More than 200 islanders wielding placards and homemade signs lined St James Street to make their views heard in a final attempt to sway deputies against the proposed tax package.
The protestors began chants such as ‘no confidence’, ‘P&R to resign’, and ‘she’s not listening’ when Policy & Resources president Lindsay de Sausmarez stopped to talk to many protestors on her way into the building.
Jayne Ozanne, who is one of two deputies behind an amendment proposing wealth taxes to be examined, showed a copy of local newspaper The Star from 14 August 1940 with the headline ‘States called to discuss taxation’.
She said that she had brought it along to show that nothing had changed, and 86 years later the island is still tackling its tax issue.
Steve Le Poidevin, owner of Balthazar on the Quay, was part among the protestors. He said that if passed, the tax proposals would mean that people would be less likely to go out to local restaurants.
‘I think this will slow people going out, they’re not going to go out and spend money. People don’t have lots of money to spend and it’s always the people which are contributing the most, they’re the ones that aren’t going to come out,’ he said.
‘I think they need to get their house in order before they put more taxes on people, they squander so much money. It’s well documented the huge amounts of millions they’ve lost, and they need to sort that out before they ask us for more money.
‘I think if they genuinely sorted everything out then people might be willing to pay more money if it’s not squandered.’
Helen and Guy Plummer attended the protest over concerns that their children would never be able to buy property in Guernsey.
‘I don’t think the tax model works. I don’t think it includes how tenants will be disadvantaged. Their story has been that mortgages and rents are the same, but rents are going to go up with GST and I don’t think this has been factored in,’ said Mr Plummer.
‘For the public to pay more tax, government has got to do its share and it hasn’t shown it can save money yet.
‘Our kids will never buy their own houses, and this package won’t help the youngsters.
St James Street, which was initially open to morning traffic, was swiftly closed by police due to the protest.
It continued when the States broke for lunch and when deputies left for the day.
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