States Members: Who goes where?

Monday 04 December 2017

Every time a local politician sets foot on an aircraft, there will be a group of people who shout "jolly" and others who see global travel as a vital part being a modern democracy.

To make the right judgement, you need the facts in front of you, particularly with elections less than six months away.

To help with that, Express will be publishing details on a number of topics, such as States Members' travel habits, so that you can build up a picture of the people you will be voting for - or not - next May.

So, to begin with, a recent Freedom of Information request shows that 31 members are recorded as going on 250 trips over the last two years.

As you would expect, the most travelled was the Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, with 51 trips. He was followed by the minister with responsibility for Foreign Affairs, Senator Sir Philip Bailhache, with 46, and then former minister Senator Philip Ozouf with 31. Together these three members accounted for almost half of all the trips taken.

Pictured: Senator Ian Gorst on a trip to Rwanda earlier this year.

The most visited destination is listed as the United Kingdom - 158 trips, which is about 60% of the total.

Amongst Senator Gorst’s trips, there was an Overseas Aid visit to Jordan in April 2016; a visit to Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa to meet government officials in March 2017; a ministerial meeting in Rome, Italy, in September 2017; and a trip to Washington D.C. in relation to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in October 2017.

Senator Bailhache’s trips were predominantly to the UK and most are simply accounted for by writing a generic justification: ‘ministerial engagements.'

But other reasons listed include farewell receptions for the Ambassadors of Morocco and Latvia, and German Unity Reception Day. Sir Philip has also been on two visits to Switzerland to help fight the island’s battle for membership of UEFA; to Portugal to meet the Finance Minister; and to a peace conference in France.

Pictured: External Relations Minister Sir Philip Bailhache shakes the hand of Mauritius High Commissioner, HE Girish Nunkoo, after signing a tax agreement in Spring this year.

All but one of Senator Ozouf’s trips were in 2016. They include a mining conference in South Africa in February 2016; a World Economic Forum in Rwanda in April 2016; and to Estonia on digital matters in December 2016.

Deputy Carolyn Labey’s job as Overseas Aid president saw her travel to Jordan, Nepal, Lebanon, and Rwanda.

Commonwealth Parliamentary related business saw Deputies Russell Labey, and Steve Luce travel to Australia; Senator Paul Routier and Deputies Russell Labey, and Murray Norton, go to Canada; Deputies Susie Pinel, Montfort Tadier and Kevin Lewis go to Bangladesh; and Deputies Andrew Lewis, Sam Mezec and Jeremy Macon travel to Gibraltar.