The trouble with Senator Ozouf is that he thinks he is a clever businessman. The fact is that he has never run a business of his own in his life that hasn’t been a flop - and he lives off the inheritance left to him by of his family.
But because he has such a high opinion of himself, he is a positive danger in the important role he has as the man in charge of our public spending. This high opinion would be bad enough on its own but it is allied to a personality trait called “control freak”. He has to have his finger in every pie because he believes that he is cleverer than anyone else and is the only person who can negotiate a deal.
We have two totally different versions of the police administration cock up for the Lime Grove building in Green Street.
In the blue corner, we have Home Affairs Minister former Magistrate Senator Ian Le Marquand who blames Ozouf for the mess.
In the red corner, we have Ozouf protesting that it wasn’t his fault and that Home Affairs had not briefed the Treasury with the details of the deal until a few weeks before they were due to sign the deal.
So who do we believe? Ozouf is a consistent liar (remember “I give you a categorical assurance that I will not increase GST in the event of a recession”) and “our black hole in our revenue has been caused by the recession (when we all know it was due to the decision to introduce “zero ten”). On the other hand Senator Le Marquand has never been exposed as not telling the truth (not to say that he has always made good decisions, but that’s another matter).
However, consider this. On July 1st this year the JEP carried this story “Jersey could soon have a £20 million new police station. After months of speculation, Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf has announced that he wants to buy a landmark office block that has stood empty for years and turn it into the police’s new administration headquarters. The expected £20 million cost would include the purchase of the site, its complete refurbishment and the move”.
Oh dear Philip - so you weren’t briefed about it. Did you ask any questions about how the negotiations were going back in July?
And then there was an entry on the JEP blog site from “Ali” which read:
“These comments from the Treasury Minister are outrageous and wholly inaccurate. As someone who worked at the Treasury at the time I can say that Property Holdings did brief the Treasury, chief executive and Minister and his assistant throughout the process. The offer that was made to the owners of the building was always subject to the Ministers approval and contract. Mr. Ozouf was completely aware of this and what the offer was as were the Treasury”
This posting ended with this judgement: “Be a man for a change, not a boy, and take responsibility for your cock-up. It only went pear shaped when you and Mr. Izatt decided that you knew best. Look what happened when you get involved beyond your expertise—the public loses out”.
I accept that postings on blogs can easily be manipulated. But when you put all the evidence together and when you have had as many dealings with him as I have had, I have no doubt that the blame for the shambles rest fairly on the shoulders of Senator Ozouf.
Having sat through all of last weeks Scrutiny sub-panel meetings, I now have a clearer picture of what occured. Much clearer than the one presented by the mainstream corporate media and the "Defence posted on Senator Ozouf's web site.
ReplyDeleteI have sought to summarise my thoughts on the topic on my own blog. It is based mererely on the oral evidence given. A full picture could only be achieved by a report based on all the files and email going back many years. These are hopefully with Scrutiny and being read.
Senator Ozouf refused to tell us to whome he spoke in the process of taking the decision to remove Jersey Property Holdings (the property arm of Treasury -about to be replaced my the new Jersey Development Corporation (remember the resigning Baroness?)and take over the negotiations himself.
Hopefully the truth will out.
Thank you for that run down of the scrutiny meeting Nick. Everything we have said about this Ozouf disaster was confirmed by Deputy John Le Fondré who was Ozouf's assistant minister at the Treasury before he was sacked by Ozouf when he defied him and voted against increasing GST from 3% to 5%.
ReplyDeleteHe was handling this Lime Grove project and says quite unequivocally that the Ttreasury knew all about it back inn March 2010. He was quite clear when he said that if the Treasury had not interfered- through Ozouf thinking he was a good business man and could beat the price down down-" the police would have moved in very shortly"
As I said "Another fine mess you've got us into Philip"
My Dad was a Chartered Accountant as well as being the Managing Director of our Blue Chip company and its subsidiary companies, and he would be horrified by this as I am.
ReplyDeleteLiars never really prosper at the end of the day and the truth will eventually come out it always does,just a matter of time.
Linda you are dead right - it is such a feature of Ozouf's work which is to spin, mislead and be downright deceitful to the public of Jersey. Congratulations on your decision to stand in the Senatorials
ReplyDeleteTed, isn't there any way Ozouf could be chucked out ? could the new elected members in october stand against him...may do an island vote to see if people want him out?
ReplyDeleteCan I also have your opinion, do you think that some of people standing are now only saying they were against GST, to get more votes?.
Also in my opinion the chief minister should be voted by the jersey public...and then they could chose who they want with them..
Ozouf has lost so much credibility in the existing States that I doubt if he would be elected by the current members let alone by a new house with new members. I think it is important that at every hustings candidates should be asked whether or not they would vote for Ozouf as chief minister. The general answer will be: "I have to wait until I see who is in the House following the election" but this is a straightforward question and has nothing to do with who is in the States. Those who answer in this fashion are frightened to say they will support Ozouf because they know that this will damage their election chances. I will publish a list of those I am certain will support him in a blog nearer the election
ReplyDeleteRegarding the public electing the Chief Minister, this presents some difficulties.
The only way this can be achieved is after the election, when the content of the States chamber is known, States members who want to be chief minister should put their names forward and another all island election should be held 21 days after the main election to elect a chief minister Each of the candidates should put forward an election manifesto and the public will then elect their chief minister. This would ensure that the island gets the direction of Government that the people want....