Among the phrases judged to have been inappropriate were ‘nobble’, ‘knicker elastic’ and ‘get off your backside’.
States standing orders – the rules which govern the States – do not allow ‘offensive, objectionable, unparliamentary or disorderly words’, and Members found by the presiding officer to have used such language are often asked to withdraw their remarks.
During a 2016 debate on providing extra funding for the teaching of Jèrriais, Deputy Montfort Tadier’s attempt to slip a rude word into the debate was flagged up by the Deputy Bailiff, Tim Le Cocq.
The Deputy said the Jèrriais expression, ‘I n’peuvent pon même trouver lus tchu auve les deux mains’ – which roughly translates as ‘He couldn’t find his arse with both hands’. The comment was withdrawn.
Deputy Tadier also fell foul during a 2015 Medium Term Financial Plan debate when he rhetorically asked during an amendment on tax brackets ‘what would Jesus do?’
The Bailiff, William Bailhache, deemed his wording unparliamentary, and asked the Deputy to withdraw the phrase, which he refused to do.
He and his Reform Jersey colleagues Deputies Sam Mézec and Geoff Southern, as well as backbencher Deputy Mike Higgins, left the Assembly in protest and the sitting was adjourned for an hour.
Deputy Judy Martin, during the Medium Term Financial Plan debate, used the phrase ‘knicker elastic’ when suggesting that parts of the plan didn’t stretch far enough, while later in the same debate Senator Sarah Ferguson said that some of the the environmental plans look like they have been ‘drawn on the back of a fag packet’.
She changed the phrase to cigarette packet after prompting from Mr Le Cocq.
Last year, during a debate over removing the Bailiff as the presiding officer of the States, Deputy Peter McLinton suggested that many Members would agree that it was the right thing do and would vote in favour of the move if ‘only you grew some and said it out loud’. He withdrew the comment immediately.
