Honeymoon over – time for deputies to earn their keep
DURING the preamble to the elections much was said by each of the candidates about the need for this new States to 'hit the road running'. So we've now had two-and-a-half months of the new States electing themselves on to the committees, one new deputy who is writing a blog on Facebook whenever she has the time. (Well done) And? We have huge problems which have been carried forward to this States and which need immediate resolution. For example – education: The last States left us, in my opinion, in a mess. How anyone who had been on the Education Committee pre-election and was voted in again amazes me – and how anyone has the unmitigated gall to be on the new Committee for Education, Sport & Culture disappoints and disgusts. Now again we are being fed with the doctrine of political politeness, we are not allowed to say a school or a pupil is failing. We are not allowed to be proud of schools and pupils who gain 100% pass rates. While our politicians don't come to decisions we do not know how many schools there are going to be, or whether funding is going to be available to students who excel.
The parents and interested parties filled in a questionnaire which was long, involved and laborious to fill out, and voted for selection by 61%. Teachers were 'persuaded' to fill in a similar questionnaire, I believe some 1,200 forms were sent out and of them only 445 were returned completed. That means that the 'statistics' were in reality only 37% of the teachers could be bothered to fill out the survey, or alternatively wanted to put their names to a survey when they knew how the people who paid their salaries wanted them to answer and didn't have the courage to openly defy their masters. Someone quite famous (Disraeli) said: 'there are lies, damn lies and statistics.'
The people on the doorstep wanted and were promised a return to Education's decision. What has happened? Nothing. It is now July and schools go back in September; this is no time for a summer recess. The news that £2m. needs to be spent on La Mare de Carteret must not cloud the eyes – this would be an incredible waste of money we do not have. We are in an educational mess – stop digging.
The Committee for Health & Social Care: The dialogue between MSG and Health was supposed to be resolved with a new contract sorted and 'heads of agreement' initiated to take the island forward either with MSG or by creating a States health body and hiring specialists to run the States hospital.
The 'final' date for the agreement passed on 30 June – what has happened? Backward steps, we can't find a qualified specialist to 'read' the scans for the screening of patients with potential bowel cancer. We have mothballed Castel and, despite warnings from patients, we have changed the location of the problem from Castel to Oberlands. As a patient attending first Castel and now Oberlands, in my opinion, and as I have pointed out many times, the problem is now as it always was, not enough doctors or therapists to treat people in need of mental health therapy.
MSG has hired a therapist who can be seen for £150 per half hour? Nice one. We are in a mess and before you know it our new States will be putting the Castel site up for development of some nice dwelling places.
In my opinion the Oberlands centre is not fit for purpose, but hey – we are a rich island – we can afford £26m., what we cannot afford or find is mental health specialists.
The Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure: Plans have been submitted for a rehash of Admiral Park. The plans taken to the previous board had problems, which were pointed out by objectors. The committee made several provisos but said that they would pass the plans, despite much opposition, as long as planners took on board the problems discussed – little things like the infrastructure that couldn't support the amount of traffic generated.
Deputy Gollop made several observations about the plans – I hope he remembers all the points he and others made – if he wants reminders please do not hesitate to contact me, I have a clear recollection. The original plans should have been thrown out rather than accepted with conditions because now the plans have returned with the assumption that, as they were 'passed', they can now be altered and will be passed again. Yet more building based on a style which was completely out of keeping with Guernsey, all in the name of modernity.
States Assembly & Constitution Committee: We were promised that this States would not dodge difficult questions. The following question was sent to SACC: 'Contrary to custom and tradition, the above deputy does not provide the electorate with a contact telephone number. Is this a matter of concern to SACC?' The answer from Matt Fallaize: 'I don't think the SACC has any powers to require a deputy to publish a telephone number, but I imagine his or her not doing so would cause concern among his or her electorate. Have you emailed him to ask him to publish a telephone number, may I ask?'
The second question: 'It has been brought to my attention that at least two deputies have declared that, due to other commitments, they cannot or will not work as a full-time deputy. I would like to know if SACC is aware of this and if so what is SACC's view.' Answer: 'The SACC has no role in regulating the hours worked by deputies. I have always regarded it as a full-time role, but I know that is not a view shared by all colleagues nor indeed by all members of the public.'
So Deputy Fallaize doesn't think SACC has any duty of care to ensure that the States operates to the satisfaction of the people. I believe that he ought to think again and ensure that the committee start asking awkward questions and doing the job the people who elected them believe that they should do. Or maybe the questions should be passed on to Scrutiny for an answer – we were promised a Scrutiny Committee with teeth.
In the UK their citizens have held a referendum, two of the main parties have broken up and reformed themselves, a Prime Minister has resigned and been replaced. In Guernsey? Nothing – while realising that this was the plan from the beginning, may I respectfully point out that candidates must have missed that part of the training given and also the plan was wrong. Its time folks to do what you promised us you would do and start earning your pay.
ROSIE HENDERSON
Ma Carriere
Le Petit Bouet
St Peter Port, GY1 2AN.
