However, the report from the island’s Commissioner for Standards recommends that States meetings could be videoed in future, and that members of the States of Alderney are given better training on their own rules of procedure.
Veronica Taylor’s complaint accused William Tate of breaking the code of conduct during a parliamentary exchange with Policy & Finance chair Jeannie Cameron during States question time at its March meeting.
Ms Cameron had told the Assembly that she wished to place two letters, to and from Guernsey’s States Trading Supervisory Board, ‘on the record’, but Mr Tate said that to include them in a Hansard report of proceedings they would have to read out loud.
There followed some to and fro between the two where Mrs Taylor thought the president had been too aggressive in his tone, but Standards Commissioner Melissa McCullough found otherwise.
‘Having carefully considered the evidence, I conclude that it can more properly be characterised as an attempt to manage a developing procedural situation than as conduct directed at undermining, humiliating or injuring Ms Cameron personally. Although the interaction became increasingly tense and challenging for those involved, pressure arising within a difficult procedural exchange is not, without more, equivalent to bullying,’ she said.
Even though she admitted she found the exchange difficult, Ms Cameron herself did not characterise it as either bullying or Mr Tate abusing his position, a view endorsed by the commissioner.
‘Although the interaction became increasingly tense and may reasonably have been experienced as pressurising by Ms Cameron and aggressive in nature by other witnesses, within the meaning of the code I do not consider that a reasonable observer would characterise the conduct as intimidating.’
In her complaint, Mrs Taylor also alleged eye-rolling and smirking by the president, which he vigorously denied. The commissioner found that opinion among the States members who had been present in the meeting was split over the nature of the exchange. Some described it as ‘overbearing’, ‘aggressive’, ‘condescending’ and ‘intimidating’, while others thought he was ‘firm, but acting within his role’.
There was no such split among the officials present, who all described the president’s tone as measured, professional, calm and ‘firm but appropriate’.
They generally attributed any tension to the circumstances of the exchange, including procedural confusion, and what they perceived to be a lack of clarity or familiarity with the rules of procedure.
In clearing Mr Tate, the commissioner recommended enhanced training so that all States members understood the rules they operate under. She also suggested that proceedings should be filmed, saying not only might that help with investigating any future complaints, but would also aid transparency and public confidence.
Mrs Taylor and Mr Tate both declined to comment on the commissioner’s ruling.