Yesterday I signed up for Twitter (@parishadvocate) and today I have opened my first Blogger account. Having teenage children has never been so useful!
So what could possibly have motivated me to take these steps. My social life was full enough already and work demands (mortgage, university fees and other "normal" expenses are certainly taking their toll.... as for everyone else in middle Jersey) keep me very busy, thank you!
The answer is simple... Last week the States agreed to hold a referendum on the future make up of the States Assembly. For anyone who has been asleep, this came after an Electoral Commission was set up to come up with reform proposals, which it did after two rounds of consultation. All residents should have received a summary of recommendations through their letterbox but there is a full document available here. The die is cast and we must all participate in discussing the issues before referendum day on April 24th.
Essentially there are two choices for reform. In both, the island will be divided into 6 large electoral districts. There will be 42 elected representatives in either option.
In option A each district will elect 7 members. There will be no specific parish representative.
In option B each district will elect 5 members.
In addition each Parish will elect 1 constable who will be a member of the States. Guaranteed Parish representation will therefore be maintained.
As my profile shows (and let's get something straight... I am a real 'ordinary' Jersey resident but someone who does not feel comfortable putting their own identity out on the web. I may have time to explain why on a future occasion but it's not really important now) I have a great deal of experience in the parish honorary system. I have seen how quietly and efficiently it works on behalf of islanders.
For example, in these difficult financial times when GST has gone up, parking charges have gone up, planning fees etc etc, how many parishes have put up their parish rates? Direct annual accountability to the public keeps parish spending on track.
As soon as the parishes lose control of a function it seems to suddenly cost more. The cost of welfare has spiralled since it was taken over by the States. The next time extra funds are needed by the Council of Ministers, what will stop a proposition to change the parish rate law to vary the parameters of the Island Wide Rate? More and more often, the States want parishes to assume responsibility for service provision. This means the States can achieve their efficiency savings by relying more on the parishes. Just consider the recent health consultation which envisaged many health initiatives being delivered in the parishes. There is nothing wrong with that - it may well be a better option but if this is to be the case, the Parishes must have a voice in these decisions through direct representation in the debates.
There is a lot of misinformation about the honorary system being bandied about by people who quite obviously know little about what it really means. Let's open the discussion here and hopefully set a few things straight. I'm up for a debate but let's keep it civil please.
Option B is the only choice if you value the tried and tested parish honorary system.
