INFRASTRUCTURE Minister Tom Binet has confirmed he intends to remain in his position, after criticising the government and Chief Minister Kristina Moore for the departure of chief executive Suzanne Wylie.
It was announced last month that Mrs Wylie was to leave her £250,000-a-year role as the Island’s most senior civil servant after just 13 months.
The government said that she was leaving to return to her native Northern Ireland where she would be ‘closer to her family’.
However, Deputy Binet revealed a ‘tense and less-than-happy atmosphere’ at Broad Street and suggested that the government had been ‘disingenuous’ by suggesting Mrs Wylie’s departure was because of family reasons.
Deputy Binet who, as Infrastructure Minister, has been leading the latest iteration of the new-hospital project, said: ‘Having given further consideration to the political events of the past two weeks, I intend to continue in my role as Minister for Infrastructure.
‘I have said what I felt should be said and it is now for the Chief Minister to deal with these issues as she deems appropriate.’
The Chief Minister, along with Deputy Chief Minister Kirsten Morel and States Employment Board vice-chair Andy Jehan, have since been accused of bullying while Deputies Moore and Morel have been referred to the commissioner for standards over their handling of events.
Both Deputies Moore and Morel have come under intense scrutiny for statements they have made in the wake of Mrs Wylie’s departure, with the Chief Minister facing criticism for her timeline of the events and Deputy Morel forced to clarify comments he made in the States Assembly when he said he was unaware of any future resignations – despite having been told of Mrs Wylie’s intentions a week before.
Mrs Wylie was appointed in September 2021 and formally took up the role in February the following year. In an interview with the JEP a few weeks before her resignation was announced, Mrs Wylie said: ‘We, as a family, have established ourselves here. My kids come and go from here and my husband is here, retired with the two big dogs. This is where family life rotates around.’
The States Assembly is due to meet next week for the first time since Mrs Wylie’s resignation was announced. During the sitting, Deputy Moore is due to face a period of questions without notice.
