Chris Thomas MHK sacked from DOI

[Nish as reesht]

When asked if he is committed to his manifesto promise to break up the DOI into smaller operational chunks:

Alf: "You know full well this is not a one party state"  -- laughter follows

Becoming clear from Alf's statement and Q&A that reform of the DOI is a smokescreen - the real reason for the sacking was to override CT on Crogga using powers in the Government Departments Act 1987.

[Zarley]

CT just resigned from the housing board so he can be "unfettered". 🤔

[Nish as reesht]

Some notes from CT's comments:

* 6pm on Sunday - CT sacked.

* Monday morning - meeting with Crogga took place, seemingly involving Stu Peters, KLB, DEFA minister.

* License for Crogga is held by DOI. When did CoMin last discuss the license?

* Resigning from Housing board immediately.

* Spoken statement was different from written statement in that is missed out "good governance".

Claire Christian:

* Why is reform so last minute, before summer recess. Why was reform not identified as urgently needed in Department Plan or in last six months?

[NoTailT]

Crogga must be allowed to push forward.

Alf is many things, but he isn't stupid enough to ignore this.

[Nish as reesht]

Q. Tim Glover: System is clearly disfunctional. Single Legal Entity required. Does CM agree with looking into SLA? Are the public still confident in him?

A. Alf: Avoids question. War in Ukraine, inflation bla bla... Significant house building planned.

Q. Moorehouse: Looking a little bit irregular. What discussions happened with CoMIn members before with CT, before sacking on 6pm Sunday?

A. Alf: My responsibility to deternine who serves in the cabinet. One must have confidence in all ministers; if you don't, they must go.

Q. Claire Christian: Reform is mentioned in the DOI plan. However, Transfer of Functions is not mentioned. Concerned at what is going to be progressed as quick reform hasn't been reviewed by Tynwald Court. Radical changes are coming that Tynwald knows nothing about.

Alf: Circumstances have changed. Person who signed off DOI Department plan is no longer in place.

Q that wasn't a Q. Tim Glover: I have more confidence in Mr Thomas than this Government.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Nish as reesht
more Q's added

[Andy Onchan]

34 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

But if you don't have enough people to be Ministers, you won't have enough to be Board Chairs either.  The problem is simply that there aren't enough politicians.  Guernsey has effectively 38 to choose from, Jersey 49, but the Isle of Man has only 24 because of this only recently imposed rule that you can't use LegCo members.  Take away the refuseniks, the blatantly unsuitable and the out of favour and you run out of people.

Guernsey is a mess and its electoral system bonkers and I suspect a Board system here would just allow the civil service even more room to do what they want.  Single legal entity is clearly required and should have been brought in years ago, but the current culture of lack of responsibility suits everyone too much.

A lot of Board Chairs weren't MHKS as I recall.

[Zarley]

15 minutes ago, Nish as reesht said:

Q that wasn't a Q. Tim Glover: I have more confidence in Mr Thomas than this Government.

Glover missed an opportunity there to reiterate his question regarding the public's confidence. 

ETA: I was disappointed but not surprised that Alf ignored the question. He's really come across as quite arrogant today. I'd say more but I'm trying to reign in any potty-mouth tendencies. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Zarley

[2112]

Every month going by and CM Cannan is making more of a dogs breakfast of things either trying to push through his agenda, and opinions. Unfortunately he hasn’t got the ability to get people on his side, to influence the debate so he is getting people who are opposed to his way of thinking. Sooner or later CM Cannan is going to run out of friends to fill COMIN or any of the Boards. Perhaps an early general election isn’t unthinkable?

[Steve_Christian]

13 minutes ago, 2112 said:

Every month going by and CM Cannan is making more of a dogs breakfast of things either trying to push through his agenda, and opinions. Unfortunately he hasn’t got the ability to get people on his side, to influence the debate so he is getting people who are opposed to his way of thinking. Sooner or later CM Cannan is going to run out of friends to fill COMIN or any of the Boards. Perhaps an early general election isn’t unthinkable?

Or a change in CM? 

[jackwhite]

22 minutes ago, 2112 said:

Every month going by and CM Cannan is making more of a dogs breakfast of things either trying to push through his agenda, and opinions. Unfortunately he hasn’t got the ability to get people on his side, to influence the debate so he is getting people who are opposed to his way of thinking. Sooner or later CM Cannan is going to run out of friends to fill COMIN or any of the Boards. Perhaps an early general election isn’t unthinkable?

You honestly think Cannan wouldn't get returned even if there is a GA?

Not sure it would make any difference as we don't get a say in CM.

[2112]

2 minutes ago, jackwhite said:

You honestly think Cannan wouldn't get returned even if there is a GA?

Not sure it would make any difference as we don't get a say in CM.

You are right about the GMP not having a say in the election of a CM. CM Cannan doesn’t inspire confidence, each month he argues and steamrollers in Tynwald instead of trying to build bridges. He is divisive, coupled with the fact he has made enemies, one Minister resigning within a short period of time, and unlikely to rejoin the fold, and another Minister sacked after a very short period of time. Then you have Chris Thomas who is likely to question, probe and waffle with other malcontents, creating an alliance. Sooner or later they will be successful. How long CM Cannan can last is anyone’s guess. 

[Banker]

According to Bonzo & I don’t think he’s alone in his thinking it’s all to do with Crogga, meeting held with Crogga on Monday with Kate, Clare & Stu 

Also update from Gef on confrontation 

https://gef.im/news/politics/doubting-thomas-37636/

Edited July 18, 2023 by Banker

[Mann O Mann]

CT is a descent bloke but he cannot lead . He is a technocrat . Unable to see the wood for the trees, and unable to challenge the civil servants decision.

Their preferred option  is no decision on anything .

If recent events have taught us anything is that we have to have politicians that will challenge the system and CT despite talking the talk did not walk the walk .
 

it’s the second time he has been asked to leave by two different CM.

if you want change you need to cracks a few eggs.

If this is the start of some change with the DOI I welcome it.

[Banker]

16 minutes ago, Mann O Mann said:

CT is a descent bloke but he cannot lead . He is a technocrat . Unable to see the wood for the trees, and unable to challenge the civil servants decision.

Their preferred option  is no decision on anything .

If recent events have taught us anything is that we have to have politicians that will challenge the system and CT despite talking the talk did not walk the walk .
 

it’s the second time he has been asked to leave by two different CM.

if you want change you need to cracks a few eggs.

If this is the start of some change with the DOI I welcome it.

Thanks Alf!

[Non-Believer]

52 minutes ago, 2112 said:

Then you have Chris Thomas who is likely to question, probe....

Herein lies the problem. He might have been better served, in the eyes of the public anyway, by doing a bit more of the above within DOI rather than falling into the same trap as his predecessors by trying to endlessly defend the indefensible.

Which is namely, the conduct of that collection of arseholes that he was supposed to be heading.