Deputy tells colleagues to get 'off their backsides'

Deputy Max Andrews says other States members need to get "off their backsides and start working"

Jersey States members need to get “off their backsides and start working” so that more proposals can be brought to the States Assembly, a politician says.

Deputy Max Andrews' comments come as the States Assembly website said more than 100 propositions had been lodged every year since 1998, but only 71 had been brought to the assembly so far this year.

Propositions are debate topics and any States member can bring one to the assembly, which will then vote whether the assembly agrees or disagrees with it.

A total of 107 propositions were brought to the States Assembly in 2023 and 120 propositions were debated in 2022.

'Insufficient number'

Andrews criticised some colleagues further, adding: "It’s always the same people lodging propositions".

He said: "You’re elected on the basis to bring about change and, if you’re not going to do your job properly by not lodging propositions, then what’s the point in being elected as a States member."

He added: "This is the first States Assembly since the millennium where we have seen an insufficient number of propositions.

"I think we are going to see fewer than 100 propositions lodged."

Andrews' comments came after he withdrew a proposition to bring in capital gains tax on profit people made from selling a property that was not their main home.

Andrews withdrew it after realising it would not get enough support and, of the 20 propositions he has lodged since being elected in 2022, he has withdrawn seven of them.

He was previously criticised by Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Farnham for bringing propositions without talking to the government.

Deputy Sam Mézec said he agreed with Deputy Andrews that more politicians should be bringing propositions to the assembly

Housing Minister Sam Mézec said he could not support Deputy Andrews' latest proposition because the deputy "hadn’t done the work necessary to make changes to the tax regime", but he agreed that more politicians should be bringing propositions.

He said: "If you’re elected by the public, you should be working hard to represent them and to achieve what you promised them when you asked them to vote for you.

"We have lots of politicians who don’t do that any of that, and I think in a democratic system where people are elected to do a job do make the effort."

Deputy Elaine Millar said this year's change of government may have led to less propositions being brought

Treasury Minister Deputy Elaine Millar said that the change of government earlier this year might have contributed to a lack of propositions being brought forward.

She said: "It is a unique feature of the Jersey States Assembly that backbenchers can bring propositions.

"This year may have become disjointed with the change of government at the start of the year."

Millar added that, if backbenchers wanted to bring propositions related to public finances, they should speak to the government first so "that we can help them develop a proposition we can support rather than oppose".