Dear Voter,
I have lived in our district for 32 years. I have three children in their early twenties living at home. I was a Centenier in St. Helier for four years.
I am Vice-Chair of the St. Helier Youth Committee and member of the Parish Accounts Committee. I am a trustee of Shopmobility, a committee member of both the First Tower Community Association and the Jersey Asthma and Respiratory Society.
I was privileged to be elected a Deputy for St. Helier No. 3/4 districts in 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2011, topping the poll on all four occasions.
I have held the positions of Vice-President of the Environment and Public Services Committee, Assistant Minister for Housing and then at Home Affairs. For the past year, I have been Acting Chair of the Health, Social Security and Housing Scrutiny Panel. Our work involved questioning and holding to account the relevant Ministers and listening and taking evidence from the public, professionals and other interested parties.
Health
I recently co-authored and chaired a scrutiny panel report into the proposals for a dual site option about locating the hospital on two separate sites. The report asks challenging questions and raises serious concerns. I believe spending £297m on what may prove to be only a compromise solution may well in the long term be a false economy and poor value for money.
Children and Social Services
In another important scrutiny report which I recently co-authored, we highlighted serious concerns about the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. The Minister immediately instigated a review into the Children`s Service. Teenage suicides are tragic and the prevalence of legal highs continues to be of deep concern to me.
Local Economy and Immigration
On numerous occasions I have asked questions on seeking to limit the number of licences granted to businesses employing non-local people other than where the expertise is not locally available. I support the steps taken to improve employment opportunities for our young people.
I continue to oppose GST on food and have consistently voted against it because of concerns about how this would affect the elderly and those on low incomes.
Constituency Matters
Attendance at Parish meetings is important to me and I continue to challenge the inappropriate issuing of liquor licenses. The closure of the Eagle Tavern was a great victory for me and local residents. I have also worked with several different residents` groups on a number of planning and traffic calming issues including amongst others the transfer of Le Clos Vaze to the Parish, traffic calming in La Grande Route du Mont a L`Abbe and the protection of our green fields at La Pouquelaye.
When first elected, I pledged to you that I would do my utmost to ensure St. Helier became and remained a safer quieter place to live.
It has been an honour and privilege to serve you for the past twelve years. I hope you will consider me for one of your four votes.
Thank you. Jackie Hilton.