Q Disabled people , does Jersey do enough ?
A – No, Disabled Discrimination act absent, benefits are means tested – should be needs based. We have made progress with disabled children but more needs to be done for adults.
Q Housing – What safeguards are there to prevent rent levels set by States housing Andium driving up private rentals?
A- None, rental housing is set by supply and demand. The poor state of the housing market has increased demand for rental homes. The social security rates have been increased to pay the increased 90% open market rental rate set by Andium . There is no rent control, but if introduced this would have adverse effects. The only answer is to increase supply.
Q Should Constables automatically sit in the States?
A-The parishes are the cornerstone of Jersey’s community. We must strengthen their role and delegate more powers from the States, in areas such as primary health care. The constables have a separate role as parish head. I prefer they are first elected as Constable and can be put forward later by the parish for election to the States.
Q How does making people unemployed help the economy?
A- It doesn’t. Losing ones job is a personal disaster, I know from personal experience. The recessional pressures mean that employers have had to shed staff as a last resource to survive a fall in earnings. Good firms do their best to provide exit packages and help the displaced employee get another job, but bad employers don’t.
Q. Priorities for Education
A- Vocational Education, for jobs. The new Education Director should be given his head to make changes to update our service.
Q. Zero Hours Contracts
A. Abuse is widespread. I have raised this in the States and pressed for changes to Employment Law. They work well in the right circumstances like short-term absence cover. But when used for regular work, they provide no job security, no commitment, no holiday or sick pay and result in uncertainty of income . They have inhibited the recovery from the recession, because people cant make spending commitments
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