April’s Tynwald sitting spilled into a rare third day, largely due to a mammoth debate on Manx Care’s Mandate and Operating Plan.

In this episode, Christian Jones reflects on some of the key talking points, offering context and insight along the way.

We also take a closer look at concerns over a potential constitutional flaw: is the government too powerful in political sittings, with an automatic majority in certain cases?

The Rev Sean Turner has been a Methodist Minister in the south of the Island for the past five years but will be leaving the Island shortly to return to his home in North Carolina. He talks to Perspective about changes in society and community, love and faith. Does faith still have a place in society and if so why has there been such a big shift away from the church in the past few generations. That’s Perspective this Easter Sunday at 12 noon on Manx Radio with me Phil Gawne. Has the societal shift away from community towards individualism thrown the baby out with the bath water

The Treasury Minister has a lot on his plate at the moment as the impact of Trumpian economics sends shock waves around the world. An estimated 5% has been knocked off the value of Isle of Man Government reserves in recent days so how will that affect Treasury predictions in this year’s budget? Alex Allinson appears unflappable but is he and his Treasury team doing enough to bring the deficit between government income and expenditure back to more manageable levels. Should we be concerned about public finances? And if they must fiddle while Rome burns could they at least pick a better tune?

It appears that we’re somewhat reluctant to pay enough for our food to make it worthwhile for farmers to produce the food we consume readily. “Cheaper food is best” seems to have been a message we’ve been content to support for eighty years or more but is it time for a rethink? The Agriculture Department has acknowledged that growing energy crops is now an important new area for farmers to consider and this message was well received by an Andreas farmer who has ambitious plans to develop an anaerobic digester plant which could supply 25% of the Island’s energy needs if supported. With a fair wind this project could be a great boost for farmers - and wind is just what they’re looking for!

The Isle of Man often brags about being the first place in the world to grant women the right to vote. So why have we had to wait for nearly a century and a half since that historic decision was taken, for the House of Keys to reflect the fact that half the population are women. This House of Keys has more women MHKs than any house before it so why do we still need to encourage more women to stand? There’s no doubt that representing the people can be quite a gruelling experience but if you really want to make the world a better place it’s certainly worth throwing your hat in the ring.

March Tynwald appeared to hold much promise with both the health overspend and the Manx Care Mandate and Operating Plan looking set to dominate proceedings. In the end neither were discussed due to Tynwald niceties and procedural matters but this allowed members to focus on some of other matters - not least the update to our Island Plan. Chris Thomas likened Ministerial cheerleading for the plan to support given by communist leaders to similar plans from the soviet union but was that fair? Tynwald seemed full of excited talk this week - must be an election on the not too distant horizon.

New View is a charity that provides a safe and supportive environment for individuals to better their mental health and wellbeing and begin to live a more content and fulfilled life. New View aims to support and aid people who are experiencing difficulties with mental health, addiction and many other complex life challenges. They do this by supporting a journey of positive personal change through recovery, rehabilitation and re-integration into society. Find out more about the charity’s work on Perspective. Building strong and supportive communities feel a bit like rediscovering the good bits of our island’s past.

On Perspective this week we’ve got another LegCo special …. don’t worry …. just kidding! We’re actually hearing from the DEFA Minister about the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill 2024 which among other things expands the definition of “development”, introduces a system of prior approvals and provides for the imposition of charges. We’ll also hear about new protections for Manx bees and honey as well as Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood's Safe Spaces Bill.