One was gladdened to hear of Senator James Perchard's return to the centre stage of local political debate on Sunday's BBC Radio Jersey 'Talkback' programme.
Unbowed and uncowed by the dictates of political correctness, and displaying his charactistic rustic wisdom, the senator rounded on one of the local 'bloggers' who have so mercilessly tormented our 'great and good' in recent years. Indeed, when one hears Senator Perchard speak to such good effect one wonders why he is currently denied the high office his eloquence clearly merits.
One can only express one's gratitude to him, for if the island is to continue to benefit from the combined talents of the 'brightest and the best' amongst us - none moreso than the good senator himself, one hastens to add - those who take every opportunity to sully Jersey's good name need to be confronted and defeated in open political debate.
And the authorities can not afford to subsidise a local cadre of professional revolutionaries. Certainly such individuals would do well to remember that on Jersey free speech is not a right to be abused, rather it is a privilege that should be exercised with due restraint and responsibility.
Equally importantly Senator Perchard also raised the matter of how to protect the moral welfare of the general public at a time of rising unemployment. Besides the risk that those who find themselves jobless may revert to sloth, idleness and immorality, as Senator Perchard pointed out, left to their own devices such individuals may fall prey to the siren calls of the wreckers in our midst and resort to believing in ludicrous conspiracy theories concerning the governance of our island.
Therefore one calls on our leaders to demonstrate their customary compassion and farsightedness by formulating new policies to address this problem, policies which respect the finest traditions of island life - namely the reintroduction the workhouse system of former days, though perhaps shorn of some of its harsher elements to accommodate modern day sensibilities.
Of course one would expect opposition to such a proposal, not least from elements who would benefit the most from a spell of incarceration, but one has faith in the resolution and moral courage of enough of our statesmen and women that they could rise to this challenge. After all it was only a few years since one was seemingly a lone voice calling for the abolition of corporation tax and its replacement of a VAT-style tax.
Indeed, now that Mssrs Gradwell and Warcup have 'tidied up' the unfortunate controversy surrounding Haut de la Garenne which caused so much harm to Jersey's international reputation as a stable and well regulated financial centre, the former children's home would surely now make an ideal site for such an establishment.
Furthermore, rather than being a drain on resources such a system could become an integral component of our leaders' efforts to address the current economic crisis. Men could be put to work on local farms or states capital projects or perhaps even be contracted out to local businesses such as Dandara, thus subsidising the costs of the project. Meanwhile the womenfolk would look after children or perform menial tasks such as filing or data inputting (the modern day equivalent of oakum picking), thus allowing states departments to shed jobs and make vitally needed savings.
Of course those identified as workshy malingerers and troublemakers would need to be dealt with seperately, lest they act as a corrupting influence upon the majority of otherwise good character. I suggest that these 'rotten apples' be housed in the disused wing at La Moye prison. There they would undergo a regime of hard labour and scriptural teaching to provide for their moral rehabilitation.
They would form chain gangs, with the the sight of these degenerates working in all weathers serving as a warning to others thinking of following their wretched example.
Of course to oversee this system we would need a experienced statesman of the highest moral and intellectual calibre, a man boasting a proven track record in office.
Surely given his performance on Sunday, that man would have to be Senator Perchard himself.
Unbowed and uncowed by the dictates of political correctness, and displaying his charactistic rustic wisdom, the senator rounded on one of the local 'bloggers' who have so mercilessly tormented our 'great and good' in recent years. Indeed, when one hears Senator Perchard speak to such good effect one wonders why he is currently denied the high office his eloquence clearly merits.
One can only express one's gratitude to him, for if the island is to continue to benefit from the combined talents of the 'brightest and the best' amongst us - none moreso than the good senator himself, one hastens to add - those who take every opportunity to sully Jersey's good name need to be confronted and defeated in open political debate.
And the authorities can not afford to subsidise a local cadre of professional revolutionaries. Certainly such individuals would do well to remember that on Jersey free speech is not a right to be abused, rather it is a privilege that should be exercised with due restraint and responsibility.
Equally importantly Senator Perchard also raised the matter of how to protect the moral welfare of the general public at a time of rising unemployment. Besides the risk that those who find themselves jobless may revert to sloth, idleness and immorality, as Senator Perchard pointed out, left to their own devices such individuals may fall prey to the siren calls of the wreckers in our midst and resort to believing in ludicrous conspiracy theories concerning the governance of our island.
Therefore one calls on our leaders to demonstrate their customary compassion and farsightedness by formulating new policies to address this problem, policies which respect the finest traditions of island life - namely the reintroduction the workhouse system of former days, though perhaps shorn of some of its harsher elements to accommodate modern day sensibilities.
Of course one would expect opposition to such a proposal, not least from elements who would benefit the most from a spell of incarceration, but one has faith in the resolution and moral courage of enough of our statesmen and women that they could rise to this challenge. After all it was only a few years since one was seemingly a lone voice calling for the abolition of corporation tax and its replacement of a VAT-style tax.
Indeed, now that Mssrs Gradwell and Warcup have 'tidied up' the unfortunate controversy surrounding Haut de la Garenne which caused so much harm to Jersey's international reputation as a stable and well regulated financial centre, the former children's home would surely now make an ideal site for such an establishment.
Furthermore, rather than being a drain on resources such a system could become an integral component of our leaders' efforts to address the current economic crisis. Men could be put to work on local farms or states capital projects or perhaps even be contracted out to local businesses such as Dandara, thus subsidising the costs of the project. Meanwhile the womenfolk would look after children or perform menial tasks such as filing or data inputting (the modern day equivalent of oakum picking), thus allowing states departments to shed jobs and make vitally needed savings.
Of course those identified as workshy malingerers and troublemakers would need to be dealt with seperately, lest they act as a corrupting influence upon the majority of otherwise good character. I suggest that these 'rotten apples' be housed in the disused wing at La Moye prison. There they would undergo a regime of hard labour and scriptural teaching to provide for their moral rehabilitation.
They would form chain gangs, with the the sight of these degenerates working in all weathers serving as a warning to others thinking of following their wretched example.
Of course to oversee this system we would need a experienced statesman of the highest moral and intellectual calibre, a man boasting a proven track record in office.
Surely given his performance on Sunday, that man would have to be Senator Perchard himself.
