Business interests widely known
ONCE again, we see the island deprived of the services of one of the all too few representatives who can rightly claim to be among the most experienced business people in Guernsey and who some would say stands above many of his fellow members in his intellectual ability.
Why? Because of a true conflict between his business interests and the public interest? I doubt it. After all, his detractors can only allege ‘perceived’ conflict. Any States members who were unaware of Deputy Ferbrache’s business interests in this island when they voted for him to be president of Economic Development are not fit to be a States member. For that matter, the same applies to the very well paid senior civil servants who must have been involved in this matter – or did they not know with whom their staff were contracting?
While the way in which Economic Development made its decision public can be criticised, it is unlikely that we shall ever know the truth of how and why it was done in such a way. Perhaps the then president, known for not suffering fools gladly, and already aware of pressures from what you rightly describe as a ‘powerful and persuasive lobby’, felt that, working within a department and States permanently inflicted with institutional procrastination and ambivalence, it was the only way to proceed before his department changed its mind in the face of sectional pressures.
There is, however, a much more important matter at issue than for how much the States subsidises the leisure activities of islanders. Is it any wonder that the many able business people that we have in Guernsey fight shy of offering their services to their island home? Why should they devote their time to working their way into a position of influence in the States when, as soon as they use the ability they have acquired to make a considered decision which cuts across the interests of other States’ members or a vocal group of the public, the issue will not be debated on its merits?
The knives will come out and their political opponents will latch onto the preconceptions of that sector of the public that, because of its own prejudices, believes that no successful business person can act in public life other than in self-interest.
Shall we, at the next election, see another person with valuable business experience decide not to stand for re-election, thus leaving the way open for advancement of less astute politicians?
M. A. WARD
madjward@gmail.com