The fact that you are here means I hope that you’re interested in Politics, or on the other side of the coin maybe you’ve just come to heckle me. I’m sure none of you will need reminding that we are going into the Isle of Man General Election. Some people seem to lose sight of the fact that we are voting for a National Parliament. As a result of this unfortunately and inevitably I guess local issues and personalities can override the importance of electing a competent National Parliament.  

Before making the decision to stand I canvassed a lot of local opinion. The big issue at National level seems to be the incompetence, bad management or simple lack of business acumen that our present administration has displayed. The overriding theme seems to be that the Island seems to have done well over the last 15-20 years, but its in spite of rather than because of our Parliament.  

This I’m sure is the reason that we’ve had some monumental cock-ups. Just how can the MEA lose over £100million pounds without anyone knowing about it. That’s going to cost us all over the next few years. There have of course been a number of major schemes that have either run massively over budget, or turned into white elephants that will cost us all dear for years to come. The Incinerator now reputably burns oil, the Hospital overran budget and the Sewerage Pelleting Plant seems to have closed before it got started.    

If just a small proportion of that wasted money were targeted on Glenfaba just think what our Local Commissioners could do with it. Not personally I hope! 

We all know about the plight of our youngsters and low income earners when it comes to getting on to the housing ladder. To its credit the Isle of Man has with its First Time Buyer’s Register and grant assistance at least made a start in this respect. So far Glenfaba doesn’t seem to have benefited from this, yes there have been rumours but nothing concrete has happened. I will therefore make a commitment to you that it will be one of my priorities to work with the Local Commissioners to identify suitable sites and bring these forward so that we too can provide some low cost housing for local people that need it and enable them to continue living in the community in which they will have been brought up.  

This neatly brings me onto the next issue which is inter related and one that crops up time and time again in conversation, that is our Planning System. Now we’re never going to please all of the people all of the time, but I have to say the Isle of Man has one of the most undemocratic Planning systems that I’ve ever come across. The Planning Committee is appointed it doesn’t comprise elected members, it seems they are impossible to lobby and until recently, can you believe this, they actually met in secret. It sounds like something from the Eastern Block. Across Planning Committees comprise elected members, they are accountable to the electorate, they are readily identifiable, they can be lobbied, meetings are held in public, and in most cases applicants and objectors are afforded an opportunity to speak at the meetings. This has just got to change.  

If you suffer from insomnia then I can recommend a good bedtime read The Third Isle of Man Government Plan. I’d like to know what happened to the other two, but lets concentrate on this for a while. It covers the period 2005 onwards. This lengthy Tom runs to some 58 exciting pages and must have cost a lot of money to produce.  

Its full of new Government speak but the thing that jumps out is that there are 80 pieces of proposed new legislation for the next 4 or 5 years. I repeat 80 plus pieces of legislation that will require parliamentary bills and scrutiny. That’s legislation and regulation that will find its way into our lives. It doesn’t take account of the stuff that is coming through the back door by way of amendments to existing legislations.  

I look around this wonderful Island and do I see the need for 80 plus items of legislation and regulation. This burden of legislation is far too high for an Island our size. Most of it seems to be coming from the UK or EU. It not only threatens us as individuals, restricts our freedom and adds further laws that we don’t need, but it piles beaurocracy upon beaurocracy with red tape that stifles our existing businesses and stops entrepreneurs of the future in their tracks.  

There are something’s in the Plan, which make good sense, bearing in mind what’s happened during the last few years. I do think the Island needs a proper Audit Commission, more freedom of information and transparency and that Independent Financial scrutiny of our Government is a high priority, but when I look at some of the items on the list, and I don’t want you to laugh, and bearing in mind the mantra of our Parliament that we are not part of the EU we are simply Protocol 3 signatories, I would love to know why it is, our Government is so slavishly following UK and EU legislation, that we have no obligation to introduce and actually produces no benefit to us.  

Isn’t it time we did our own cost benefit analysis of the legislation that is flowing from across to see whether we have a problem that needs addressing. If we do lets introduce legislation that is appropriate to us and going to be of benefit to us.  

So just what is proposed?  

1.                  To amend the Dogs Act 1990. So just what did they get wrong in 1990?  

2.                  Farrier’s. You know those people that shoe horses. To provide a regulatory framework for Farmers. Now that’s got to be high priority, I’m always coming across horses ploughing fields and towing carts on our roads.  

3.                  Fertilisers and feeding stuff. Now that’s a hot topic of conversation when I go down to the Post Office. Apparently this is to apply European legislation. Why?  

4.                  Gender Recognition. To make provision for the recognition of the rights of transsexual people.

5.                  The Mental Health Act. To amend the Mental Health Act 1998 to facilitate the transfer of patients to Scotland and Ireland. I cannot believe that ship them out, on second thoughts the Americans seem to be in a lot of trouble for just that, Guantanamo Bay comes to mind.  

6.                  Sea Fisheries. To repeal six acts which deal with the marketing of Kippers. So what have I been eating for the last 30 years – Manx kippers. I didn’t think we needed any further legislation.  

7.                  Finally on the light hearted side. This one really takes the biscuit for me. Space. To regulate the Space Industry – aghhhh – excuse me what sort of space are we talking about? Perhaps that’s something else that we’ve just not been told about. Will we learn after the Election that we’re committed to putting a man on the moon and paying for it!  

On a more serious note there’s loads of serious stuff in there including Road traffic Acts, Regulation of Surveillance, Covert Intelligence, Health and Safety Legislation, Criminal Justice, Employment and more ominously ID Cards.  

Have you been consulted about any of this, I certainly haven’t. So what can you or I do about it. Vote in a new batch of competent MHK’s comes to mind.  

Parliament has talked about reforming our Local Government System i.e. our Commissioners, I’m quite proud of this system, it’s local open democracy and participants do it purely for Public service. In most cases they are very under funded and unsupported in some cases by their MHK’s. If elected I promise you that I will work with our Local Commissioners not against them, or simply leave them to it. I’ll provide them with back up wherever I can at Parliamentary level and I will try and ensure that they are empowered and given sufficient funds to carry out local functions properly.  

On a side note if Parliament were to delegate more of its empire down to community level, it may have more time to concentrate on the serious issues, such as keeping track of our money and keeping projects on track and financial target.  

The last budget looked reasonably rosy but I see some worrying trends behind the scenes. It’s always best to read between the lines. The surplus in terms of the Isle of Man’s overall spend is very small. I have a sneaky suspicion rather like a lot of Administrations that are going into election that the real problems will bubble up when the new administration takes over. It won’t take much to tip us into deficit and when we do you can guess whose going to be asked to pick up the tab.  

On a more personal basis I promised when I started my campaign that my ethos on Politics is that if elected I will do what my Electorate want me to do, rather than me tell them what they should be doing. My slogan is simple: “It’s time for change and better Government”. My constituency wide questionnaire has thrown up some interesting priorities. I intend making them the plank of my manifesto.  

I further promise that if you elect me I will stay in touch with my Electorate. I’ll use modern technology where I can, but for those who don’t have access then I’m quite content to use snail mail or the telephone. I commit to taking on a full time secretary/PA simply for constituency work so that I will be able to respond quickly, fairly and I hope efficiently to anyone that needs help or advice. I will hold regular surgeries where people can come and speak to me face to face. If you’re fed up like I have been in the past with Politicians who come around and knock on the door just prior to the election, ask for your vote then vanish for the next 5 years then you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.  

I have a long Business and Management provenance, having nursed a number of companies and partnerships into quite substantial entities, I know all about prudent accounting, staff management, and controlling expenses but most important of all is responding to customers needs. Lets get this straight your taxes, if I’m elected, are paying me to represent you, its your Parliament, your my customers, I want you to know you will come first.