Island-wide poll plan ‘will make elections a lottery’

Monday 17th January 2011, 11:30AM GMT.

ELECTIONS would become a lottery if island-wide voting was introduced, according to sitting States member Barry Brehaut (pictured).

‘Asking the public to choose 45 from 90 candidates will result in people voting for candidates they know very little or nothing about. It would randomise the choice of deputy.’

He said parishioners he had spoken to were in favour of island-wide voting, and he could see the appeal of the system.

However, he had reservations about it working in practice. The system would help well-known personalities and established politicians, but block new people coming into politics.

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View more: Election news, Island Wide Voting news, Voting news.

1
bella

January 17, 2011 at 12:12 pm

Lottery, what is it now. Ithink it would help to get new blood in and get rid of the many who have let the people of guernsey down looking after their own little kingdoms, instead of the people of the island

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2
Ray

January 17, 2011 at 12:46 pm

B.Brehaut.Another negative thinker for my vote out list

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3
Zelda

January 17, 2011 at 12:57 pm

Tis not a lottery – just a fair way of voting for who we the public want in ‘power’. As for new blood, we want someone experienced, logical with lots of common sense and a brain for budgetting. A criteria should be set so as to avoid too many wannabees to come forward for the post. After all it is a job and one that we have to trust you as a deputy to perform.

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4
ChrisJ

January 17, 2011 at 1:46 pm

Zelda,

We all have a good idea what attributes we want our deputies to have.

The problem is – how are you going to whittle down 100 candidates to the list of 45 who have those attributes? Do you think it’s reasonable to expect everyone else in the island to do the same?

And what criteria do you want to have to stop ‘wannabees’ coming forward?

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5
Scarpia

January 17, 2011 at 2:53 pm

Assuming most people would not use all 45 of their possible votes(I doubt if I would)what we will probably be left with is some canditates being elected with only a very small number of votes.
It won’t work,it is difficult enough to interest people in local politics as it is,to ask people to choose 45 out of,possibly,100 is asking too much.

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6
bella

January 17, 2011 at 4:09 pm

why 45. cut the numbers and the costs, and hopefully the quality might improve

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7
Stiletto

January 18, 2011 at 6:59 pm

It will be a lottery Barry Brehaut – but no more than the current system has proved to be – some of you sitting Deputies will be understandably nervous, based on this term’s performance. If you are making these comments wearing your scutiny hat, shouldn’t you feel more positive about this proposed change?

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8
Islander

January 19, 2011 at 5:36 pm

Brehaut
if you think it a lottery then you will also understand that the prize might be better than what we have been forced to accept as per present bunch.

Shows how nervous you are, you are also on the list for ‘Godbyee,’

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