Deputy Moz Scott has resigned from the Council of Ministers, saying its decisions have had 'adverse consequences' on some sectors.
The - now former - Assistant Minister for Sustainable Economic Development and External Relations says she originally raised concerns about the risks of choosing DFDS that 'have now materialised':
"I urged the Council of Ministers to think very carefully about, and pointed out the risks to the cost of living, and to freight costs, which actually impact many areas of industry in Jersey, and also on Jersey's tourism generally, to abandon an inter-island service.
"It is quite serious for the economy, and basically, I was ignored."
Deputy Scott said that certain policies and decisions supported by the Council of Ministers have, in her opinion, had 'adverse consequences' for parts of the economy, including farming, tourism and retail, despite increased public funding intended to mitigate those effects.
She says she was limited in her ability to express concerns publicly while in office, and no longer considers it appropriate to continue in a role where she could not support key decisions or priorities.
"There is collective responsibility, and a united front. But ironically, as Assistant Minister, I was never actually entitled to vote or attend Council of Ministers meetings.
"When it came to the ferry contract, against which I had argued quite vehemently, I was excluded from the vote, and it was passed through unanimously as a result.
Deputy Scott is calling for reforms in the economic department and has sent a 30-page report outlining this to the Chief Executive:
"The bottom line is, we are an island which needs to be more economically productive.
"We need a more productive government, we need a more productive department of economy, and the way in which it is structured and run isn't going to support that objective in my view."
The Deputy delayed her resignation to complete and publish her report on the handling of complaints against public services.
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