Hustings questions: Government cutbacks

THE 21 Senatorial candidates began their campaigning in earnest at St Clement’s Parish Hall last night.

Just over 150 people crowded into the building for the first of the parish hustings meetings.

St Clement Constable Derek Gray squeezed in six questions into the two-hour meeting by asking candidates to answer three questions at a time in two 90-second sessions.

Derek Barnard asked the 21 candidates what they would do to reduce the cost, power and size of government.

Mr Palmer said that people had been promising to reduce spending for a long time, but that Generally Accepted Accountancy Principles (GAAP accounting) would help when they arrived in 2010.
Deputy Maclean said that the real question was one of efficiency. He wanted the States spending watchdogs, the Comptroller and the Auditor General, to be given more support.
Deputy Troy said that the Island should get rid of some of its States Members and look at an early retirement programme for some States staff.
Senator Vibert said that bringing in capital projects within budget and on time, as he had with the Hautlieu and Le Rocquier schools, would reduce costs.
Mr Higgins said that GAAP accounting would help, but that the increase in new £70,000-per-year States jobs should be slowed. The Communications Unit should be reduced or axed.
Mr Maçon said that he would reduce the power of the States, and would work to rescind ministerial government.
Mr Perkins said that the civil service was large, and that the Clothier recommendations to reduce the size of government should be followed.
Mr Pitman said that the Communications Unit was £300,000 of wasted money, and agreed that the Clothier report should be implemented and the number of States Members cut.
Senator Routier said that instead of giving a populist answer he would tell the truth - that the cost of government was going to go up, not down, because of social needs, the hospital and education.
Senator Ozouf said that costs could be reduced, adding that the States were sitting on much too much property.
Mr Forskitt said that the States budgets and accounts were almost impossible to tie up, adding that any project labelled ‘iconic’ ought to be axed immediately.
Mr Tadier said that reports should not be commissioned if they were not going to be taken seriously and used. The Clothier recommendations should be implemented.
Deputy Southern agreed that cutting the number of the Island’s States Members would help to reduce costs.
Deputy Ferguson said that the accounts should be made more transparent.
Mr Wimberley said that public expenditure was a vital tool to fight inequality, but a rational discussion about the roles of the public and private sector were needed.
Mr Le Marquand said that there was scope for improvement in departments, adding that small steps could be taken to reduce the number of days that offices were cleaned.
Mr Pashley cited the £250,000 ‘golden bird’ and £470,000 for Jersey’s international image as spending that the Island did not need.
Deputy Breckon said that there was too little transparency and accountability at the Council of Ministers.
Mr Walsh said that GAAP accounting would help, but a refusal to spend £30m on a national gall-ery was a good place to start.
Mr Le Clercq said that more weight should be given to the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Nick Le Cornu said that he would love to see the ‘withering away of the state’ but said that it was essential that government services were properly resourced. (from thisisjersey)