Jersey's chief minister Kristina Moore apologised yesterday (27 March) for making "unclear" comments about the sudden "shock" departure of CEO Suzanne Wylie who is moving to become chief executive of the Northern Irish Chamber of Commerce.
In a statement, Moore said: "This Government was elected on a mandate to deliver change and to restore trust and accountability. As I said last week, this is a commitment that we must live and breathe.
"With that in mind, I would like to clarify a number of points regarding the announcement of Suzanne Wylie's departure as CEO.
"The news of Suzanne's resignation came as a shock to me and the Council of Ministers, and we have accepted her resignation with deep regret.
"There was a delay between Suzanne delivering the news of her resignation and the Government announcing it publicly to allow for planning, which was mutually agreed with Suzanne."
Moore continued: "Suzanne handed her letter of resignation to me on 14 March following a Council of Ministers meeting held in Grouville. This was ahead of the formal announcement on 22 March, and it is a point which I should have made clear last week. That I did not is a matter of regret to me, and I apologise.
"I must also clarify the public record in respect of the Deputy Chief Minister's comments in the States Assembly on 21 March. The Deputy Chief Minister clearly understood that a question on resignations concerned the health department. I informed the Deputy Chief Minister of the CEO's resignation on 14 March. I should have clarified this earlier and my public comment on this matter was unclear, and I apologise.
"Suzanne's departure is not connected to the departures from Health. The reasons for Suzanne's departure are personal. We have a duty of care to Suzanne - as we do for all government employees - and must acknowledge her right to confidentiality. Of course, working in government can at times be difficult, as we have so much to deliver for Jersey, and we need to ensure the environment is one that includes appropriate challenge alongside proper support."
Moore further said: "As a Council of Ministers, we must act in a manner befitting of elected officials, with professionalism and decorum. We must unite and show Islanders that we are committed to delivering great services and better value for money.
"I have discussed this with Deputy Tom Binet and the rest of the Council of Ministers, and we all believe that what Islanders want from us is government, not politics.
"It is a matter of great regret to me and to the whole Council of Ministers that Suzanne has chosen to leave. There is nothing to be gained by arguing over it at a time when there are so many pressing issues to deal with, such as delivering improvements to our health service. We must now move forward and get on with delivering for Islanders on the issues that matter to them.
"On behalf of the Council of Ministers, I thank Suzanne for her hard work in leading the Public Sector with dignity, drive, and ambition. Suzanne has been instrumental in this Government delivering on the initiatives that have underpinned our early days in office, as we endeavour to deliver change quickly in areas that matter to Islanders such as cost-of living, housing, and recruitment and retention."
She concluded: "Plans are underway to redefine the role of Chief Executive, which Suzanne is involved in, and we will then recruit a new person to the role quickly, so that we can maintain stability and move forward with our agenda for change.
"The Council of Ministers is committed to delivering the change Islanders want to see, so we can deliver on our vision of creating a community where everyone can thrive."
