesn't mean to say he can't be trusted in the future.

Anyway, must dash, the men in white coats have arrived with my medication...............

At least we now know the extent of the confidence in BF! It was a result of 'not much confidence'.

Just what Guernsey needs. Not much confidence.

How this guy can keep on getting through his political life by the skin of his gob is quite incredible. You only have to look at the voting patterns of anything he's been involved in.

Along with Trott (fait play to Trott, he's toned it down) they make Guernsey look like a village farce.

is the witch hunter general and his baying hounds
never going to give up

DEPUTY FLOUQUET HANGS ON TO JOB AFTER NARROW VOTE



Politicians, who narrowly failed to oust Deputy Bernard Flouquet as number 2 in the States…,
are expressing their disappointment this morning. A vote of no
confidence against Deputy Flouquet was lost 24 to 21, yesterday Deputy
Leon Gallienne led the efforts to sack him from the post of Deputy
Chief Minister after he told a racist joke at a press conference last
year. Deputy Gallienne's disappointed with the result and concerned
about what will mean for the future

With such an overwhelming vote of confidence I don't think he can say too much.

I frankly won't believe a word he says even if he says very little. No integrity.

Worth a read.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4838732a1860.html

That's rich.

Jo Brand complaining about offensive language!

Spirit wrote:That's rich.

Jo Brand complaining about offensive language!

She's never been racist.

No, neither has Carol Thatcher. Jo Brand has been very offensive at times and obscene but somehow this is considered to be acceptable.