Hello,

My name is Chris Rebindaine and I am standing in the forthcoming election to be one of the Deputies of St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter because I want to represent you: the silent majority.

My view of the cost‑of‑living crisis is that until government finances return to surplus and the tax burden on individuals falls below 20% for most taxpayers, many islanders will continue to struggle. Lower‑income households face real hardship whilst even those on seemingly good salaries are just getting by. The local economy needs a boost from people being able to afford more than the bare essentials. To achieve this, government must go on a four‑year course of disciplined slimming‑down in both spending and scope.

While global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine and Iran wars are beyond our control, it is the responsibility of the States Assembly and the civil service to run government prudently so that Jersey can respond to crises without ruining its finances. Ever since the island moved to the 0/10 corporate tax regime and individuals were told 20 means 20 ( which is now 21.5% plus GST and going higher), government expenditure has risen dramatically, outpacing revenue and without any noticeable improvement in output or quality.

My plan is to re‑energise Jersey by creating a Healthy Jersey, built on four pillars:

1. 1. Healthy Finances
2. 2. Healthy Economy
3. 3. Healthy Land and Water
4. 4. Healthy Population

If we address these areas, we can make Jersey fit for the 2030’s.

Healthy Finances

Healthy finances apply to both government and islanders. We must live within our means, starting with government reducing its grip on so many areas of the economy. Services should be delivered wherever possible, in a joined‑up, efficient way.

• Reducing the cost of essentials — food, housing, transport — will help, but one quick win is tackling retailers who import goods without removing VAT and then add GST. Even absorbing the GST element would cut costs by 5%.

A cultural shift is also needed.

• The saga of Natalie Mayer’s bus pole in Leoville — still unresolved as of mid‑April — illustrates a system where responsibility is passed around rather than owned. Government should adopt a can‑do attitude, encourage cross‑departmental cooperation and focus on delivery. It is often said that government must protect taxpayers’ money, but failing to act and endlessly circulating decisions also carries a cost, even if no invoice is attached.
• The hospital redevelopment is a prime example. Can anyone really defend spending £200M and only accomplishing clearing the site? When government finances are back under control and running a surplus, we can build the hospital with a clear conscience, without impoverishing younger generations and then starting to lower the tax burden. As for Fort Regent, the swimming pool was essential at the time but the rest struggled to make money even in our tourism heydays. Does it need a role? Yes. Should the Jersey taxpayer be funding a speculative project? No, unless a decision is made by islanders that the amenity value exceeds the annual running losses, which result.
• Previous Assemblies have left islanders facing a 1% increase in LTC tax contributions in 2027, alongside the requirement for those with outstanding 2019 tax bills to begin repaying them. It is hard to see how this can happen without serious consequences to thousands of people who are already struggling.

Healthy Economy

At two recent presentations, one speaker said regulation was “obviously a good thing,” while another said there was “increasing pressure to bring in more regulation.” This struck me as disconnected from the views of ordinary islanders. Where is this pressure coming from? No one I speak to wants more regulation, more importantly they want less.

• Regulation has its place. The JFSC was instrumental in helping Jersey’s finance industry stand out internationally from the early 2000s. It has been a source of competitive strength. But regulation should be introduced sparingly and proportionately, especially in an island only 9 by 5 miles with around 100,000 people.
• A personal example illustrates the problem. When Maggie and I renovated our 1,800 sq. ft semi-detached home, our builder constantly advised us that regulations prevented this or that, and rightly, according to the rules, insisted we install eight smoke detectors. Prior to being able to sell our house last year, the building inspector had to sign off the works and told us we needed two more detectors. For a simple two‑storey house, ten detectors is completely excessive. Guidance is fine, but leave it at that.
• To help businesses thrive, we need a bonfire of unnecessary regulations. It may be difficult, but it is essential. Building, care, education, food, it all needs to be reassessed. Tick boxes do not create safer spaces, it requires a culture and experience to do that.
• Tourism has been suffering from a lack of connectivity since it was absorbed into the Department of the Economy. A viable visitor economy requires frequent travel links, a strong hospitality sector, natural attractions, and heritage sites — all promoted effectively. Yet hotels close to be turned in to more apartments and visitor numbers are falling.

Instead of hiring consultants, we should ask those who know the industry what to do: hoteliers, visitor attraction owners, Jersey Heritage, the National Trust, and the Jersey Hospitality Association. Locals know what makes Jersey special. Our history, our beaches, the coastal paths, the variety of places with special views where you can eat and sit and watch the world go by. The great thing about cycling the green lanes, walking the north cliffs, surfing or bird watching at St Ouen’s pond is that they are free. All these things we get to enjoy all year round, but we must not be greedy, there is enough room to share the experience with visitors too.

Healthy Land and Water

This section covers several interconnected issues.

Agriculture

• Agriculture needs revitalising. Many young people want work outside an office, and farming offers that. More importantly, we need a sustainable and resilient food supply. Anyone looking around the empty supermarket shelves after a day or two of rough weather understands the vulnerability.
• My personal passion is to create an Agri-Tourism initiative. Local produce to be used in hotels and restaurants for gastro-tourism. Re-purpose farm buildings as holiday lets and provide cycling / walking tours and tastings among the farm shops, local food artisans and the markets. This would be a great way of showcasing the island’s natural beauty too.

Island Plan and Land Use

• The next Island Plan must be simplified. The current draft is overly complicated, sometimes contradictory, and creates uncertainty for builders, architects, and funders. We must protect rural green zones and the special character of areas like Gorey and St Aubin.
• Agrivoltaics is a concept that enables agriculture, such as crop production or livestock grazing, to sit under or along with solar farms. Unless we are entertaining this concept, we should not prioritise agricultural land for power generation before requiring all new builds to install solar panels.

DFDS and Freight

• The DFDS contract must be resolved. No party should insist on sticking rigidly to a 20-year contract when the other side — in this case a government — is dissatisfied. The question is how to use DFDS’s maritime capabilities to create a schedule that works for both sides and bring in cleaner boats sooner. We need daily movement of people, produce and post; day trips and overnight stays to France and Guernsey; and a crossing time to France averaging 1 hour 15 minutes. So, let’s sit down with them and make this happen.

Water Quality

• Water quality in St Peter and St Ouen’s Bay is a live issue. We need an informed debate about PFAS levels around the airport but also from other sources — what is safe, what the sources are, and what the costs are of reducing them to within agreed tolerance levels.

Healthy Population

Hospital

• The hospital debate has gone on too long. My position is simple: we must build the Acute Hospital. Delay must end. We should also explore using Caen Hospital as an alternative to UK hospitals. Caen has reportedly made approaches, but Jersey has not engaged. Funding the hospital is addressed under Healthy Finances, but slimming government spending whilst coming up with a sustainable funding mechanism for the hospital needs to be worked on in tandem. What also needs attention is training islanders to be the nurses and medics who run it, because no building ever treated anyone.

Health and Activity

• Outdoor activity is one of Jersey’s greatest assets, yet the much-respected Neil Maclachlan MBE, involved in the island’s health service for over 30 years, recently identified that levels of overweight Reception children in the island are higher at 28% than in the UK at 22%. Many people lead active lives, but not enough of us. The outdoors is where children experience the world, build confidence, and develop a relationship with their own wellbeing. We are increasingly referencing mental health as an issue too, so we must ensure children love the outdoors with all the mud, wetness and occasional scraped knee that goes with it.
• As part of educating our young people, we should assist them to engage with the natural world constantly with sufficient physical activity available so that a healthy outdoor mindset is instilled early. What children do later is their choice, but early exposure increases the likelihood of lifelong healthy habits. It should have the additional benefit of reducing the need for the health service to intervene as often in their lives.

Sport

• Jersey has a strong sporting tradition, often outperforming better resourced mainland opponents through teamwork and a desire to prove themselves at a higher level. It surprised me to learn that Jersey Sport and Sports facilities management are not connected, leaving some sports and clubs feeling dictated to by interests misaligned with their needs. There is also tension when facilities are prioritised for the elite over the interest of local clubs who provide for greater numbers within the community. With limited resources and funds, we need to bring the two elements together and ensure that the sports and clubs that cater to thousands of men, women and children have a stronger voice in the provision of pitches and facilities.

Conclusion

The trouble with being part of the silent majority is that as islanders we feel part of a system that is continually asking for more of our money but not listening to our concerns, our priorities, or our frustrations. Unfortunately for some, their reaction is to become disengaged and disillusioned: do not lose faith.

I love my Island, but I know it can do better. I promise that if you vote Chris Rebindaine as your Deputy, I will listen to your concerns and represent you in the States Assembly. In addition, I will not abstain from votes that might be uncomfortable. You will be sending me there to express a view one way or another.

I will draw on my experience working in both the finance industry and the Law Officers’ Department to deliver a common sense, pragmatic and collegiate approach to resolving some of the complex challenges that are facing us all. I would be honoured to represent you.

Thank you for taking the time to read my manifesto.

 

 

Chris Rebindaine