Pursuit of perfection can be costly
IN A tribal world devoid of subtlety, compromise is increasingly a dirty word.
Rather than look for a way through, social media often encourages people to shout louder and dig their heels in.
To its credit, Employment & Social Security has sought to find common ground over its plans for discrimination legislation.
After the trauma of last November, when the committee came up against a concerted campaign by a nervous business community and had to put its proposals on ice, Employment has been back around the negotiating table looking for conciliation.
To those not steeped in the lore of discrimination, the results are minor amendments. However, to those who have fought for protection against discrimination for decades such details are crucial to the policy’s success.
As Employment admits, its latest round of discussions has not been easy. ‘While there has been widespread agreement on the principle of equal opportunity, views diverge when it comes to detail.’
The committee has decided that it is unlikely it can find a set of proposals with which everyone can fully agree.
That is a pity.
For this is too important a set of proposals to be allowed to fail for lack of consensus.
On race, for example, it is shocking to consider that Guernsey may not simply be ‘behind the curve’ on discrimination laws but stuck in last place in Europe.
That is not only an issue when it comes to international reputation but for the island’s self-respect as a modern, enlightened community.
Sensibly, the committee will return to the States shortly with a trimmed down discrimination agenda: disability, race and carer status.
While that will understandably disappoint advocates of discrimination protection on grounds of age, religious belief and sexual orientation, it was clear in November that by trying to cram too much through the States in one go Employment was at risk of losing it all.
This proposal may not be anyone’s idea of perfect. No doubt it fails tests on both sides.
But, as the education debate has illustrated all too well, sometimes the pursuit of perfection can be self-defeating.