If elected as Deputy in the forthcoming elections I plan to apply my personal and business experience in three key areas where I believe I will be most effective. Tourism, Small Business and Education.
I am confident I can make a positive, measurable difference that will touch the lives of nearly all parishioners and make our environment and economy better and stronger.
What qualifications do I have?
I have owned and run a small business in the parish for more than 16 years, with a family heritage in the hospitality industry. I have considerable knowledge and experience of the tourism sector and understand how political and economic decisions can affect not only the whole Island, but our parish community.
Tourism
This is my primary focus because I strongly believe with the right leadership and investment this important pillar of our parish economy can build on its current potential and once again thrive. Jersey’s tourism industry is at a crucial turning point and we have a great opportunity to modernise it and generate growth creating more diverse opportunities for our island population. St Brelade is synonymous with tourism and hospitality and I want to play a role in ensuring that our community benefit from a more focused and effective tourism organisation. We may never have the tourism industry of the past, it’s time now to move on and build a stronger one for our future.
Small Business
Small business is the backbone of our Island life providing unique character to our society. In St Brelade we have a high concentration of small businesses and I want to help them thrive and succeed by battling RED TAPE, lobbying for an immigration policy that supports economic growth while protecting our limited natural resources and working with organisations such as Jersey Business & Digital Jersey ensuring our local business leaders benefit from their assistance and guidance thus creating opportunities and securing more jobs.
Education & Sports
As a mother of two children I understand the need for a stable, well-resourced and modern education infrastructure. We are lucky in St Brelade that we have excellent primary school provision, however, our parish secondary school is no longer able to meet the demands of the student population in this area and it is in urgent need of investment. It is time that the teaching staff and young people of the Parish had a new state-of-the-art facility built to inspire personal and academic success.
Quality of life
My livelihood, and the livelihood of so many of you, depends on strong political will, informed decision making, and iron-clad community spirit. I have the determination to succeed and to persuade others to help me achieve my goals; I have a proven business track-record that demonstrates my ability to weigh up all of the factors and make effective decisions; and I am immersed in my local community, working conscientiously to help others.
Let’s tackle our challenges and celebrate our successes – together.
My full manifesto is available on – www.facebook.com/NatalieDuffyForStBrelade