Simon Vermeulen: ‘We are in this together’

Yes, Dave, it is...

It is absolutely the right time to grow Guernsey, and it has never been so imperative that we do so.

Guernsey needs a vision. We need to be bold, have the best team, and have the strongest economy possible to make this happen.

In a recent Guernsey Press Podcast, two colleagues who will be greatly missed when they leave politics in June made important points about business and the States. Deputy Lyndon Trott mentioned the need for more business-minded people in the States. Deputy Heidi Soulsby rightly pointed out that being in business doesn’t make you good at politics.

A comment that resonated with me was that we need people with integrity, vision and the willingness to collaborate in the States, and who have a can-do attitude. We must leave the personalities at the door and make the right decisions for Guernsey and our future. I hope more people are encouraged to stand at this year’s general election and feel their voices will make a difference.

Let me share this thought which I believe my colleagues would agree with unanimously. Being in business and having that experience is excellent and we do need more professional individuals to stand. However, becoming a deputy and working within a political system with many quirks, and getting agreement among colleagues on a committee and in the wider Assembly, is a quite different proposition to business.

In my professional life, if I wanted something done, I could make it happen. I still have that desire and drive, but making change happen is more challenging in the States. This may seem an obvious observation, but it has surprised some, and it certainly took some getting used to for me. That annoying phrase ‘but we’ve always done it this way’ is repeated all too often.

If one thinks back to the beginning of this term, we had a pretty strong coalition majority government working together and making the right decisions with a clear vision. Guernsey desperately needs a vision, and there has been too much flip-flopping and personality politics this term. Unfortunately, this majority was buried by a combination of the fiscal review, subsequent debates about a goods and services tax, and then a vote of no confidence in the first Policy & Resources Committee.

The phrase ‘the worst States ever’ has been used by various commentators in recent months, and some comment that it is the system to blame. I don’t believe our system of government is perfect, but we have a consensus government. Executive government is something I think we should review. I believed it was being reviewed this term, but for one reason or another that work did not make it into a policy letter before the Assembly. And let us remember that any major changes such as to our system of government would need to be made early in the next term for them to take effect in a future term.

I accept that power in the hands of a few could be dangerous and we must remember that everyone in the Assembly has been equally elected to represent the people. However, I definitely think there is room for better decision-making, the speed of decisions needs to be improved, and the workings of our machinery of government need to be reviewed.

Another throwback to my professional life was how my colleagues and I behaved, particularly around the board table. We need to improve the culture and behaviour in the States. It is imperative to get the best out of everyone, whether it is political colleagues or the civil service. Respect costs nothing but pays dividends.

Guernsey needs a vision and boldness, and quite desperately needs investment in its infrastructure. Growing our economy needs to be our number one priority. I believe we have to look at what opportunities there are to increase revenue, fund infrastructure projects and make our economy sustainable, especially in light of the geopolitical challenges outside of the island.

During this term, we have made some significant positive decisions. Unfortunately, these can all too often be outweighed by the negative ones. There is not space to elaborate on those here, but I will do so in my own election campaigning and perhaps in a future article.

Fundamentally, we need to keep talking up Guernsey. We need to focus on the good, the positive, the potential, and the future. We need to have ambition and vision. Guernsey is rich with talent and successful people. We need to leverage this knowledge and expertise to meet the headwinds and challenges in our path.

Perhaps Guernsey needs a ‘star council’, a shadow board of exceptional minds sharing expertise and knowledge to complement our politicians and civil servants. Not everyone wants to be an elected deputy, but so many have much to offer.

We are all in this together. We want to create a better future for Guernsey. But we desperately need to do this as a team. Of course, there will be opposing views, but I’d like to see these better ironed out before they come to the floor of the Assembly. The recent education debate was a classic example. So much time and energy was wasted on what essentially was a one-sided debate. A compromise solution should have been sought earlier.

I’d like to see States committees held more accountable for their achievements, clearly setting out their objectives at the beginning of the next term and explaining how these feed into a vision for Guernsey supported by growth and revenue.

The past four and a half years have been an education. At times, it has felt like wading through treacle. At other times, it has been exceptionally rewarding. I’m positive that with a new head of public service now in place and a new Assembly about to be elected, with or without me, there will be a vision for Guernsey’s future that is aspirational, achievable and sustainable for generations to come.

A good leader doesn’t have to have all the answers, but needs to know where to go to find them. A good leader needs to motivate a team, see both sides of an argument and, when necessary, step up and make difficult decisions. In government, it is impossible to be an expert in health and taxation and every other issue one faces, but a leader for Guernsey needs to know which questions to ask and evaluate the evidence before making a decisive decision for the benefit of our island.

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