Now that we are moving through the third decade of the twenty first century we can measure how well we are doing in relation to the hopes and aspirations that have previously been established, but we also have to keep setting and shifting our targets. Nothing in life stays the same, as we have learned so well in 2020; to keep ahead one has to adapt to the challenges that appear.
Some issues remain and of course without action, they can become increasingly serious. For example, the States of Jersey have a task to set out how they propose to fund the building of a new hospital for the island. The project is essential for us all, however with borrowing planned to span a 40-year period under consideration, the bill is potentially £800m when site specific costs, contingencies and inflation are taken into account as they were for the Gloucester St. budget of £466m. Can we be sure that the strong revenue we have seen for the past forty years will be as consistent for the next forty years so that future generations will be able to meet this cost?
Jersey has a proud and entrepreneurial history, we’ve built ships, sailed across the ocean to fish for cod, grown tomatoes as well as our famous potatoes, built an internationally respected finance centre and established ourselves as an early adopter of the digital age, a gigabit island. So what next?
In my view, It’s not the role of government to decide what’s next; politicians should focus on creating the right environment for businesses to thrive and focus on providing services such as health, education and support for the people who need it.
There are moves to begin growing medicinal cannabis, so Government will take the role of setting standards to ensure the appropriate level of regulation is in place for this industry to enter the global market place in an appropriate manner. The Treasury predicts that annual revenue from a tax levied on this new crop will reach £10m a year within a couple of years.
However, with public spending now exceeding £1bn annually, future generations will have to raise much greater levels of revenue to reverse the impact of the legacy of the Le Fondré and Parker government.
So how can we set a new course? How do we progress with confidence to prepare for the future? One thing is for sure, it will have to be a team effort. As parliamentarians the difficulties we have faced in this Assembly have identified that it is very hard for individuals to influence the Assembly when they are not in government. This has led to some States members feeling as if their talents are overlooked and they aren’t able to contribute as much as they would like, or had hoped to (I hasten to add that I am not talking about myself here).
I firmly believe that more political parties are needed. Bringing people together to engage in the political process would attract a wider cross section of people taking an interest in the setting of policies and the election of their representatives to the Assembly. This should also translate into greater voter turnout.
An organised structure would provide a greater level of practical support to candidates which would hopefully encourage a more diverse group that is better representative of our modern community to consider standing for election. And once elected, a political group can use its strength to work to achieve its goals for the island.
Let us not forget that political parties are not new to the island; there have been several throughout history, but recently this has mostly dwindled to informal alliances. The problem with these groupings is that there is a lack of transparency and structure, and despite the conspiracy theories, they have not been well organised.
After working with a number of like- minded people for some time, I feel
confident that there will be at least three parties offering voters a choice of candidates at the next election in June 2022. This election will have a different format to previous years now that a new system has been agreed with voting split into nine large districts with the Constables still having a seat in the Assembly.
We all have a deep love for this gem of the sea. Let’s harness that energy, share our ideas and set ourselves onto a path for a strong recovery. I would encourage everyone to consider getting involved in any opportunity to shape the island’s future by taking part in consultations and scrutiny reviews. Please take a serious look at what the new political parties are doing and consider getting involved. They will need the talents and perspectives of everyone in our community to build a vision for the future. Remember we are stronger together.
As Edmund Burke said ‘the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (and women) to do nothing’.
Beyond 20/20 - Features
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