The island’s top committee survived the vote by 10 votes to five.
A letter calling for the motion had been signed by eight of the island’s 18 members of Chief Pleas. However, one of the signatories had already withdrawn and two subsequently abstained.
The island’s government had been split over plans to borrow £1.5m. from Guernsey to acquire the island’s sole power generator Sark Electricity Ltd and revamp the grid, which was approved yesterday afternoon.
The plans have proved controversial as SEL has refused to countenance a sale to Chief Pleas and maintains it is on the verge of selling the company to a third party.
‘Last night’s vote against the motion showed the strong will of the House, which in turn reflected the overwhelming support from the community,’ said P&F chairman John Guille.
‘Members of the committee and other conseillers have been grateful for the countless messages and gestures of support they have received in the past week. We need stable government so we can deliver the changes that the people of Sark want, such as a safe and secure community-owned electricity system.’
In the Chief Pleas, Conseiller Steve Lord, who backed the vote of no confidence, said an attempt to buy a company with a hidden beneficial owner using money from the States of Guernsey could bring Guernsey’s financial controls, and by extension the island’s Moneyval status, into question.
‘Any competent auditor would ask, what was the business case presented to the Guernsey treasury?’ he said.
‘Did they talk to Guernsey Finance? Did Guernsey Finance stress test the business case? When I asked for the business case sent to Guernsey, our own civil service informed me that there was none presented. The funny thing is, I believe an investment case does exist, we’re just shut out of the routes to discuss it.’
Conseiller Chris Kennedy-Barnard, who also supported the defeated motion despite being a member of P&F himself, said afterwards that at the least the debate had shown a third of Chief Pleas was worried for the small Crown Dependency’s future, based on a failure to address the economic fundamentals.
‘The crucially important thing was that conseillers’ concerns were heard and discussed in a free and open dialogue,’ he said.
‘One obvious conclusion would be that P&F needs to address these issues quickly.’
Conseiller Jolie Rose, who earlier in the week had called for islanders to back the present P&F Committee, said the meeting had been very professional, un-emotive and factual.
‘It was a long four-hour meeting, and it was good that it never got unpleasant,’ she said.
‘It was a good debate, it gave people the chance to think and realise that this cohort has only had three months. It was quite clear people were willing to give us a chance.’
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