15th October - Senators & Constables Elections
26th November - Deputies Elections

Senators Hustings Meeting - Trinity

All of the Senatorial candidates would be willing to stand down in four years’ time, if elected next week, to enable the Island to have a general election.

Asked at the Trinity hustings last night if it was something that they would be prepared to do, all 21 candidates responded with a definite ‘yes’.

Trinity residents came out in force for last night’s hustings, with standing room only at the parish hall. One parishioner, David Le Gresley, asked the candidates whether if they were elected they would ‘disenfranchise’ themselves and put themselves forward for election in four years’ time to enable the Island to have a general election.

Ian Le Marquand said that he totally agreed with this idea and could not understand ‘why the States can’t realise the need for everyone to come up for election in four years’.

Adrian Walsh said that he would stand down and then put himself up for election again – adding that he wanted to see fewer candidates and for Islanders to be able to vote for their Chief Minister. This was a view that was shared by Mike Higgins, who said: ‘Yes, I would be prepared to stand down and I also believe that the Chief Minister should be elected by the public.’

Meanwhile, Nick Le Cornu said that he would in fact be willing to stand down in three years’ time, because he believed that ‘there should only be one category of States Member and they should all be elected on the same day.’

Senator Philip Ozouf said that he would stand down in four years and that the States had to ‘continue to debate what the right solution for Jersey is’.

Deputy Alan Breckon said that in both 1999 and 2004 he lodged a proposition to bring this about but that it still hadn’t happened.

Deputy Peter Troy said that he was totally in favour of it and that ‘States Members must accept change’.

Trevor Pitman said that his party, the JDA, had also pursued this and had tried to bring this proposition to the States three times, adding that he would do whatever it took to bring this about.

This was echoed by Montfort Tadier, who said: ‘Absolutely. I will stand down and I will campaign for a four-year term.’

Deputy Alan MacLean said: ‘I do support it and would stand down in four years if there was a general election.’

Deputy Sarah Ferguson said that her constituents had not supported the original plans for reform, but had changed their minds after attending a hustings with 21 candidates.

Senator Mike Vibert said he would stand down, but said: ‘You’ll hear every candidate here say that they agree with change, but what they won’t say is what change they agree with.’

Senator Paul Routier said that he would ‘certainly stand down’ if he was given the opportunity.

Cliff Le Clercq said that he would do so, but that he needed to get in first.

Mick Pashley simply said: ‘Yes, because I’m a gambling man.’

Mark Forskitt said that he would stand down ‘if that was the general view of the population’.

Deputy Geoff Southern, Nick Palmer, Daniel Wimberley, Jeremy Maçon and Chris Perkins all said that they would also stand down.

[ Source : This Is Jersey ]