| Frank Harrison Walker | 
|
1st Chief Minister of Jersey | | Incumbent | Assumed office
Dec 2005 | | Preceded by | None | | Majority | 25 |
Senator | | Incumbent | Assumed office
Dec 2002 | | Constituency | Jersey |
| | Spouse | Fiona Walker (formerly Spurr) | | Residence | St Brelade[1], Jersey | Frank Harrison Walker is the first and current Chief Minister of Jersey, elected in 2005 by fellow States members. The Chief Minister of Jersey (French: Premier Ministre de Jersey) is the head of government of Jersey. ...
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The Chief Minister of Jersey (French: Premier Ministre de Jersey) is the head of government of Jersey. ...
Biography
In 1973 Walker became managing director of the Jersey Evening Post (the island's only newspaper). He later took over chairmanship of the Guiton Group, owners of both the Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Evening Press. This led to public concern regarding a possible conflict of interests when he became Chief Minister, and, despite originally intending to keep both positions[2], he later stepped down from that position in February 2005.[3]However, there are those who are concerned that his influence over the newspaper is still an issue. Jersey Evening Post (or JEP, as it is locally called) is a regional newspaper published daily in Jersey. ...
Electoral History Senator Walker was first elected to the States of Jersey on December 13, 1990 as Deputy of St Helier No 3 and was re-elected in 1993; he was then elected as Senator in 1996 and re-elected on December 12, 2002, albeit by the skin of his teeth, coming 6th out of 6.[4] After his most recent election win Walker promised this would be his final term in ministerial government[5] The States of Jersey (French: États de Jersey) is the parliament of Jersey. ...
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Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...
Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
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Election as Chief Minister Walker was elected Chief Minister in 2005 by a secret ballot of States members. He achieved 38 votes, Senator Stuart Syvret received 14 and there was one spoilt paper.[6] His first responsibility was to propose the nine members who would form his Council of Ministers [7]: these were all elected unopposed except Senator Len Norman who was defeated by Deputy Guy de Faye. The Chief Minister of Jersey (French: Premier Ministre de Jersey) is the head of government of Jersey. ...
Stuart Syvret is the Minister for Health and Social Security of Jersey[1]. Senator Syvret was first elected to the States of Jersey in 1990 as Deputy of Saint Helier No. ...
The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ...
A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ...
Leonard Norman is a politician. ...
A legislator (or lawmaker) is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. ...
Guy de Faye is a member of the States of Jersey and is Jerseys Minister for Transport and Technical Services Category: ...
As part of his election promises held for the position of Chief Minister, at the public hustings both candidates gave a clear and unequivocal undertaking to work together for the first three years. Senator Syvret had significant support amongst the population and the issue of whom should be Chief Minister was one of the most divisive of the 2005 election.
In August 2007 however, a private discussion between Senator Syvret and the Council of Ministers was made public by former St Lawrence Constable Iris Le Feuvre in her position as chair of the Child Protection committee. This led to a perceived lowering of confidence in the quality of child protection services [8]. Something which Senator Walker subsequently attributed to Senator Syvret [9] Senator Walker called for a vote of no confidence in Senator Syvret.
Domestic affairs
Tax Justice Network A major opponent for Senator Walker, in recent times, has been the Tax Justice Network. On BBC Radio Jersey talkback, he initially offered to take part in an open debate on the future of Jersey's finance industry[10]; however the debate never took place. Having submitted a detailed analysis of why Jersey was not a tax haven to the US Senate hearing in May 2007, the Tax Justice Network responded with a submission of their own in June 2007 which re-ignited the confrontation.[11]. More recently, on 27th April, Walker refused to appear on the Talkback programme with John Christensen of the TJN. He ended up appearing on his own, but Mr Christensen was given a chance to answer the following week. BBC Radio Jersey logo. ...
Jersey Logo Despite an overly negative public reaction to a previewed version, Frank Walker introduced a new Jersey 'brand', costing £250,000, which in turn also drew widespread criticism. Some people suggested the brand logo looked more like a 'flying banana' [12], which critics say is entirely apt, as Jersey is little more than a glorified banana republic'.'
One of the major complaints of this rebranding was that local design companies were deliberately ignored, Walker considering them not to be up to the job of creating a professional enough design. When a number of these companies banded together to put on a display of designs they had created free of charge, Walker both declined to reconsider his decision to use the disliked UK design, and refused to apologise for detrimental comments made regarding the experience of the local designers.
Volume of Legislation Following a written question in the House of Commons by Conservative MP for Romford Andrew Rosindell, it emerged that Jersey had enacted more legislation than either Guernsey or the Isle of Man.[13]. Walker denied that this was evidence of over-regulation, arguing that "the number of laws reflects the fundamental changes that have taken place in Jersey’s government".
International Relations
Constitutional Position of Jersey Senator Walker successfully developed a framework for future relations with the United Kingdom[14].
Netherlands Tax Treaty Jersey committed to cooperation and information exchange on tax matters with the Netherlands, a national equivalent of the agreements the UK had forced Jersey to sign with the European Union. They also reached agreement on access to mutual agreement procedures relating to transfer pricing and the application of the Dutch participation exemption. The Dutch Finance Minister indicated this may lead to a double tax treaty.[15]
US Senate Submission Senator Walker submitted a 4,000-word statement to the US senate finance committee, which is reviewing offshore tax evasion, following the introduction of a bill, entitled “Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act”, which named Jersey a “secrecy jurisdiction”. In his statement, Senator Walker stated that Jersey had received a “generally compliant” verdict from the International Monetary Fund in 2003.[16]
British-Irish Council Senator Walker attended meetings of the Council as a representative of Jersey on 16th July 2007 [17], the Seventh Summit in the Isle of Man in May 2005 [18], and the Jersey Summit held in June 2002 [19]
Other Pledges
Control of Government Expenditure As leader of the Council of Ministers at the 2005 elections he extolled the principal platforms of limiting government expenditure growth to 2.5% per annum. However he has failed to achieve these targets with expenditure growing in 2006 by 3.4% and budgeted growth for 2008 now being set at 7.1%. Spending in 2007 was also reported as £50 million ahead of budget. [20]
Human Rights in Jersey In 2006, as part of evidence to the corporate services scrutiny panel he indicated that it would be "absurd to bring the human rights law into effect knowing that there were extant breaches" [21]; however in December 2006 the law was brought into effect and the first case against the government of Jersey was lodged with the Royal Court a month later.
Criticism Senator Walker is often viewed by his UK tax critics as exclusively working to benefit the interests of the finance industry.[22]
He has been criticised by the Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the Jersey Institute of Directors and the Jersey Conservative Party for his inability to control the excessive growth in Government expenditure.[23] He is also criticised by the Jersey Democratic Alliance. The Jersey Conservative Party is a political party in Jersey. ...
Child Abuse Scandal In February 2008, Senator Walker attracted considerable criticism due to his response to the ongoing investigation of child abuse centred on the former Haut de la Garenne care home. Walker's official position on the matter is that his Council of Ministers will ensure that there is no cover-up and anyone who has been guilty of child abuse in that investigation will be brought to justice. However, following an interview on BBC Radio Jersey, where Stuart Syvret had put forward the view that there had been a systemic failure within Jersey's child protection systems over decades, Walker was filmed retorting that Syvert was out to "shaft Jersey internationally". He was confronted with this footage by Jeremy Paxman on the BBC's Newsnight on 25th Feb 2008.[24]. The long-term repercussions of this are difficult to determine, but in the short-term it has been damaging to his reputation internationally and locally in the continuing media reporting of the phrase.[25] Pedophilia (American English), pædophilia/paedophilia (Commonwealth English), or pedosexuality is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to prepubescent children. ...
BBC Radio Jersey logo. ...
Stuart Syvret is the Minister for Health and Social Security of Jersey[1]. Senator Syvret was first elected to the States of Jersey in 1990 as Deputy of Saint Helier No. ...
Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English BBC journalist, news presenter and author. ...
Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:40 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ...
References 29. http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?tab=av&q=jersey%20abuse&recipe=all&scope=all&edition=i | 
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