Haley Camp dismissed claims made by a member of the senior committee that political support was now swinging decisively in favour of its plan to introduce GST and cut income tax and social security contributions.
She told the latest Guernsey Press Politics Podcast – out today – that voting was still too close to call ahead of the resumption next week of the States’ landmark tax and spending debate.
‘If I was sitting on P&R, I don’t think I’d feel that confident,’ said Deputy Camp.
‘Looking at the numbers, there seem to be perhaps three or four States members whose position is quite decisive either way. I don’t think it’s as clear-cut as that P&R member believes.’
Listen to the full interview with Deputy Haley Camp on the latest Guernsey Press Politics Podcast
An alternative fiscal plan put forward by Deputy Camp in July was rejected by 23 votes to 15 before the States adjourned for the summer part-way through its tax and spending debate.
The window for submitting amendments was then re-opened and closes late this afternoon. Between 25 and 40 are expected.
In a wide-ranging interview, Deputy Camp claimed that P&R had failed to find compromises with other members of the Assembly during the 10-week adjournment.
‘Going into the summer, my question was about what could be done to move the conversation along. Where I am now is that my position is essentially unchanged.
‘That is largely because there hasn’t been much willingness to engage from the other side of the debate, which I would have preferred.
‘I saw this ten-week gap as an opportunity to try to find some of the middle ground that had been missing, but I haven’t found the political will is there to do that.’
Deputy Camp said that ruling out a goods and services tax permanently would be ‘a silly position’ but that now ‘does not feel like a great time in Guernsey’s history’ to introduce a consumption tax which P&R itself has estimated would add nearly 2% to inflation and its treasury lead has admitted would discourage economic growth.
P&R’s plan includes 3% GST, new transport taxes, real-terms cuts in States spending and reductions in income tax and social security contributions. It has said those changes would improve public finances by about £60m. a year while leaving the less affluent 50% of the island better off or at least no worse off.
Deputy Camp told the podcast that the senior committee was telling the island ‘a lovely fairy tale’. Her alternative ideas have included new charges on transport, visitors and businesses and putting more effort into finding efficiencies and stimulating economic growth.
‘When we’re talking about tax, we should also be talking about growth and government spending, but those things get pushed aside,’ she said.
‘So here we are, still stuck in a debate about whether to ask people to pay more, rather than about making the island more prosperous, making finances more sustainable or considering the future.
‘All we’re talking about is how to raise more revenue and that’s disappointing.’
Deputies on all sides of the tax and spending debate appear increasingly resigned to it remaining unfinished at the end of the three days set aside next week. It would then be pushed into the following States meeting, which starts on 21 October, before which another window will open for further amendments to be submitted.
Deputy Camp rejected claims that critics of P&R were ‘filibustering’ to run down the clock until it was too late to introduce GST ahead of the 2029 general election and defended the unprecedented number of amendments the senior committee was facing.
‘Having spoken to other deputies before the original debate and over this second period, these are amendments which members genuinely believe in,’ she said.
‘I come back to what I said earlier: if there had been an open-door policy between P&R and the rest of us - bearing in mind we’re 40 equals, not subordinate to any committee - and if the topics people wanted considered had been debated and potentially carried forward, I think we could have come back in September with a much clearer road to a conclusion.
‘Because that hasn’t happened, anyone bringing an amendment absolutely has the right to. We’re not here to work for P&R - we’re here to work for the people of Guernsey.
‘I feel confident, from what I’ve heard and the ideas people have discussed with me, that these amendments come from a good and genuine place, not from an attempt just to keep delaying indefinitely.’