Senator Ted Vibert will lodge a proposition calling for the removal of the committee over its handling of what he terms the ‘Connex bus contract fiasco’.And Senator Vibert said he will be prepared to ‘throw his hat in the ring’ for the committee presidency if his vote of no confidence is successful.
He said the no-confidence vote would be tabled on Tuesday 3 February and should then be the first item on the agenda at the next scheduled session on 17 February But he will be seeking the chairmanship of one of the two new shadow scrutiny panels expected to be chosen at the next States sitting on 27 January.
‘If I am successful in becoming a scrutiny panel chairman, it would not be appropriate in my view to also be a major committee president,’ said the Senator.During yesterday’s first States session of the year, Senator Vibert agreed to allow Environment and Public Services president Deputy Maurice Dubras to defer giving answers to a plethora of questions on the bus contract until the next States sitting.That was originally scheduled to be in two weeks’ time but as Members did not conclude their business, it was agreed that an extra session would be held next Tuesday.
However, Deputy Dubras would not agree to give the answers next week and this has annoyed Senator Vibert.’I am disappointed because I asked if he would answer the questions next Tuesday when it became apparent there was going to be an extra sitting.
I did agree to his request to defer giving the answers yesterday and I would have thought he would have the courtesy to give them at the next sitting.’But when I asked the Bailiff he said it was a matter for the committee president and Deputy Dubras indicated he would wait a fortnight.
Normally, presidents are only given three days to come up with answers to questions, not three weeks,’ said the Senator.His questions relate mainly to events leading up to the awarding of the £30m bus contract to Connex and claims that Public Services department officials and contract consultants Halcrow were not told of a deal reached to increase bus drivers’ wages before the contract was awarded.
