Committee president Senator Frank Walker said that if a confidence vote was brought, the committee would defend itself.
‘Neither the committee nor any of its members has done anything wrong.
We have acted in the best interests of the Island at all times,’ he said.Later today the committee is to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the events of the last three weeks.
‘I and other members of the committee have just returned from holiday and we obviously have to discuss what has occurred,’ said Senator Walker.P & R are recommending that the States should approve a deal to hand a £10m prime waterfront site to Les Pas Holdings in return for the company dropping its legal claim to the St Helier foreshore.Meanwhile, Senator Ted Vibert has appealed to the Bailiff to have the controversial Les Pas deal withdrawn from the States agenda as ‘it is tainted by very serious breaches of standing orders of the House’.He is joining Senator Paul Le Claire’s moves to bring a no-confidence motion following the revelation that three P & R members held shares in CI Traders.
That company owns 12.5 per cent of Les Pas.In his letter to Sir Philip Bailhache, Senator Vibert said: ‘There is little doubt that there have been a number of serious breaches of standing orders from 17 January when the three members declared their interest in CI Traders.’It is also clear that this is all they did when they should have withdrawn from the meeting and taken no part in discussions on the subject.
They were in complete breach of Part VI, section 44 paragragh 2 of the rules,’ he said.He said that between March and the middle of June this year Deputy Maurice Dubras, P & R vice-president Senator Terry Le Sueur and the Constable of St Ouen, Ken Vibert, took part in ‘a whole series of meetings at which Les Pas was discussed’.Senator Vibert has also raised questions over the role played by Attorney General William Bailhache.
‘As an ex-officio member of the House he is bound by the standing orders.
While he did declare his interest in CI Traders on the same day as the others, like the three members he also stayed in the meeting and gave advice to the committee,’ said the Senator.He said: ‘It is clear from the minutes that he played a very pivotal role in persuading the committee to move towards a settlement rather than fight the case.’Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Senator Walker will sit alongside anti-deal campaigner Dick Shenton at two public meetings this week to put the P & R side of the Les Pas deal.Senator Walker will take the platform at tomorrow night’s meeting at St Peter’s Community Centre and at St Ouen’s parish hall on Wednesday.On Thursday night Senator Vibert has arranged the final public meeting at Communicare at St Brelade, where he will join Mr Shenton on the platform.’My speech is entitled “”Are we mice or men?””.
I am convinced that the people of Jersey are being ripped off, and I shall do all I can to stop it,’ said Senator Vibert.
