There is much sound and fury about Jersey’s proposed 2030 ban on the importation of pure fossil fuel powered (ICE) cars (with 2035 as the date for banning the importation of hybrids). I contributed to the recent consultation and my position was that we should stick to the existing dates, ie 2030 to ban imports … More Jersey’s 2030 Ban on Importing Fossil Fuel Cars: why we should stick to it
This week’s sitting of the States was marked by an unedifying spectacle as relations between ministers fell apart amidst considerable acrimony. The cause was a deep split in the government on the Housing Minister’s reforms to the Residential Tenancy Law (RTL). It is worth remembering that these proposals are official government policy – they were … More Ministers at war
There’s been a lot of stuff said recently along the lines that Jersey is being strangled by red tape and therefore we need to reduce regulation – whether that’s regulations that affect business or civil society. Cutting red tape is one of the government’s priorities in their “Common Strategic Policy” and ministers frequently talk about … More Why Jersey Needs Regulation to Thrive as a “Safe Harbour”
It’s panto season which I presume explains Deputy Rob Ward’s recent comedy blog “The slow death of Opposition”, which argued that unlike in the good old days when Reform were in opposition, the opposition today is rubbish. Apparently, the problem is that members who are not in government have been known to talk to each … More The slow death of irony
…And why they are a bonkers idea for Jersey! https://studio.youtube.com/video/SvoMCjk4IbU/edit There have been a few articles and comments recently suggesting that rather than go for a wind farm, Jersey should look to small modular nuclear reactors (SMR’s) as the future of our energy supply. The idea capitalises on recent publicity around the race to develop … More Small modular reactors
The JEP highlighted the issue of redundant glasshouses yesterday, following recent supplementary planning guidance (SPG) on the issue*. Here are some thoughts on how the issue might be resolved. First, redundant glasshouses are not “brownfield” sites, they are agricultural land with temporary structures. From a planning point of view, the default position is that once … More Glasshouses: a way forward
https://youtu.be/hUbOUmVr_mo We’re now half way through this term of office, so this is a good moment to take stock. Two years ago I went into the Assembly full of ambition, an agenda for change and hope for the future. How has it turned out so far? MENV and out It’s very much a story of … More Mid term report
Yesterday the States Assembly voted 32-14 to set up an Assisted Dying Service accessible to people who have a terminal illness. The proposal to extend the service to those who do not have a terminal illness but have “unbearable suffering” was rejected 27-19. It was a very difficult decision for me, but in the end … More Assisted Dying
It is very disappointing to see the government expend so little energy in trying to find a way to keep Evie’s dockless bike scheme going. There seems to be a collective shrug of the shoulders as the bike service ends, when the government should surely have been shifting heaven and earth to try and find … More The end of Evie bikes
We’re in the middle of an amazing spell of Autumn weather – it’s great to have that feeling that we’re holding winter at bay – but I think it’s perhaps worth sparing a thought for the bigger picture. Jersey may not have had a great summer, but the planet was hotter than it has ever been through … More Climate Change and Jersey
Jonathan Renouf 