Should a Senator Who Loses His Seat Contest The Deputies Elections?

Should a Senator Who Loses His Seat Contest The Deputies Elections?

This is the question asked in a poll at:

http://themovingfingerjersey.blogspot.com/

I think this is one reason why a single day for elections would be a good thing.

Please go and vote there on his site. And consider this.

A few past instances:

Senator Don Filleul, President of Public Services (or as I think it was then Public Works). Lost the confidence of the public as President of Public Works. Voted out. Got in as Deputy. Re-elected by States to - guess where - President of Public Services.

Senator Clarence "Clarrie" Dupre. President of Tourism. Lost confidence of the public as President of Tourism. Voted out. Got in as Deputy. Re-elected by States to - guess where - President of Tourism.

There are more, but it is late, and I'm dozing as I type!

You have to be as old as me to remember back that far, so in recent times -

Deputy Guy de Faye - attempted to get elected as Senator, but failed. The public did not have confidence in his suggestions that he would be good as Transport Minister. Did not get voted in. Got in as Deputy. Elected by States as - Minister for Transport.

What this does is to suggest that voting is a sham, because the largest public mandate - the Island wide vote for Senator - can count for nothing if the individual gets in by the back door of the Deputy's election - where they do not have to carry such a large public with them - and then gets into the position the Island wide vote had no confidence in. No wonder there is apathy!

Stop Press: The weekend edition of News from Nowhere is off to the press. Watch this space.