Today, our newly elected States Assembly is meeting to usher in the Chief Minister. It is a significant constitutional moment, but it is also something more fundamental than that. It is the first clear expression, by this new Assembly, of what matters.

In the days since the election, any anticipated contest for Chief Minister has, as has been extensively covered, fallen away. What might have been a competitive vote has instead given way to a position of continuity and an early emphasis on stability at the heart of government.

It has been nearly two weeks since the election, and there has already been much discussion about priorities. But as Assembly Members gather today to hear from the Chief Minister‑designate, they are doing more than confirming a leader. They are beginning to define the shape and focus of the administration that will follow, and how its stated priorities – improving affordability, expanding opportunity and raising quality of life – will be translated into practice.

That process will not end today. Over the coming days and weeks, the formation of the Council of Ministers will translate those early signals into something concrete: portfolios will be allocated, responsibilities assigned, and a governing structure agreed. It is in these choices that priorities become embedded.

And it is precisely at this moment – between the election of a Chief Minister and the appointment of Ministers – that there is a crucial opportunity to ensure that children and young people are recognised as a political priority and are placed firmly at the centre of decision-making.

Jersey has recognised this, for some time now, through the role of a Minister with specific responsibility for children, young people and their families. That has been an important signal of intent and a practical mechanism for ensuring focus. As a new government takes shape, in the wake of promises and priorities that were announced on the campaign trail, it is essential that this focus is not lost or diluted.

There is much to be done. The new government will rightly want to roll up its sleeves and make progress across a wide range of pressing issues. But nothing must happen at the expense of clear, visible ministerial leadership focused on our young islanders.

Young people make up a significant proportion of our Island’s population, yet a large proportion of them (those aged 16 or under) are not able to vote. They do not, in other words, have a direct voice in electoral politics. That reality places a particular responsibility on those who do hold power: to ensure that children’s rights and needs are actively represented when decisions are made.

A dedicated Ministerial post is one of the most effective ways to ensure that this happens – and to sustain the progress, and maintain the commitments, already made. Of course, this is a political decision, and one for the new Assembly alone; however, its possible implications extend far beyond the States Chamber.

Without such a role, for example, responsibility for children can become fragmented – spread across departments and portfolios in ways that make it less visible and under-resourced.  Education, health, social care, housing, justice, social security: all these areas affect children profoundly. But without clear leadership, there is a risk that no one person is tasked with bringing those threads together, focussing on children’s rights and interests, and ensuring that policy is coherent and responsive to their lived experiences.

At the heart of this lies a simple principle: children’s rights do not implement themselves.

They require active stewardship. They require political will. And they require someone at the decision-making table whose explicit role is to ask: how will this affect children?

A Minister dedicated to children and young people creates a clear line of accountability to both the Assembly and the public. Keeping this role separate from other portfolios prevents important work that affects children and young people from being eclipsed by other agendas and interests. 

This matters, not only in times of future stability, but also, and even more so, in times of change and transition.

We know that the issues facing children and young people are complex. Social care, mental health, educational attainment, poverty and inequality, safeguarding, access to services: these are not challenges that sit neatly within a single department. They require a whole-system response. However, this needs to be underpinned by a clear vision and consistent leadership by a Minister whose focus cuts across these areas in bringing about coherent systemic approaches that have children and young people’s best interest at their core.

How the Government treats children and young people will shape not only their lives in the here-and-now but will impact the future of our Island. That is why decisions taken in these early days of a new Assembly matter so much.

As the Chief Minister designate moves on to propose a ministerial team, the priorities of this Government will begin to take shape in a tangible way.

My message to all Members, therefore, is this: ensure that children and young people are unmistakably part of that picture.

The formation of a new government is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the kind of Island we want to be.  Do we want to be a place where children’s rights are respected in practice, not only in principle? Where their voices are heard? Where their wellbeing is prioritised?

If the answer to those questions is yes – as I believe it is – then we must ensure that the structures of our government reflect that commitment.

If we believe children belong at the heart of our Island’s future, they must remain at the heart of its government. That means clear leadership, clear accountability, and a clear Ministerial voice that cannot be lost in the noise.