Chief Pleas agrees review of ferry firm
FOLLOWING a two-day deferral, a full complement of conseillers were in attendance to debate and vote upon the Isle of Sark Shipping propositions that demanded the resignation of the company directors and the appointment of new executive and non-exec directors.
Deputy speaker Paul Armorgie called on Conseiller Tony Ventress to speak on behalf of his proposed amendment, which asked the Policy and Finance Committee to instigate an independent review as per the Memorandum of Understanding that formally defines the relationship between Sark Shipping and Chief Pleas.
His justification for the amendment and the proposed review was that, whichever way a vote went, chaos would ensue.
Conseiller Sam La Trobe-Bateman stood to announce that Conseiller Ventress’s amendment might be unnecessary because, in light of the weight of public opinion, Policy and Finance was prepared to accept the need for an enquiry and to withdraw their propositions, leaving just an amended Proposition 2 which would ask for the appointment of Julie Mann as a non-executive director.
William Raymond argued the case for appointing Mrs Mann as a conduit to feed back to Policy and Finance any decisions made at board meetings which would have financial implications for Chief Pleas.
Chaos did ensue before anything had been voted upon when it was unclear whether an amendment proposed on Proposition 1, which had been withdrawn, had any validity.
Following a recess allowing Policy and Finance to consider the wording of their new proposition, Conseiller Ventress withdrew his amendment. At this point, Conseiller Frank Makepeace accused Policy and Finance of bringing Chief Pleas into disrepute and demanded their resignation, but he was reminded that a vote of no confidence can take place only at a subsequent meeting.
Newcomer to the Chamber, Natalie Craik, asked that the proposition be split into two distinct parts as some might support one aspect of the proposition, but not the other. Following another recess, to reword the two new propositions, Conseiller Ventress withdrew his amendment yet again, for somehow it had crept back into proceedings.
Finally, the two propositions were voted upon.
The independent review into Sark Shipping to be instigated by Policy and Finance was carried unanimously.
The vote appointing Julie Mann as a non-executive director was carried by eleven votes to five.
It became clear during the debate that reference to the Memorandum of Understanding might have led to a more informed and effective debate.
