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Jersey Health Minister has been warned that only reopening Samarès Ward will do and that anything less could result in a confidence vote, following a unanimous States Assembly vote for the Health Department to improve its rehab care.
Speaking to Bailiwick Express for the first edition of its new 'Politics Disassembled' podcast after that vote, Senator Steve Pallett said he would be "disgusted" if Ministers didn't now reopen Samarès.
His proposition won universal backing from fellow politicians, after a last minute ministerial U-turn backed the move - but it was feared by some politicians that the exact wording provided a loophole, as it simply asked for rehab services to be provided at Samarès or "another suitable location".
Speaking on the Politics Disassembled podcast, Senator Pallett warned the Health Minister, Richard Renouf, that the spirit of the proposal, which he felt was shared by other politicians, dictated that reopening Samarès itself was the only way forward - and that anything less could result in a vote of no confidence.
"I'd be disgusted, and I think there would be a lot of States Members, patients, their families and the public who would look at that in total disbelief after the debate we had yesterday. We're running out of road though in terms of bringing another proposition to force him into something different, I've just got to hope, and this is a big word, but its one that's going to come up a lot in this election, I just hope that the Minister, and the Chief Minister, have some integrity, and actually do what the public want them to do.
"We know March 1 is the date in the proposition, we've got a States sitting on February 8. If I feel that there is not movement, and we haven't been given the things that we have been promised, like the meetings, then we are going to have to seriously consider another proposition, is there a need to tighten this up, do we have to put pressure on minister in other ways. Sometimes you have to do things from a principled point of view and if he is not acting in a way we think is reasonable then we may have to do that."
Constable Andy Jehan last night also told Express he had concerns that last night's vote may have been a "hollow victory".
Well today feels like a very hollow victory in @StatesAssembly My thanks for all the help and support from so many people especially @pallett_steve I promised this wonderful lady I would do my best, just sorry it wasn’t good enough. #WontGiveUp pic.twitter.com/zF9MhJGK5e
— Andy Jehan ???????? (@AndyJehan) January 19, 2022
Deputy Inna Gardiner said she shared those sentiments, tweeting: "The intention of the proposition was very clear. I really hope that we will not see spins around the "wording" and Samares Ward will be reopened by the 1st of March."
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