The first evening of the Council of Ministers ‘Listening to You’ roadshows got underway last night at Ramsey Grammar School.
It opened with the Chief Minister Alfred Cannan MHK apologising to those who misunderstood the layout of the event and the opportunity for one-to-one sessions.
To anyone who may be attending any sessions over the remainder of the week, the first part of the evening is an opportunity for members of the public to have one-to-one sessions with ministers and their department members.
At 7pm, the floor will then be opened up to ask the panel of ministers questions they want answering.
Night One
Last night’s session covered immigration, government priorities, the North West Area Plan and how one man had counted 125 pot holes on one road.
In response to government priorities, the Chief Minister said that “election fever will not distract us from the work we set out to do next year”.
He sighted the economy, security and immigration, and housing as the main priorities for this administration.
Cat in Hells Chance
Members of the floor questioned the government’s wind farm plan, with one person saying it “hasn’t got a cat in hells chance” of getting through the planning application.
Another member of the floor asked CoMin why “spoil the Manx countryside with onshore wind turbines when we can get a company to put them in the sea for free”.
The Chief Minister queried the question as to who would put them in for “free”.
Mr Cannan said that it is “cheaper and easier to put wind turbines on shore” rather than out at sea.
He added that the plans are a “constantly evolving process” and “technically proving to be more complicated than we thought in the beginning”.
Concealment
Another member of the floor accused the government of having secret deals with Orsted, and concealment of figures.
Net Zero was mentioned, and whether it had gone “too far”
Food, energy and water security were quizzed, along with community policing and passport control.
A health immigration surcharge was brought up, as was the difference between Manx Care and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Thoughts?
There was never any doubt that the wind farm was going to be brought up, and questions, but none that were pressing on DHSC and Manx Care.
But most surprisingly, the Department of Infrastructure got off incredibly lightly with no one mentioning the 20mph scheme.
If you want to get your view across, and ask Ministers the questions you’re dying to ask them you have another three chances to do so.
Doors open at 5.15pm, events start at 5.30pm, Q&A at 7pm and finish at 8pm.
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