You can trust States to shirk responsibility
RESPONSIBILITY is a theme to which this newspaper frequently returns. All too often the blunder is obvious – undeniable even – but who is responsible is always less clear.
With this government it first surfaced with the £2.6m. fraud when Treasury and Resources was duped by criminals.
Politically, no one ever took full responsibility and it was left to a civil servant to fall on his sword, despite any evidence that he was responsible.
At the time the sum of money lost seemed huge but the Pfos case has that to shame.
It is certainly more than £8m., given the £3.5m. settlement offer rejected, but without knowing the legal costs accrued two years ago it is hard to be precise.
Yet it seems no one in these islands will ever be held responsible. The former PSD minister whose board turned down the offer has 'no regrets'. The current minister will not resign and says it's all very disappointing but some anonymous 'external' lawyers were to blame.
Given how close the general election is and the history of lengthy, opaque investigations following such blunders it is likely that no one will ever be held fully accountable.
It is all the more astonishing in the context (the chief minister's favourite word when it comes to avoiding responsibility) of this government's insistence that every penny must be accounted for.
Every project – La Mare school, for example – is checked, delayed and rechecked, looking for ways to cut costs to the bone.
Then HSSD tell us there are tough decisions to be made and it is not possible to fund every youngsters' healthcare.
But when £8m.-£11m. is lost on a legal roulette wheel there are no checks and balances, no due diligence, no prudent use of taxpayer money.
'It is all rather unfortunate. Sorry, can't be helped, please move on.'
What the States needs to understand is that every time it blunders and another few million falls into the hands of lawyers or criminals it is all the harder to tell islanders to knuckle down and accept the cutbacks, extra charges and new taxes without moaning. Trust is lost.
As taxpayers we cannot avoid our responsibility.
The States never accepts its.
