Guernsey Press

'We’ve failed you’

Chief Minister Peter Ferbrache yesterday made a shock admission that this States is ‘failing’ many local families.

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Chief minister Deputy Peter Ferbrache.

In an update to deputies on the work of the Policy & Resources Committee, Deputy Ferbrache was clearly concerned about lack of progress being made across the States after nearly 18 months in government.

And he made a personal comment for which, he said, he made no apology.

‘So far, like our predecessor States, we have woefully failed to meet the concerns of the bedrock of our community – those who work, do not have a bank of mum and dad, and who want to advance themselves and improve the lives of their families.'

Afterwards Deputy Ferbrache said he believed the States should concentrate its efforts on education, health, facilitating wealth generation, and particularly housing.

‘We are failing the foundation of our community – good, hard-working people have not been looked after by the States for years and years and years.

‘The bedrock of our community are being ignored by us and by our predecessors. We’ve got all the fringe groups that we put our hands up and give “happy clappy” to, but we don’t do anything for ordinary people. We should do.’

  • Listen to our 'Six-minute States' recap of the first day of the March meeting, along with an interview with Deputy Ferbrache following his update statement

He was particularly critical of the island’s inability to provide suitable housing for all islanders, including in failing to build new homes, or get them built. Targets for new housebuilding were routinely being missed.

‘Previous assemblies have failed to address that question,’ he said. ‘We’re failing to address that question.

‘I would be bold and brave by saying to builders “build more property” – and if we’ve got to bring in more builders to build them, let’s do so.’

The Government Work Plan, the blueprint for States priorities for the next four years, is set for a major reworking in the next few weeks, as Deputy Ferbrache admitted that it contained ‘much more work than there is the money or people to do it’.

‘We will need to de-prioritise and we will need to prioritise, and we will need all committees to stop thinking about what they want to deliver – we all want to deliver much – and to focus on their role in helping the whole of the States to deliver.’

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