Sarah Ferguson

[boatyboy]

During research on the Jersey Government website, Sarah Ferguson has always appeared as chair of the Public Accounts Committee. This is the money watchdog for the States. On the radio this morning Deputy Furguson said that she loved the job, and following a departments accounts produced skeletons to fall out of cupboards. So she obviously enjoys keeping an eye on States spending  ( which is a good start) but what else does she do?

[boatyboy]

Have you read the Scrutiny reports, loads of them exist, I hope you don't have to sit in front of her, for your sake not hers. An accounts type mind is surely required to deal with figures presented to the Public Accounts Committee.

Boatyboy

Example for you.

http://planetjersey.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1035.msg13021.html#msg13021

[Res Nullius]

Ah Sarah Ferguson.

A check on her voting trends shows that she votes with the party line EVERY time.

A cynic might suggest that the Olly's, knowing that they are about to take a hit, are lining up certain shoe-fillers.

Don't be fooled.


-- edited by admin--

[rogueelement]

I assume you are a big fan of The Who "We wont get fooled again" and have a picture of Che , vaguely illumined by your lava lamp .
If Ms Ferguson is doing a good job, and her voting record seems to be consistent , then why the beef?
The electorate gets what the electorate wants but i want nothing that society's got ,goin underground


er copyright the Jam 1978?

[Julie]

Could Sarah clarify what was exactly meant by the alleged "A little corruption never hurt anyone" comment ?

Also if one of her plus points is that she has been "Chair" of the States Finance scrutiny panel, why is states spending spiralling out of control ?

[Sarah Ferguson]

Julie

I don't know where that comment came from - but it wasn't from me.  It is a fabrication from someone. 

Sarah

[Sarah Ferguson]

As for States spending.  There are 52 other States Members.  Those who are on the PAC know the problems and are also working on this.

The Auditor General has provided a report that outlines Departmental savings that are reasonable and also States wide spending reforms and efficiencies that are essential.  All the reports are up on the auditor genreral's website and the PAC website.  auditorgeneral-jersey.org and pac.org.je.

Some Ministers think that they must have extra money for new services instead of looking at where they can make efficiency savings.  Budgets are treated as a game and financial management and frinancial controls could be very much better.  We do not really know the cost of services.

We need  better prioritisation and better allocation of resources.  Currently, he who shouts loudest gets the biggest increase in his budget!

Not to mention the fact that maintenance budgets get used for other purposes.

I want a setup where people treat £1 of taxpayers money as carefully as they would treat £100 of their own.

Sarah

[Sarah Ferguson]

Sorry - it's pac.gov.je   

[Nick Palmer]

Budgets are treated as a game and financial management and frinancial controls could be very much better.  We do not really know the cost of services.

When we get GAAP accounting standards (as I believe we are supposed to by next year) it should be much easier for people to see what's what

[Jason the Maverick]

Hi Sarah,

We have had many comments about the Civil Service salary and pension bill being way over the top when compared to not only the private sector but also their counterparts elsewhere.

Would it not be a start to first get rid of the final salary pension for new comers and also taper some of the positions through natural wastage instead of re-employing people on top dollar all the time?

After all the bulk of the expenditure in the States is in wages.

[Pomme de terre]

Would it not be a start to first get rid of the final salary pension for new comers

Of course it would be a start JTM, but we'd have the TGWU up in arms immediately.

Somewhere along the line, we're going to have to have our very own winter of discontent.

[Jason the Maverick]

With the deficit of the final salary pension at the moment sooner or later somebody is going to have to say "we can't afford this anymore".

[Saucy Sara]

You have my support Sarah 

I hope you get in and start banging some heads together.

[voiceforchildren]

You have my support Sarah 

I hope you get in and start banging some heads together.

If you need any help with that just give "the pinball wizard" a ring I hear he is a dab hand!

[boatyboy]

THe wage bill for the States according to the now released 2007 accounts is shown at £296,338,000. However consultants and those on short term ?? states contract remuneration, I believe are not shown.

Question for Sarah Ferguson maybe ?

Put another way, every square mile of Jersey (48) costs £6,173,708.33 in wages alone.

Why ?   Deputy Sean Power in converstion with a very close friend acknowledged that Portsmouth Harbour is three times the size of all of Jerseys mariners and harbours, yet employs one third of the people.

There should be a reduction of States employees by at least 20%. Regarding all the unions. Taxpayer (working people with kids and morgages) first, jobs for the boys second. This is not kicking the States employee, this is common sence, while there is still some money in the budget.

Boatyboy.