Accusations of dictatorship

Deputy Southern has laid into the treasury Minister, Senator Ozouf. He calls the take over of States finance directors an undemocratic shift in the balance of power amounting to a bloodless coup. There is much secrecy and spin being used over the states business plan, and the cuts therein. Deputy Southern said the debate on the business plan plumbs new depths of incompetence from the council of ministers.

sorry posted twice

Jersey States members complain all the time about the difficulty of getting up to date information from the Council of Ministers.

Minister Phillip Ozouf is on record as saying that he see's no purpose for scrutiny. It is now clear to all States members why. The council of ministers rule Ok, ( I don't think so ).

He / she who holds the purse strings controls everything. Good move Phillip shame your not up for election, then you would find out
whether the people of Jersey like secrecy and anti democratic power games or conversely their elected members contributing to the debate.

BB

BB, I think the reason that Ozouf doesn't like scrutiny is that recently their reports have been better researched, more articulate and coherent than anything that has come out of the council of ministers or from the highly paid civil servants who should be guiding us.

Since November and the last round of elections, whilst the Establishment prevailed (and was bolstered by idiots like Dupre and Jeune) the opposition seems much more consistent and cohesive, therefore by definition a threat.

Last scrutiny report by the health and housing panel into the Williamson funding was excellent, shame it had such little coverage from the established media - still lets wait to see what Verita brings forth, hopefully some of the edifice is starting to crumble.

Good point about Verita Cosultants employed to look into the Management and other issues with an remit re-written by the new Health Minister Anne Pryke. Well lets face it islanders............ as it was the same management board who wrote the remit and employed the consultants which clearly means they are conflicted then the new health Minister had picked up a bad case of a department on a self preservation exercise. She had no choice but to get involved.

What is a fact is that a friend who needs to see a consultant has just written a letter complaining to the hospital that the December appointment date given is certanly not soon enough or good enough. We have a fantastic health service in Jersey but only if you go private, otherwise God help you literally.

BB

It is clear that dependencies are just that,

Jersey and Guernsey, like it or not is being dragged screaming into the new world financial order. Will it be the people of Jersey and Guernsey screaming with dismay at the endless grab at their shrinking disposable income?

The figures show that per head of population Jersey has one of the highest incomes in Europe. This is not the full story, lets split that up into three sectors. Public, Finance, and then the rest of us. Public sector now running at over £301, million this is truly the big problem. This also distorts the general per head of pop. earnings figure. Which private business can afford to pay the money and perks offered by the States ?

The alternative is to look very seriously as to how expensive the administration and so called, gold plated second rate services have become, complete with pet consultants and spin doctors, nice but not needed football coaches and job duplication at management level through out the States empire.

True backbone and leadership is needed, , it will be far to late in a few years time if a policy of trying to tax the people to fill the coffers, will without doubt make this a desolate island or maybe a Monte Carlo's for the rich only ?

Will any of the Channel Islands become independent ? Only if the UK Government allow it to be so.!

Quotes are selective please read the full informative article, link below.

"We have much to do and public expectations are high... People need to feel safe from crime and we need to clean up public life and start to develop a fairer, more open society," he said.

Allegations of corruption in land sales, distribution of government contracts, the granting of voting rights and misuse of public funds led to the launch of an inquiry in July 2008.

A financial regulator in the territory said the suspension of the government would not affect the operation of its offshore finance sector, which has about 16,000 companies
registered, including many specialising in warranty insurance.

"There is no change in the status of the regulatory body or in the day-to-day running of the finance sector," Kevin Higgins, managing director of the Turks and Caicos Finance Services Commission, told Reuters news agency.
He said the Turks and Caicos offshore finance sector had "not been in any way tarnished" by the corruption inquiry, saying this had focused more on tourism and real estate activities.

Link
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/08/2009815161016553867.html

Boatyboy