CM Chooses Assistant Chief Ministers

Lyndon Farnham has picked five politicians to be his Assistant Chief Ministers.

Deputies Malcolm Ferey, Rose Binet,Tom Binet, Carina Alves of Reform Jersey and Constable Simon Crowcroft have been appointed Assistant Chief Ministers in the new government.

Deputy Tom Binet is also Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister.  He is the politician who brought the successful vote of no confidence in former CM Kristina Moore.

Deputy Ferey also becomes Vice Chair of the States Employment Board, replacing Deputy Elaine Millar.

The SEB is currently embroiled in the teachers' pay dispute.  Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said last week his government has 'genuine desire' to resolve it.

Deputy Rose Binet has also been put on the SEB.

The States Assembly is sitting for the first time today (6 February) since the change of leadership.

Politicians are being chosen to lead work scrutinising policy, with many ex-ministers likely to go for for the jobs.

Former Children and Education Minister Deputy Inna Gardiner has been picked to head up the spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee.

Deputy Helen Miles, previously Home Affairs Minister, beat Deputy Montfort Tadier to Chair of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel, which reviews policy and legislation coming from the Chief Minister and Treasury.

Montfort Tadier was chosen above Jonathan Renouf for Chair of  Economic and International Affairs, and Hilary Jeune will Chair the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure panel.

Louise Doublet was elected Chair of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel over Reform's Beatriz Porée.

Many former ministers and assistant ministers have also tabled questions for their successors, including about housing policy, banning disposable vapes, and the level of compensation being offered by Island Energy for last October's gas outage.

Items of public business on the agenda include new laws to tackle threats to kill and knife crime.

Debate on the Draft Crime Law was delayed from last month because of the change of government.

The new Chief Minister will ask members to buy the former Seaside Cafe at Greve de Lecq, something he had been pushing for as a backbencher.

The Assembly will also be asked  by Deputy Montfort Tadier - to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.