Politics
Tynwald Petitions Found to be in Order
Most of this year’s Tynwald Day petitions were found to be in order, opening the door for members to pick them up and act upon their constituents’ concerns.
A total of 22 petitions were handed in, with Trevor Cowin on responsible for nine of them.
Looking at those found not to be in order by the Standing Orders Committee of Tynwald, they include Mr Cowin’s petitions around interested person status, new rules around petitions and the Information Commissioner. A separate petition from Richard Holmes, focussing on police complaints was also found not to be in order.
In Order
The petitions found to be in order include Nikola Brindley, Steve Wotton and Natalie Birchall’s petition for a committee to be established to ‘consider and report back to Tynwald on the merits and remit of establishing an independent inquiry/review into the ethics, necessity and safety of Covid-19 vaccines on the Isle of Man, helping those already injured and stopping further Covid-19 vaccines’.
Also found to be in order was Mark Cleator’s petition calling for the Isle of Man to adopt all UK legislation in full, for modification to the UK law adopted for use in the island to be scrutinised by the House of Lords, that when certain circumstances have been raised and drafted into UK law, such clauses should automatically be included in Manx law, unless justification for such exclusion is thoroughly debated with alacrity and discernment, or all current Manx Law to be thoroughly reviewed by the Lords, or for the Isle of Man to appoint an additional 1,393 Manx overseers (paid or otherwise) to properly check and agree all locally drafted law, or that the Legislative Council should be allowed the services of professional or experienced and unbiased legal scrutiny, which they themselves can’t provide.
Trevor Cowin’s petition against the controversial demolition of Glenfaba House, calls for a three person committee to consider and report back to Tynwald on DEFA’s decision that planning approval wasn’t necessary for the demolition of Glenfaba House and on any remedies which it considers appropriate and on connected matter.
His second petition aims to close a current situation which determines who can speak before the Planning Committee. this petitions calls for a committee of three members to be appointed with powers to take written and oral evidence pursuant to sections 3 and 4 of the Tynwald Proceedings Act 1876, as amended, to consider and report back to Tynwald on the undemocratic Public Speaking Scheme, on appropriate remedies and on connected matters.
Mr Cowin’s third petition is for a committee to consider and report back to Tynwald ‘on the failures of the Tynwald Commissioner for Administration to properly and fully carry out her functions under the Act, on appropriate remedies and on connected matters’.
The next petition found to be in order is that of Sara Goodwins. She calls for Tynwald to ‘avoid setting the precedent of permitting unelected persons and/or individual Members to overturn or unreasonably delay any decision made by the democratically-elected government of the Isle of Man, by reinstating the Horse Tram to run along the whole length (i.e. from Derby Castle to the Sea Terminal) of the Promenades at Douglas’.
A similar theme is carried in the petition of Charles Guard who wants five member committee to be appointed to (deep breath) ‘consider the existing powers of Tynwald in respect of Tynwald Resolutions, utilising the powers of the Tynwald Proceedings Act 1876 (as amended), and the effectiveness of such resolutions, including the relationship between Government and Parliament in such matters, and to determine whether legislation and/or new procedures should be introduced, and to consider whether in any specifically designated circumstances, to give the Court of Tynwald statutory powers to enforce Tynwald Resolutions, providing Tynwald Court with the power to sanction and hold to account, by the use of appropriate penalties, Government and its Departments, or individuals who do not accede to the will of Tynwald’.
Mark Holmes is seeking for a committee to be established to investigate the appointment of David Traynor KC to investigate and report on the Whistleblowers Report dated 29 October 2020 issued to the Chief Minister’s Office by three named and five unnamed parties.
Mr Holmes wants that committee to explore:
- The selection criteria used and the potential failure in the appointment and selection process with regards to Mr David Traynor KC within these circumstances.
- The potential failure of the Isle of Man Constabulary and Attorney General’s Chamber to avoid conflicts of interest.
- The potential failure to provide all relevant evidence to Mr David Traynor KC, including but not limited to documentary and digital evidence, digital forensic evidence, digital forensic reports, legal advice, and potential failure to list all available evidence not viewed or submitted, including server records, witness statements, and digital forensic reports.
- The potential failure to use recognised legal document systems to collate an agreed bundle of documents for Mr David Traynor KC.
- The potential misleading of Mr David Traynor KC with concocted evidence, including amended evidence, created evidence, and falsely described evidence.
Graeme Jones also found his petition to have been in order, he wants a committee to consider and report back to Tynwald on the ‘true hidden scale and true purpose of corporate governance systemic failures uncovered by former public sector employees to help restore mutual trust and confidence, to prevent further breaches of the Article 6 human right to a fair hearing given the complexity of legal issues beyond the capability of a litigant in person and to adequately indemnify employees against other workers, on any remedies which it considers appropriate and on any connected matters’.
Both of Simon Mann’s petitions were found to be in order. Mr Mann wants a committee to look at whether the current use of Jerby Medical Centre is best serving Jurby and surrounding area ‘without being blighted by the excessive demand from Ramsey’. He wants the committee to examine the benefits to both communities of having two separate practices, hook at the history of how a ‘very recent new medical centre provided at public expense has been blighted by amalgamating two surgeries under one call’, to look at the ‘unnecessary travel for patients from Ramsey going to Jurby and vice versa’ and examiner whether it is wise to continue to have all patients using one phone system.
His second petition wants a committee to formulate recommendations on future funding for healthcare and tax and national insurance credits that could be given for those whose use of private healthcare removes corresponding demand on the public purse.
Andrew Martin wants a committee to consider, make recommendations and —if applicable —an implementation strategy to reduce the powers of the Chief Minister. Furthermore, it wants to consider, make recommendations and —if applicable —an implementation strategy to strengthen Tynwald oversight of policy development.
Martyn Perkins is seeking a committee of three people be tasked to examine in detail the benefits, or otherwise, of Small Modular Reactors as part of the mix of options for an independent electrical energy supply for the island for the next 30 years.
Nigel Sperring wants an island wide dog policy to make it fairer for our four legged friends to be allowed on beaches.
Finally, David Watts, wants a committee to examine the area of cross jurisdictional benchmarking in relation to Isle of Man pupil attainment and examine the practicalities and advantages of engaging in the PISA programme.
