Name: Robert Lawrence WESTON
Date of birth: 1942 (age 61)
Place of birth: England
Moved to Jersey: In 1966 to escape from Harold Wilson
Address: St Helier, Jersey
Marital status: married to Jenny (Jersey born)
Children: 3 (Jersey born) aged 36, 14 and 13
Occupation: Businessman, Hotelier
Education and qualifications: O-levels, A-levels and University of
Life
Positions held in associations, clubs, etc:
President, Jersey Hospitality Association
President, Jersey Lodging House Association
Member of Chamber of Commerce
Member of Institute of Directors
Committee member of Jersey Rights Association
Angry Men supporter
Why I am seeking election to the States as a Senator:
Jersey is my home and that of my children.
It has been good to us and I want to give something back.
We are becoming more and more burdened by ill-considered legislation and
regulation.
We have a population profile that, in common with the rest of the world, is
ageing dramatically.
Our population is growing naturally by some 370 births over deaths each
year.
Yet our politicians have failed to explain adequately to everyone the
consequences in economic terms.
Namely, we have to allow sufficient population growth to fund the extra
healthcare and pensions needed.
But inflation is still rampant (double the norm elsewhere) - which mainly harms
pensioners & the less well-off.
And business is being stifled instead of being encouraged to grow to support
the Island's needs.
This particularly applies to our Financial Services Industry, without which
Jersey would be in real trouble.
Present result: unemployment and a budget deficit requiring more taxes.
Our whole economy is under threat as a result of the Reg of Unds Law 5-year
rule.
It should have been abandoned 4 years ago.
My priority is to ensure our economy survives & grows sufficiently to meet
Jersey's reasonable future needs.
Contact telephone number: see local phone directory
Election night venue: Not yet decided but I will advise in due
course.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
a1) 5% sales tax
If a taxation hole has to be filled in order to retain our Financial Services Industry, then so be it, as retaining the FSI has to be a priority for our economy. However, any such tax imposed on our Tourism Industry, whilst in its present relatively low state, will be a major problem. The Industry is barely surviving in a global market-place, where price competition is the key factor. If accommodation and meal prices were to go up by 5%, whilstever the pound remains so strong against other currencies worldwide, visitor business to Jersey is likely to fall by more than 10% as a result. The Industry would have to ask for exemption for at least the first few years. I am also confident that the tax form would have to be VAT. This would be necessary to avoid local people seeking to buy from "wholesalers" (who would not be liable to a straight sales tax) and to avoid double taxation on imported goods. Also there is plenty of computer software available to handle VAT but not for a straight sales tax. Finally I doubt if 5% will fill the hole - I think it will start at 7.5% and rapidly increase to 10% because increasing VAT is a really simple way for governments to increase tax revenue with no extra effort or cost. My own preference would always be to seek to cut the cost of government administration before trying to increase taxation.
a2) I.T.I.S.
ITIS will help those who find it difficult to save up to pay their income tax annually. Though when it is implemented, everyone will have to pay 2 years tax in the first year (ie their previous years delayed tax due and the current year's tax by ITIS on each payday. However, it will be essential to provide a baseline exemption for moderately paid seasonal workers or the whole thing will merely become an exercise in bureaucracy - ie making tax deductions every week from April to September and then paying it all back again in October. One must remember that seasonal workers already pay "tax" in the form of social security for which they gain no benefit, until they have been in Jersey for at least six months. This "tax" amounts to 12.5% of their pay. If moderately paid seasonal workers were to be taxed by ITIS, they would either demand extra pay from their employers to cover it or they would not come to work in Jersey at all, as it would not be financially worthwhile for them to do so. If the employer had to pay more, he would then have to put up the price of his goods or services, so the whole thing would be inflationary (which we could well do without as we already suffer inflation at twice the rate of the rest of Britain and Europe). His goods and services would also have become more uncompetitive.
b) Staggered licensing hours
I'm very much in favour of this. In particular, a fixed closing time simply results in huge volumes of people pouring onto the streets at the same time and causing problems for neighbours, police, taxi drivers, etc. Bars should be permitted to close at their own discretion, when there are too few customers left in the place to warrant them staying open. But bars should also be required to have food and non-alcoholic beverages only on sale for the last half hour or so before closing, so that people who wanted to stay on and chat could be eating and sobering up a little before leaving or whilst waiting for a taxi.
c) Nursery Education
Adequate nursery education, from 3 years, should be available to all; but NOT as an entitlement. The Island could not afford it at this time but the Private Sector should be encouraged to provide it and perhaps be paid something of a subsidy in order to keep the cost down to parents. This would, of course, allow mums to get back to work sooner and thus contribute meaningfully to the economy.
d) Public Transport vision
A good, inexpensive public transport system would be of huge benefit to the Island as a whole. But until such a system is in place, we must recognise that cars remain essential to Jersey's way of life. So, in the meantime, more parking spaces should be provided urgently, so that motorists do not spend time driving round in circles looking for a space and poluting the atmosphere that we all have to breathe, whilst adding to the greenhouse gas emissions.
e) Housing vision
This is the most difficult question but the truth is that people are now living much longer; so our population will continue to grow in numbers for the foreseeable future and everyone will have to be housed. This growth assumes that we do not lose our Financial Services Industry, If we were to lose them, there would be plenty of housing for all-comers but no jobs to give employment. So young people would continue to leave Jersey and probably never return and the Island would become a derelict place, probably having to join the European Union in order to get grants to survive. The only realistic solution is to ensure that we maintain a buoyant and diverse economy and, when necessary, free up enough land to build additional housing at a sufficient rate to prevent demand exceeding supply, because this is what mainly pushes up the price of houses.
f) 18-35 year olds
My priority is to retain our Finance Industry
and to regrow our other industries and invest in new industries. The point is
to maintain the buoyant economy, referred to earlier, which will provide jobs.
Plenty of good, well-paid jobs is what I want to see - just like we used to
have before our politicians began interfering with market-forces. In this way,
young people will be able to stay in Jersey, find partners, marry, buy a home
and have a family. Isn't this what we all want out of life?
Last updated: 16th of March 2004 by JerseyWeb.