Having taken a look at the manifestos (as published on vote.je) of the candidates for Senator in Jersey’s election, there were a few pledges that caught our attention as aligning with Liberate’s vision.

You can find out more about all the candidates and read their manifestos here.

Simon Bree: “The fact that we have a high degree of unseen poverty with its direct impact on children, and the increased use of food banks, is something that shames all of us. We have seen the economic divide between the “haves” and the “have nots” steadily increasing. I believe that we need to undertake a complete review of our personal income tax system, social security contributions, and current and potential user pays charges. It is wrong that the financial burden is being increasingly borne by middle and lower income families.”

Ian Gorst: “Improve the lives of Islanders by:… Lifting standards of living and promoting family friendly legislation to support working families…  Supporting vulnerable children and adults, the elderly and people with mental ill-health…  Eliminating discrimination in all its forms…  Giving legal recognition to carers…”

Anthony Lewis: “My commitment to you: Equality:

• I will be a Champion in the States for equality in our society.
• I want everyone, disabled and able bodied, treated the same. I feel a stigma. I want to remove the barriers in society. We need more support.
• I want to see a Minister for Equality in the States.
• I want to move mental health higher up the political agenda. More understanding and reduced stigma. One in four people have a mental health issue.”

Sam Mezec: “The work I am most proud of has been:

• Championing Equal Marriage
• Fast-tracking the timetable for raising the Minimum Wage”

Kristina Moore: “In placing our island community at the heart of my manifesto, I will work towards tackling some challenging issues, such as:

• Reducing poverty in Jersey…
• Championing the needs of our elders
• Greater funding for Family Court & Mental Health provision…
• Embracing diversity & cultural inclusion”

Moz Scott: “Improving co-ordination between the public, private and voluntary sectors to:

• help those in need
• reduce isolation amongst the elderly and improve all Islanders’ well-being
• improve educational standards through early years education and parental support.”

Gordon George Troy: “I am passionate about helping the senior citizens in our society. The Jersey Pensioner has for a long time been politically overlooked, the pension scheme is meant to help people achieve and maintain financial independence. In my opinion it falls well short of this. One of my main political aims if elected will be to assist pensioners to get better Pension Benefits, better Health Care and better Housing designed to meet their needs.”