Five year terms: are they what people voted for?

Thursday 25 October 2018

An amendment to change States' members terms to five years will be debated in the Assembly today.

But the Deputy who has walked away from the job of implementing the results of the referendum on island wide voting referendum has said adopting five year terms of office would go entirely against what the people decided in that vote - which was a system of full island wide voting on four year terms.

"Outrageous" amendment to be debated today.

"It is utterly disappointing that this was put forward by our senior politician," Deputy Peter Roffey, the former President of the States Assembly and Constitution Committee, said, "we have to implement what the people decide, the whole thing is outrageous.

"Another aspect of this is that SACC are going to end up being asked to work all of these things out and implement them, all while doing just that for the result of the referendum, which there just won't be time for. It is very inappropriate when you consider that."

But the Deputy who seconded the amendment, Deputy Peter Ferbrache, has defended it, despite being a key campaigner for Option A, island wide voting, electing 38 deputies for four year terms.

Pictured: Deputies Ferbrache and St Pier. 

Deputy Ferbrache argued that while the option did explicitly state it would be island wide voting with four year terms, people had only voted for the island wide voting part, and the length of the terms was ancillary to that. 

"We are not trying to change the outcome of the referendum," he said.

"Really, this is Gavin's amendment, but I whole heartedly second it - at the end of the day Deputies being useful three out of five years is better than two out of four years.

"The main thing people voted for in the referendum was island wide voting, not for four year terms - I just don't see the outcome and this amendment as a conflict." 

Pictured: The options in the referendum, which was won by Option A. 

Both this amendment, and another which would see States committees reduced to just three members, are set to be discussed in today's Assembly meeting.

If enough deputies agree then SACC would have to come up with plans for bringing the five year terms of office in by the end of April 2019, so it can be brought in as soon as possible, meaning that those deputies elected island wide in 2020 will all serve five year terms.

As an example, the Isle of Man already has five year terms. 

To read more about the amendment, click here.

Pictured: Deputy Roffey.