Middle

[Stu Peters]

10 minutes ago, John Wright said:

Likewise critical thought

Faulty banter - makes little sense.

[manxman1980]

On 7/17/2021 at 7:53 PM, Stu Peters said:

In answer to Chie's post:

1. How do you intend to rectify these issues to be able to gain the support of those voters you have previously taken issue with?

That presumes they need to be rectified. I always tell the truth as I see it, and usually after talking to many people. I'm certainly not going to pander to gain votes, even if it costs me the election. Greta and the Snowflakes (great band) will never vote for me anyway - but I'll happily talk to them to see if we have a common objective but with a different approach to achieving it.

Why the reference to "Great and the Snowflakes"?  Nothing you said above answers Chie's question.  It's all waffle.

2. Going forward, do you intend to try to be more understanding and open to the issues faced by those in the wider society and help contribute towards making the island a safer and happier place to live?.

I've always been quite open to anything that will make the Island safer, better, more prosperous, more equitable and happier.

Perhaps as a candidate you may want to outline what your ideas are rather than making another bland meaningless statement.

3. What support do you plan to provide towards helping combat the current climate emergency?.

The impact of any MHK on climate change (I don't believe it's an emergency) is going to be precisely zero, but it's a good bandwagon for many candidates to jump on. Instead, let's look at spending the millions every year that IOMG has earmarked for 'Climate Change' away from committees and consultants, reports and research and into the economy in the form of grants for insulation and clean heating, charging stations for electric cars and a power station that will cope with the extra demand.

I am surprised that you are not claiming that Climate Change isn't real so I am pleasantly surprised here.  Whilst electric cars will address local emissions I do not see them as a long term viable solution for climate change.  They simply shift the problem elsewhere (power stations need to generate more electricity) and their carbon footprint is significant due to the mining operations required for the rare metals used in their construction.  

4. Do you plan to help improve our current healthcare system?. If so, how?.

Again, a candidate is in no position to promise anything, so most manifestos are at best a wish list for Santa and at worst an outright fraud. Our health service seems broken almost beyond repair. People can't get appointments, NHS dentists are like hen's teeth (see what I did there?) and we're apparently paying consultants here an average salary of £190k compared to their counterparts in the UK scraping by on just £120k. I don't have the answers but can think of lots of questions that might help focus better minds than mine.

Do you see your possible role as an MHK to just ask questions?  Surely, given your role in the media, this is something you should have been doing anyway?  I expect my MHK to not only ask questions but also to recommend answers to those questions.  Picking up on the salary of consultants compared to UK to their UK counterparts is hardly going to resolve the issue and is very close to Keiran's calculations on how many living wage jobs could be funded by cutting costs. 

5. What are your thoughts on the legalisation of cannabis and the potential multi million pound tourist industry it could create for the island?

I have no problem with cannabis BUT it can apparently cause paranoia and other mental problems in SOME younger users. I don't think it's a gateway to harder drugs, and it's less harmful (apart from the tobacco most people use to smoke it) than booze. Anything that makes people giggle rather than fight has to be good. I suspect that IOMG has to listen to Westminster on the issue of legalisation though, so it may not be within our powers to change the law.

Do you not think that as a candidate you should have a reasonable understanding of the situation with regards to the issue of Westminster and local legislation?  I would expect a candidate to have an understanding of what powers Tynwald actually has and if they do not feel those powers are sufficient to highlight why and what they would like to do about it.

Making statements like "Westminster will veto it" is very similar to the UK government blaming the EU for everything that was unpopular.  I expect accountability and honesty in my elected representatives (I might not get it but that is what I expect!)

 

[Declan]

16 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

Are they Daleks?

Nah, too snowflakey. They're equal-opportunity exterminators. 

[Roger Mexico]

Someone made the same joke.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Roger Mexico

[Apple]

12 hours ago, manxman1980 said:

4. Do you plan to help improve our current healthcare system?. If so, how?.

Again, a candidate is in no position to promise anything, so most manifestos are at best a wish list for Santa and at worst an outright fraud. Our health service seems broken almost beyond repair. People can't get appointments, NHS dentists are like hen's teeth (see what I did there?) and we're apparently paying consultants here an average salary of £190k compared to their counterparts in the UK scraping by on just £120k. I don't have the answers but can think of lots of questions that might help focus better minds than mine.

This not the full picture. Medical salaries are made up of different components and this "one size fits all" commonly quoted argument lends itself to a distorted picture. I do not know of any Consultants just scraping on by anywhere.

The view also does not take fully into account our geographical position and the limits and constraints that issue alone raises. However, as it actually unlikely Stu will be made Minister for Health and Social Services immediately means we can all breathe a sigh of relief that what GPs, dentists and Consultants we do have here at the moment are not going to be packing their bags and leaving us all to it. 😀

On a more serious note though it does raise the question of who will be the next Minister of the DHSS ???

[Uhtred]

On 7/19/2021 at 11:40 PM, Apple said:

On a more serious note though it does raise the question of who will be the next Minister of the DHSS ???

DHSC actually. The DHSS ceased to exist many years ago.

[Apple]

Missed that. Apols.

So, who will get new Health Minister?

[John Wright]

It’s a much less important job than it was.

DHSC set targets, negotiate contracts with independent, or arms length service providers, measure performance.

Everything else is delivered via Manx Care. Hopefully they’ll realise it’s more expensive to have locums and reverse some of the daft wage and pension decisions so staff will come and stay.

Even public health is cabinet office.

On 7/19/2021 at 11:40 PM, Apple said:

This not the full picture. Medical salaries are made up of different components and this "one size fits all" commonly quoted argument lends itself to a distorted picture. I do not know of any Consultants just scraping on by anywhere.

The view also does not take fully into account our geographical position and the limits and constraints that issue alone raises. However, as it actually unlikely Stu will be made Minister for Health and Social Services immediately means we can all breathe a sigh of relief that what GPs, dentists and Consultants we do have here at the moment are not going to be packing their bags and leaving us all to it. 😀

On a more serious note though it does raise the question of who will be the next Minister of the DHSS ???

 

8 minutes ago, Uhtred said:

DHSC actually. The DHSS ceased to exist many years ago.

 

[Apple]

6 minutes ago, John Wright said:

Hopefully they’ll realise it’s more expensive to have locums and reverse some of the daft wage and pension decisions so staff will come and stay.

Quite agree, not least to promote some consistency for patients and relatives and to monitor clinical competencies.

However, not an issue for here perhaps so back to Manx Care.

[germann]

On 7/18/2021 at 10:36 PM, Stu Peters said:

Marvellous idea. People who don't want to discuss democratic politics should definitely use them and save ALL candidates a lot of time.

If you don't win, do you get your old job at Manx Radio back? What's the plan B? 

[Stu Peters]

Plan B is to consider what I want to do if Plan A doesn't work out. Time enough for that after 23/9.

[Uhtred]

On 7/19/2021 at 10:36 AM, offshoremanxman said:

Are they Daleks?

No. They’re less forgiving and more right wing.

[Stu Peters]

7 hours ago, offshoremanxman said:

I think if I was a Middle voter I’d rather vote a Dalek in than Peters. 

As you keep saying. Repeatedly and tiresomely. But you're not so you can't.

[pongo]

On 7/21/2021 at 10:28 PM, germann said:

If you don't win, do you get your old job at Manx Radio back? What's the plan B? 

 

On 7/22/2021 at 12:42 AM, Stu Peters said:

Plan B is to consider what I want to do if Plan A doesn't work out. Time enough for that after 23/9.

Is this a career move?

[the stinking enigma]

You and stu have lots in common. He's a lot less tiresome on the covid front but i'd say broadly in agreement

Edited July 24, 2021 by the stinking enigma