Lawrie Hooper

I have little formal experience in politics and don't really have anything of a political background. I really feel that this as an advantage as it will allow me to bring a completely fresh perspective to government.

What is your view on health care provision on the Island?

Health care is good on the Island, but there are increased waiting times for some of our services - dentistry waiting lists in particular are unacceptably long and need to be shortened.

Does the Island provide a good education?

Yes! The quality of teaching in the schools on the Island is extremely high and the support given to students heading to universities is exceptional.

We must ensure that the quality of Manx education in the future is not compromised as a result of poor decisions made in the past.

Should the Island be independent?

This is a very complex issue. On balance my opinion is no, we do well out of our close links to the UK but recent events show that perhaps this needs re-evaluating.

We need a full review of our status and of our links to the UK. There should be a lot of publi consultation so that everyone who wants to offer an opinion is able to do so. People should have access to all the facts that are available so that the right decision can be made for the Island.

What are your views on the islands taxation regime and VAT?

The current taxation system is of great benefit to the Island in attracting both businesses and workers to the Island. However it has to be remembered that the current tax system is a means to an end (job creation and wealth generation on the Island). If is stops fufilling this goal then it needs to be revisited and the government needs to be willing to do this.

The current government has turned the VAT situation into an utter shambles. We are expected to blindly follow where they lead and this is an unacceptable state of affairs.

The government had known for years that the UK would be coming to revisit the VAT arrangements and yet there were no contingency plans to help soften the blow. On top of this, when the Island was already reeling from the effects of their poor planning, they didn't put up a fight when the UK came back for round two!

Is inflation hurting the Isle of Man?

With inflation being higher than wage increases there is a real impact on household budgets which is not good for island, also there is nothing to suggest that this is going to change in the near future.

Should there be state owned monopolies or free market competition (i.e. Water, Post, Gas, Electricity, Telecom's, Ferry Travel etc..)?

I am fully in favour of a reduction in the scope of government. State owned monopolies are exactly the opposite of this.

There are some instances where the current arrangements work well (like the post office) but on balance I would much rather there be independent, private firms running our utilities.

There is a need to review all government spending and this means everything. If it turns out that privatisation of some of the monopolies would provide better, cheaper, more efficient services then this is something that should definately be looked into. Conversely, if the government run system proves to be the best then it should be maintained.

My main interest is that the Island has the best service that can be provided, whoever is in charge.

Should we have an open seas policy like the open sky's policy?

Ultimately, I think that a regular ferry service is preferable to an open seas policy which could leave us at risk of irregular ferry services.

There is a need to review the current arrangements and this question should be put to the Island community as a whole.

Does the Island do enough to protect its environment?

The countryside on the Island is stunning. Less attractive are the towns in which most of us live. There should be more investment in the towns to help them really achieve their potential.

Where do you see the future of the Islands economy (i.e. Finance, Manufacturing, Service, Tourism, Film, Space etc)?

The Islands future lies in having a diverse economy. The finance sector will always play a large part in the economy but this needs to be brought into balance by increasing growth in other areas.

The Island is a great place for companies to set up and is a great place to test new ideas and new technologies.

The Island needs to be promoted as a place for business, not just Douglas. There is a real need to make sure that there are more jobs created in Ramsey and the other towns.

It should be the role of government to help set the conditions that allow private enterprise to come to the Island and generate jobs and to help our economy grow.

Where do you think new jobs can be generated?

The main areas for new jobs should come from new companies setting up on the Island and through growth of the companies that we already have.

We should encourage these jobs to be created outside of Douglas and the government shouls ensure there are incentives offered to make this happen.

Should the Chief Minister and MLC's be publicly elected?

Emphatically Yes to both!

I admit there may be difficulties in creating a system where we directly elect the Chief Minister but this does not mean we shouldn't do it!

The people of the Isle of Man have the right to elect the person who will be leading the government.

The MLC's should also have to be publicly elected, this will make them directly accountable for the decisions they make.

Details will appear here.

Details will appear here.