Syvret's Christmas Speech The last States Assembly of the year ended in disarray after Senator Syvrets Christmas speech.
The last States Assembly of the year ended in disarray after the former health minister was cut off during his traditional Christmas speech as father of the house.
Senator Stuart Syvret was asked more than five times by the bailiff to be quiet after he used the traditional speech to discuss alleged cases of historic child abuse.
The matter is currently being investigated by the police.
Several states members asked the Senator to change the subject of his speech, before the Bailiff, Sir Philip Bailache, intervened.
Senator Le Main said "I have never heard, in nearly 30 years as a member of this esteemed house such a diatribe. I object for the people of this island and the members of this assembly."
Deputy Troy said "I was going to wait until the end of Senator Syvret's speech to say that I think it's vitally important that we, the assembly, all know we are totally against any form of child abuse at all.
"Also that this assembly will do its best to uncover anything that's been covered up."
He went on to say that "I think it's the wrong occasion to bring this forward but we are totally against child abuse as a government".
The Bailiff then told Senator Syvret that "it is not the occasion for an expression of your own personal views on a matter that is of great importance but not for today."
Senator Syvret then responded that he intended to complete his speech and argued with the Baliff that he had the right to carry on talking.
The Bailiff responded by saying "as Deputy Troy has said this is not the occasion for that kind of speech and I must direct you to sit down".
Senator Syvret continued reading his speech, despite protestations from the house and calls from Senator Le Main for every member to leave if he continues.
This then led the Bailiff to adjourn the assembly and to cut off Senator Syvrets microphone. The States members then left the chamber.
But Senator Syvret says he's done nothing wrong. He says he is in the right and all the other members are in the wrong.
"It's certainly true to say the Bailif and the States are against me. That was there stance, they chose to be that way. Lets face it, the States of Jersey in acting as they have done today have simply disgraced themselves even further."
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Letter in Jersey Evening Post, 27 March 2008
A half-inch of beer and six inches of nasty froth
From J Craddock.
Entre Deux, Mont Nicolle, St Brelade.
I UNDERSTAND that Senator Stuart Syvret has posted numerous long-winded blogs on the internet in recent weeks. Apparently they were notable mainly for their vilification of Jersey's institutions and governmental functions, from the Bailiff down - his usual half-inch of beer topped up with six inches of nasty froth.
The wordy 'Senator' was once something of a political icon for a number of people. Now, many are increasingly horrified at his obsession with using the fire in his belly in order to burn the house down.
Published 27/3/2008
