“
But not to worry we are all in
this together says Chief Minister Gorst, but hang on, how did we get in the hole
in the first place and what role did Joe Public play in getting into it? We elect States Members to ensure good governance so we don't get into holes. It would seem that Senator Gorst or should I say Senator Ozouf got us into the hole and expects us to get out of it.
It reminded me of the lecturer
who was being disturbed by a student’s snoring. He asked the
student next to him to wake him up. The student replied; “With respect Sir, you
sent him to sleep so you wake him.”
Wouldn't it be great if we could
tell Chief Minister Gorst to get out the hole he created but life is not that
simple. In fact along with other Ministers he does not accept that we are in
hole but the money is needed to maintain the life style we have grown used to
and for some to continue, some must make sacrifices.
The sacrificial lambs are the
sick, aged and vulnerable who will lose their Christmas bonus and will have to
pay for their TV licences. If you have the misfortune to be ill not only will
you continue to pay the £40 plus fee to see your doctor but you can be pretty sure that you
are going to be charged for any medicine prescribed. If you are in hospital you will be given less on your plate at meal times. It is also ironic that an Island that flush with money now intends is to establish a toilet tax. It could be said that we are really going down the pan.
The Government owned Jersey
Telecoms is joining in the kicking and the subsidy that allowed pensioners to
get cheaper phone calls and line rentals are next in line for the chop. I
should add that the above proposed cuts require States approval but with its
inbuilt majority the Council of Ministers should have no difficulty in
achieving its goal.
It has been mentioned that apart
from taking from the sick, aged and vulnerable there must be belt tightening,
greater efficiency, accountability and monitoring of expenditure. Sadly we have heard that message all too often in the past and to bring it out again is just adding salt to the wounds.
However with that in mind
perhaps Senator Gorst will explain why four months after the States approved
the extra funding for the Committee of Inquiry, neither he nor the COI
have complied with paragraph (c) (iii) of the proposition which required
the Inquiry and the States to publish jointly on their websites details of
their expenditure on a monthly basis. We are already aware of money wasted on lawyers fees and duplication yet there seems to be no haste to rectify the problem.
Chief Minister Gorst and his Ministers must set examples and
practice what they preach. There is still too much fat on too many bones and
still too many sacred cows. “If we are all in this together” and pensioners are
to be subjected to a belt tightening exercise it will be interesting to see
what belt tightening individual States Members will be exercising?
