A plan for a future many don't want
Today’s States debate over the population and immigration policy review is rather unusual in that while it has plenty of public opposition – not unusual for a modern-day policy letter – the nature of that opposition is fairly modest.
While plenty of islanders will shake their heads at the notion of a net increase of 300 extra residents arriving on our shores each year in the future, not all do so.
Some will believe that it is a much-needed move which will super-charge the economy for mutual benefit.
It is likely that the proposal, however controversial, will probably be approved by members this week, in part because it is not a hard and fast direction.
Instead the report has offered an indication to government to plan for such a occurrence, without explicitly stating that it must happen.
Will Guernsey take inspiration from, or look with horror towards Jersey, a population which has all but doubled in the past 50 years, while the numbers living in Guernsey has risen about 23% over the same period. Some would say Jersey has been ruined. Many would never realise.
Increasing the population may be a Ponzi scheme in the eyes of some, but it puts government in a position to plan sensibly for the future, while holding on to the slim possibility of productivity alone dragging us out of a (black) hole.