Treasury Minister: Senator Terry Le Sueur

[boatyboy]

 Ben Shenton's JEP letter accuses Terry le Suer and Philip Ozouf of colluding with high level Civil Servants to come up with the Le Fondre amendment. This took some pressure of States members in the lost GST vote. This post therefore should really be with the purse string holder Minister of the Treasury Terry Le Suer a close second is Minister Ozouf. Sorry if you have seen it before. 

The Jersey way of presenting States accounts has been a mess for year’s. Its a fog thats impossible to itemise. Ben Shenton has been a critic since he came to office. It is getting better. Generally Accepted Accounts Practise ( GAAP )has been creeping in but not fast enough according to Scrutiny in their Report on the 2007 States Accounts. Senator Le Suer got in last time with a slogan safe pair of hands, yes I know it's being used again.

Do those we trust to spend our money, namely Ministers for Treasury and Economics have a clue. Is Jersey as solvent as we are led to believe. Now that we are putting in place a proper accepted penny counting system, lets have a look at the latest no holds barred 2008 Scrutiny report on the States 2007 figures.

1.   Despite this, the Committee was disappointed to learn that the Treasurer was unable to tell the Committee what the effect of changing to GAAP would be on the States’ Accounts. 

Mr. M. Magee: [Scrutiny]

G.A.A.P. accounting …… sounds really boring and it is technical accounting.  I think my main query is do you have a feel for the scale of the adjustments?  Because even though they might not be fully considered, it would be interesting to know that obviously the whole shape of the accounts is likely to change and, following on from what you said last year, you want to set up the departmental budgets to be in a similar format so that you do not get all this reconciliation hassle that you have.
 So you could at the end of the day have something that is a massive surplus or a massive deficit compared to what you have at the moment.  You know, where does that place you in terms of fiscal policy?  Because if you have a big hole does that mean you increase taxes; if you have a big surplus, do you reconsider what you have in place for 20 means 20, et cetera?  To me there is a big picture here about G.A.A.P. accounting, not just “let us get this in a different shape”.

Mr. I. Black:  [treasurer of the States]

We do not know what the figures are going to produce, but obviously capital is a big one, the depreciation charge is the big one.  …..  It will probably turn current surpluses into deficits.  How we deal with that we are only just starting to think about.  I really ... you know, the idea of this is to give information to informed decision-making.  You are asking me what decisions you will take.  I think we need to know the challenges before we start thinking about what to do with them.

Mr. M. Magee:

I guess it is comforting to know that you are considering that because you understand the consequences ...

Mr. I. Black:

We have given it some thought already but we do not have any answers.

The spin we are given is a  safe pair of hands, lets hope they don't play cricket.

Boatyboy

[boatyboy]

Some time back we were told that Treasury Minister Terry Le Suer through economies had managed to save £35 million. Now the treasury ministers and other mininsters are working on next years budget and yet want to spend more and more. Do we know much about why? are they right ?

Dear Oh Dear, get a cup of coffee and have a look at this,

Its all taken from states documents so lets give green the day off !

Overall these amendments reinforce the view of the PAC that the present budgeting process is less than adequate, there is no realistic forward planning and the concept of three year rolling forecasts is not strictly applied.

There is little evidence that the required measures to improve financial management and financial controls are being seriously pursued. Evidence received during the Public

Accounts Committee's recent hearings on the 2007 States Accounts indicates that no rigour is applied to the budgeting process; income forecasting is seriously under estimated in order to ensure that there are sufficient surpluses to cover budget deficiencies; and departments do not know or are unwilling to disclose the full costs of services.

Furthermore, while the Public Accounts Committee fully endorses the move to GAAP accounting, the Committee is concerned that this move will materially affect the reported state of the finances of the States of Jersey in future years. It is quite possible that the inclusion of depreciation rather than capital servicing will lead to a deficit rather than a surplus in the States Accounts. The Treasurer stated in a recent hearing before the Public Accounts Committee that he could not quantify the effect of the change to GAAP accounting. It is extremely imprudent to decide on additional expenditure without accurate information being available to permit the effect of such expenditure on future financial periods to be understood.

Furthermore, the States will recall that the Public Accounts Committee's report on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on efficiency savings concluded that only about £5.8 Million of the purported £35 Million savings was the result of genuine efficiencies. In fact the Public Accounts Committee’s conclusion can be summarised as follows:
£21.9 Million represented a reduction in expenditure
£1.5 Million represented deferred expenditure
£4.06 Million was a reduction in expenditure from other sources or from exogenous factors
£2.5 Million arose from increased income
but only £5.8 Million represents corporate efficiencies

Following this year's elections the States will be electing a new Council of Ministers, which will then be required to produce a Strategic Plan to be approved by the States. It is reasonable to assume that priorities may change. It is questionable that this Council of Ministers should be proposing measures which will tie the hands of not only the new Council of Ministers but the States as a whole to ongoing additional expenditure proposed for 2009 and beyond.

The Public Accounts Committee is acutely conscious of the need to support the lower income groups, particularly those just above the income support level who do not pay tax and those who fall into the lower tax brackets. However, it does not feel that a knee jerk reaction to changing circumstances is good government. It considers that there are more efficient methods which will comply with the recommendations of the Fiscal Policy Panel.

Most of the issues raised by the Council of Ministers' proposition are not new and yet this additional spending has been introduced to fund new initiatives rather than focus on maintaining existing services. The Public Accounts Committee considers that the Council of Ministers should address long standing funding pressures and implement genuine efficiencies before committing the States to extra recurring spending.
This thinking is supported by the report by the Fiscal Policy Panel which emphasised that the States “should not approve decisions either as part of the Business Plan or Budget that undermine the tax base or commit to expenditure growth greater than that currently forecast.” Their comments were based on the original Business Plan before these amendments. The Public Accounts Committee regrets that the Council of Ministers' proposals conflict with the advice given by the Fiscal Policy Panel.

All documents are in the public domain.

Boatyboy

[The Rev Peter Sarkey]

Yeah - didn't realise I'd have to plow through them twice though ---

[boatyboy]

Treasurey Minister Terry Le Suer and his colleagues now seeking re-election.

The out side world has some reality, look at the pay rates shown below,and ask your selves, sitting States members an honest question, why do we have a wage bill of  £295,000,000 million? It is also worth noting that the council’s below are  putting its civilians first, even though that is unpopular with the workforce and I do understand their feelings. These examples have been triggered by equal pay legislation for women in the same job as men. Where there is little extra money, cuts will have to be made, jobs will have to go.

The UK has its own government points system for evaluating efficiency and accountability in the work place .  I truly believe there are some good States members, to me that means watching over our money. It is not an easy task, in fact its difficult when you think about the explosive number of people now employed . To my way of thinking it’s a very important part of the political job, watch the spending. Accepting its much easier to vote in, user pays , GST, or reduce mortgage relief, 20 means 20 is the easiest way, discriminating against the very community you are supposed to be protecting.

So keep  taxing the pensioners, young families, small businesses, everyone with the GST tax. (talk of 5.7% already),  and then ask us to vote you in again.The black hole, we are told, you haven't got your sums right for the last few years, and cut backs in the budget are something you just cannot comprehend.

Pay cut for council workers
Feb 9 2008
by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

COUNCIL workers have been told their pay is to be cut.
Thousands of Kirklees Council workers received letters this week about a new pay system, and it’s bad news for some.
The “single status” reorganisation aims to protect the council against future discrimination claims. But angry staff have contacted the Examiner after learning they could be in line for wage cuts of up to 17%.

At the moment the full extent of the affected numbers is unclear.
But Dave Grime, who has worked for the council’s highways department since 1990, has received a letter saying his pay would be cut from £27,594 to £26,067 in June.
The 62-year-old from Holmfirth is now thinking about retiring.
His wife Jean said: “It means we will probably have to sell our house and move to a smaller place because of the increasing cost of living.
“Some people are going to lose £5,000 a year by being downgraded. They’re traumatised by this.”

Mr Grime has been informed that his pay will be cut from June unless he takes on more responsibility.
Mrs Grime said: “He’s been told he can win his salary back if he dives through hoops and moves from being a supervisor to more of a manager. But he’s too old for that and now he’s talking about early retirement.
“What’s going to happen to council services when experienced people like him leave?”
Paul Williamson’s wife also works for the council’s highways department. She is facing an even greater pay cut.
Paul said: “She got a letter on Monday saying she was being moved down from grade four to grade two.
She’s going from £17,000 a year to £14,000 – that’s nearly 20%. It’s a hell of a shock.”


http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2008/02/09/pay-cut-for-council-workers-86081-20454969/

The Lancashire Telegraph


COUNCIL bosses claim they are reducing the number of staff set to lose out under controversial salary changes - but unions say there is more to be done.

Last night Coun Michael Lee, executive member for resources, told Blackburn with Darwen Council 1,089 town hall workers are facing wage cuts, 81 fewer than forecast last month.
He said more reductions were forecast over the next three months.
Under the job evaluation scheme, new pay scales have been drawn up and there have been protests from staff who have had their wages slashed.

Council bosses have insisted “remodelling” of the workforce would mitigate the damage.
A council spokeswoman said just two staff had left as a result of the changes, and said internal recruitment was being used to help people losing out.
Council officers will meet with union representatives next month to discuss the progress made.

But Unison regional officer Jim Moodie said: “They are just scratching the surface.
“There have been some reductions, but there’s not going to be a big bang and everything’s sorted out.”

There were widespread protests earlier this year as members of the Unite union went on strike protesting against wage cuts.
Refuse collectors, gardeners and street cleaners all marched through Blackburn and demonstrated outside the town hall.
Lancashire County Council is in the process of setting up its own new pay scale for 30,000 staff, in what unions are warning will be a massive task.
Bosses have until April 2009 to implement the changes or face a flood of equal pay claims.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/3629276.1_089_Blackburn_with_Darwen_council_workers__pay_cut/

Those politicians in Jersey, that are seeking re-election, may we ask what have you done to stop the distorted high wage levels enjoyed by many in the public sector, to the financial detriment of the rest of Jerseys working people, in all walks of  life ?

Boatyboy

[Sarah Ferguson]

That's why the basics outlined in the Spending Review (savings of at least £30Million) must be implemented.

That's why we amended the Business Plan.

[JungleDirector]

Some interesting material collected here BB.  Savings of 30 Million though, is that enough now?

[boatyboy]

Credit where it’s due, Terry le Suer said on the BBC radio that States members pay is to be frozen in the economic climate. A big step in the right direction, he is of the opinion that they earn enough. Well done CM. Le Suer.

Now focus on the rest of the public sector CM Le Suer, the rates of pay enjoyed are at least thirty percent more than the equivalent job in England.

You also employ five chief executives, who earn more than £249,000 plus privileged travel etc. Do you feel that they earn enough. ?

Boatyboy

[Fritz]

I think you should replace, "Earn", with ,"Get payed".

[boatyboy]

As with most of us, I have personal experiences of  having a boss.  What a minefield, so much so that I am going right through the middle, if I hit a mine in your view ? well members get your rocks ready.

The sensitive point is about leadership, honesty, worth, trust all the qualities that make us, feel good about going to work, helped enormously by a good  boss who is actually listens to what you have to say. Even if you are a floor cleaner.

Is it not the same in Government ? They tax us, make laws and are supposed to provide a structure for us to work that enhances quality of life for the majority, while caring for those less fortunate. It boils down to having a community spirit, being proud of the island, and having confidence in the leadership ie Government. If this were the case, then we also be tolerant of mistakes, as they happen .

OK that’s the master plan, has it worked in Jersey ?  It is not an easy task in fact its difficult. The truth is  in recent history the Government always knows best,  employs an army of consultants and  States departments at massive expence to the public purse, yet doesn’t listen to the public who are to be effected.

The new spin game,” consultation “  tell us you views ? We did at Imagine Jersey, Islanders saying for years through the letters page in the JEP and at meetings, cut costs on administration, control growth, don’t encourage it ! We have had enough of consultants and non-jobs and increased taxes to pay for them.

It must be said, calling on  personal experience, sitting in front of Senator Le Suer on several occasions when he was consulting on GST,  he had no interest in listening to anyone at the meetings, he was on auto pilot, as clever as some of the commentators and speakers were trying to make their worthy options heard and  questioning the figures produced.

My opinion is that, the Council  of Ministers  does not hold the  confidence of  the majority. I shall not offer a long list but  Development mess ups, increasing red tape, increased budget ( in a recession ) etc comes to mind.

If I may quote CM Le Suer, in order to qualify this note,

JEP Today

Chief Minister Terry Le Suer has called for more people islanders to voice their thoughts on  the strategic plan. Senator Le Suer said that the response from islanders had been no more than adequate………..We would like more responses from Islanders.

You see CM Le Suer its all about confidence in the leadership, accountability, transparent Government,
Good housekeeping of the islanders money. Knowing what your Chief executives are up to that sort of thing     ……......…………………. If you don’t mind I won’t bother with the, what was it called again ?

Boatyboy.

[Fritz]

You are absolutely right with your, "Auto-pilot", description of TLS. The man formed his own opinions ages ago but failed to realise that the world changes every second, of every minute of every day.
His, "Masterplan", for Jersey,s economy may have made sense at the time of its conception, but has failed to , "Keep up to speed", with a constantly changing financial climate.

I often wonder if he is related to Margaret Thatcher.

"This Dalek Is not for Turning".

[boatyboy]

AS some of you will know. I am not afraid to highlight what I see as bad decisions in the way Jersey is governed. These views are open to debate which is welcomed of course.  Years ago the States paid out ridiculous sums on overspends and overstaffing which at the time mattered little to the everyday islander as the pot was overflowing with money. This meant islander's earnings were not raided, as taxes stayed reasonable, and the draconian user pays twice policy or GST had not been thought of.

The big shift happened when GST and other heavier taxes were laid at the door of lower and middle Jersey.

CM Terry Le Suer is in the firing line as head Chief Minister and often brings bad news. On this occasion he should be thanked by the general populous for underlining the decision not to put any serious public money into topping up the battered and very bruised public sector Pension Fund. How battered more in a moment.

In 1987 with money falling out of the heavens, the States decided to bail out this  pensions funds debt. They will not have to bail the fund out again says Ben Que'ree Political reporter with the JEP in an excellent article (not put on line?? ) but reported in last nights paper.

The figures. according to Ben's well-researched article, stated the fund was £63 million in the red before the recession hit.

From the end of 2007 to June, UK shares have fallen 35% taking pension funds with them. This means that a fund with substantial deficit already has obviously grown or should it be shrunk, by a further 35% or possibly more depending on investment stratergy.

Senator Jim Perchard is interested in the figures asking questions in May about the amount of people drawing pensions from the fund. It is also a fact that the taxpayers are paying what is described in the article as a " TOP UP"  the only reservation I have is how much extra is this top up costing the man in the street ? and why is it being paid when there is no obligation to do so ?

Lets remember as a ( collective ) employer, the public is paying 6.5% employers social security contribution.

Taking  into account the warnings of financial black holes appearing on Jerseys Horizon and the recession is far from over prudence (a new word on this island) must be taken very seriously.

It gives me pleasure to say well done CM Terry you are right, the islanders fulfilled their obligations from 1987, there is no reason why we should bail them out again. I hope the rest of the States members fully support you and the States employment board.

Boatyboy.

[boatyboy]

I have borrowed this as its important. Firstly if Chief of Police (suspended) Graham Power lied in his affidavit to the Royal Court then the law has methods to deal with his behaviour.

Taking years to sort out these type of situations either shows jobs for the boy's mentality or clear incompetence in the way Jersey is administered, as with the John Day affair.

It does nothing for the reputation of Government or Jersey to keep this dragging on. The endless weeks of non-movement by those in Government and elsewhere show weakness, or simply a ploy to scupper the real truth.

"Truth comes as conqueror only to those who have lost the art of receiving it as friend."

Rabindranath Tagore


Quote

The e-mail is self explanatory and we very much look forward to his reply.

Senator Le Sueur.

We write to you in your capacity of the head of the States Employment Board and indeed as our leader and Chief Minister.

Following the release of Chief Officer Graham Power's sworn affidavit where he has made some very serious allegations UNDER OATH concerning (among others) the Chief Executive Officer to the Council of Ministers Bill Ogley. We should like to know, (if you haven't already), if you will be suspending (as a neutral act) Mr. Ogley from his post until a full and independent inquiry has been concluded. If you have not, or have no intention of, suspending Mr. Ogley Could you please give us the reasons for this?

If what Chief Officer Power alleges is correct, and one can only assume - as it is an affidavit - it very well might be, then this makes a complete mockery of our democratic process, where politicised Civil Servants can remove democratically elected officials from office.

We hope that you can appreciate the gravity of these allegations and acknowledge that decisive action needs to be taken to restore/maintain trust in our democratic process.

It might well be that the Chief Police Officer has in fact given false testimony in his affidavit and is guilty of Perjury. If this is the case then court proceedings against him should be commenced forthwith.

Whatever the truth is, we would like to see some "leadership" and for you to take the initiative which would be to suspend Mr. Ogley and others named by the Chief Police Officer in his affidavit, while an investigation takes place, or commence court proceedings against the Chief of Police for Perjury. Doing nothing should not be an option and will only serve to undermine your ability to "lead" this island in a decisive manner and add fuel to the fire of cover up, concealment and corruption.

In the interest of open government we shall be publishing this e-mail on one of our Blogsites along with your reply.

Kind Regards.

Team Voice.

[rogueelement]

Who the Feck is team voice?
that would be the first question I would ask myself if I was TLS of the terminally do not have a clue party.
Secondly , as you have been told by me and others previously an "Affadavit" is a sworn statement recounting a particular persons views of any particular circumstance. That does not mean (knock knock knock , anybody home?) that it is "the truth" it is a version of the "truth" ,one mans view of what was said at the time (Do we have the notes of mr power,at that meeting or is he just recollecting events?) did he subsequently destroy those notes, I ask only as a matter of interest.
I have told you before Batty , You and your mates have no copyright to truth , but you do have a wonderful ability to cut and paste ,I would suggest you stick to doing the cutting and pasting , since your email as outlined above , to TLS will only invoke laughter at your absurd notions about truth and rather strange references to Rabindranah Tagore..Er who the feck is he and what relevance does that have to anything,,,,,well I suppose it makes you look slightly more "special"
I have a quote for you !

I have printed your missive , I am reading it whilst attending to my toilet, presently it is before me , shortly it will be under me.....Spartacus!
ok be picky I stole it!

[Durendal]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore

Loved by the hippies apparently

[boatyboy]

An inquiring mind Durendal,

As you decided to investigate the man further,however I guess there would have been hippies and all types back then, however your research also  offered the statement,

Quote

As a poet, novelist, musician, and playwright, he reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

To reshape (to use their fraze), his work must have been appreciated by more than a group of hippies.

Lets hope Deputy Bob Hills proposition is passed and the right road to truth, is taken by the elected ones.

Boatyboy