“We revel in failure in this assembly”

Wednesday 30 November 2016

Assistant Minister Philip Ozouf has been facing a barrage of hostile questions in the States Assembly over the Logfiller fiasco, which saw over £690,000 of taxpayers’ money lost on a failed business venture.

The Jersey Innovation Fund (JIF) awarded computer software firm Logfiller nearly £700K two years ago with the promise that it would provide “a sophisticated computer software solution that measures user experience of application and system use.”

When Logfiller received the loan they suggested the product would create a “significant number of full time jobs in the Island.”

No local jobs were actually created and a review of the JIF is currently being undertaken by the Comptroller and Auditor General Karen McConnell. That should be completed before Christmas, according to Senator Ozouf, who yesterday faced a series of tough questions in the States.

Deputy Geoff Southern has called for Senator Ozouf to resign and yesterday he asked why the Assistant Minister was not prepared to give detailed answers to questions over Logfiller.

Senator Ozouf said to do so would be “inappropriate” with the review currently in operation.

Senator Ozouf said: “We have spoken about this assembly being a blame game place and my goodness this is a good example of it. I am not playing the blame game, I am going to continue to serve the people of Jersey.

“We revel in failure in this assembly. One company, which had a very, very good idea, otherwise it couldn’t have got past the board, actually failed.

“We knew some companies under the Jersey Innovation Find would fail and this has failed. Members are now revelling in the prospect of that failure. All they want to do is point score and blame names.

“I know there is a salacious desire for members to hold people to account for the failure of an innovation fund.”

Deputy Sam Mezec asked: “When can we expect this further information to come out? Why can’t he tell us what was wrong beforehand? He wants to boast about what brilliant work he is doing, but can he then explain to us why things that were wrong in the first place, he is now trying to correct?”

Senator Ozouf said: “I am not going to speculate on the conclusions of the Comptroller’s review. That is completely inappropriate for me to do so. I have made my views known and there is a time and a place. I’m afraid 24 hours news journalism and the immediacy that we want everything to be done today, when it can’t be done today, is getting in the way of the facts. Let’s hear the evidence then we will make a judgment. That evidence is being gathered and then we can decide who is right and wrong.”

When asked how long it would take the Comptroller to finish her report, Senator Ozouf said: “I can’t speak for the Comptroller. She is working hard on it and is trying to deliver that report before Christmas. Her report will look into the procedures and processes and about due diligence. As far as my own departmental reviews are concerned, they will be done by the end of January.”

Deputy Montford Tadier said: “Taxpayers money has been handed over on a dodgy gamble.”

In a similar vein Senator Sarah Ferguson added: “The public is entitled to know why their money has disappeared without trace.”

Senator Ozouf replied: “There was a requirement to basically make Jersey more innovative. We needed to re-invent ourselves. There are many successful entrepreneurs, like the gentleman who ran Apple and Richard Branson, who have had failures.”