Moving beyond titles, roles and labels to do the job
Dep. Juliette G. Gallichan, in St Mary.
Representing the people isn't about labels but about understanding the concerns of constituents and connecting them with their government, says one of the newest Members of the States of Jersey.
Dep. Gallichan was elected as Deputy for the parish of St Mary in 2005. Before her election she had worked as Parish Secretary. Since her election she has been a Member of the Privileges and Procedures Committee and served on two scrutiny panels.
W
hat am I: Parish Deputy, new Member, female politician, Backbencher? I am the Deputy
of St Mary, Jersey's smallest parish by population. Probably because of its size, St Mary
has been quite successful in maintaining the feel of a traditional local community and I am fiercely proud and protective of that. I first became involved in "parish life" by association when my husband became a Constable's Officer in the late 1980s. This is the entry-level rank in the island's unique Honorary Police System in which each of the 12 parishes has its own force of officers, under the leadership of the Constable, who is the elected head of the municipality and who has a seat in the States of Jersey by virtue of the office. Traditionally, the Constable was someone
Dep. Juliette G. Gallichan.
who had been a long-standing member of the municipality, although latterly this has not necessarily been the case. Initially through my husband's
involvement, I began to understand the benefits of the parish system and later, when a candidate called at my house to ask for my support during the election of Deputies, I began to think about possibly becoming involved in politics myself. This
26 The Parliamentarian 2008/Issue One - Jersey
idea grew over time and crystallized when, after having my children, I decided not to return to working in the finance industry but instead became Parish Secretary, working closely with the Constable and organizing the administration of the parish. I also experienced his involvement in the island's government and became his number one "armchair critic". After several years of haranguing the
poor Constable over the way things were being done - or not done - in the government, I decided that if I thought I could do better, I really should "put up or shut up" and stand for election myself. I first stood for Deputy in 2002, when I was narrowly defeated. I then tried my hand in a senatorial (all-island) by- election in 2003 before being returned in St Mary in November 2005.
Learning the ropes I was sworn into office in December, 2005 and after two years as an elected Member of the States of Jersey, I still find myself referred to on occasion as a "new Member"! I think I have probably sounded quite indignant on occasion when replying "hardly a new Member now", or