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His Excellency Lieutenant-General A.P. Ridgway, C.B., C.B.E., Lieutenant Governor:
Mr. Bailiff , Senator Syvret, Members of the States, Ladies and Gentlemen. I must first thank Senator Syvret for his warm words of greeting to my wife and me; we have very much appreciated the warmth of the welcome that we have received since our arrival in the Island a week ago today. My thanks also go to the States as a whole for inviting our children to be with us today on this very special occasion. I feel that I should assure the Senator firstly that I recognise the unusual position that I occupy as an unelected member of this democratically elected Assembly. However, as Senator Syvret pointed out, the constitutional arrangements in the Island are themselves unusual and the relationship with the Crown, and hence with the Sovereign's representative are a reflection of these arrangements. What seems important to me at this early stage, less than 24 hours into my term of office, is that to fulfil my role as part of the communication process between this Assembly and the U.K. Government I need to have a good understanding of the issues of concern to the States Assembly. Consequently I see my attendance at Sittings of the States as a vital part of my role and I very much look forward to partaking in your debates as a Member of this Assembly, albeit in a silent capacity. The need to develop an understanding of the issues that the States Assembly is addressing seems particularly important at this time. From a reading of your Draft Strategic Plan it is clear that you have a rich agenda of important issues to get to grips with and I believe it is much to the credit of the States that some of these difficult issues are being confronted rather than ignored. I note too that your agenda includes the strengthening of Jersey's international personality and a review of the constitutional relationship. These are clearly issues which reflect the changing nature of the World in which we live and which will inevitably be of great interest to Her Majesty and the U.K. Government. Senator Syvret drew attention to the changing nature of the Lieutenant Governor's duties with rather less attention placed on defence of the Islands these days. However, I do believe it is important not to take for granted the peaceful nature of life in this beautiful Island. In Her Majesty's last Christmas broadcast she drew attention to the man-made and natural disasters that can bring devastation to unsuspecting communities and reminded us that this world is not always an easy or safe place in which to live but, as she remarked, it is the only place we have. It is already clear to me that the people of Jersey do not take their good fortune for granted and I was most impressed to learn of the Island's response to the Tsunami disaster, for instance, in which I believe Jersey was, per capita, the most generous of all contributors worldwide to the relief effort. May I also offer a word of congratulations to the States on the way that they have handled the recent constitutional developments and specifically the move to Ministerial government? I followed the formation of your Council of Ministers with great interest. At the time I was also closely tracking the formation of President Karzai's new government in Kabul. There was much disquiet in Whitehall when the new Meshrano Jirga, or lower house of their parliament, decided not to vote on the cabinet as a whole but to elect each cabinet member individually. It was felt that this would inevitably lead to inter-factional fighting with little prospect of achieving an effective government quickly, if ever. At a briefing of the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chiefs of Staff I was able to draw on your experience here in the States and assure them that it is possible to adopt this procedure successfully provided that there is a willingness amongst the members to succeed. I do not know how often, over the years, World War 2 apart, that Jersey has featured in intelligence briefings in London: I suspect seldom and the Members of this Assembly were probably unaware that they were being used as a model for the formation of a Government thousands of miles away in the war-ravaged capital of Afghanistan. I will conclude by reflecting on elements of the oath that I took yesterday at my swearing-in at the Royal Court. I note that I have been charged with doing all within my power to protect the Island's castles. I would merely observe that having read and heard of the wonderful work undertaken over several years to restore Mont Orgueil to its former glory that I can report to Her Majesty that this responsibility is in very safe hands. I also note that I am charged with opposing all Traitors, Murderers, Thieves, Ruffians, Mutineers and Rebels. Well
this is an area where I do have some relevant recent experience - my 3 years as Chief of Defence Intelligence exposed me to a whole raft of all these categories of villain, and that was just in Whitehall. Mr. Bailiff thank you for doing me the honour of convening this Special Sitting of the States: I know that it will be some 5 years before I address you in this forum again and I hope and pray that the intervening years will be peaceful and prosperous for you all and for the people that you represent. [Approbation]