Deputy St Pier writes back over leaked meeting invite
LEAKING a private email to the media is exactly the kind of ‘mischief’ Gavin St Pier was warning against in a controversial message he sent out to favoured States members, the Policy & Resources president has said.
Deputy St Pier sent an email inviting 20 of the 40 States members to meet ‘to compare notes and perhaps plan a little ahead’ before this month’s States meeting.
‘The next States’ meeting has much on the agenda and plenty of opportunities for mischief to be made!’ wrote Deputy St Pier.
The message came to light after Peter Ferbrache, who was not included, then received it in error.
Deputy Ferbrache and other deputies, including Carl Meerveld and Neil Inder, said the email had ‘seriously undermined’ his position as the island’s senior politician and contradicted his public calls for States members to work together.
Deputy Gavin St Pier yesterday questioned Deputy Ferbrache’s intentions in sharing the email. ‘Naturally – and as you of course intended – this has created much interest among colleagues, the media and on social media. In doing so, you unintentionally, I suspect, provided a perfect example of the ‘‘mischief’’ to which I was referring in my email.
‘Sadly, therefore, I am compelled to respond in open correspondence,’ he said.
‘Your professional specialism [Deputy Ferbrache is an advocate] requires and rewards you for synthesising indignation in an effort to advance your clients’ causes.
‘This adversarial approach is the antithesis of my own – it is neither remunerated and rarely productive in politics, it may also be better suited to the Westminster-style of politics than our own.
‘Politics requires politicians to talk to each other.
‘Frankly, it would be more newsworthy if politicians were not meeting. Many of these conversations go on before, during and after debate, committee or other meetings.
‘All of these meetings have only one objective – to improve the effectiveness of our government.’
As an example, he said his email had ‘flushed out concerns’ in relation to the Air Transport Licensing policy letter going to the States later this month, with Economic Development likely to hold a briefing for members as a result.
‘The Islanders’ party and the Charter Association – in both of which you are a member – have regular meetings to which I and other colleagues are unsurprisingly not invited.
‘I have been told that the Chatterists meet for breakfast on the Saturday before each States’ meeting – and have done so for some time. I would, of course, be delighted to meet with either group, should you wish to do so.’
