There will always be arguments in free democracies as to on what our elected representatives decide to spend our money; or whether, indeed, to spend it at all. But right now we are witnessing a decision by the deputies that we at the Guernsey Policy & Economics Group would sincerely hope all islanders can unite in condemning and join a common cause for them to think again.
I refer of course to the proposed island-wide by-election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Jonathan Le Tocq projected to cost at least a quarter of a million pounds.
Just whose money do the deputies think they are spending? The stuff doesn’t grow on trees for those in elected (or unelected frankly) power to spend thoughtlessly, just because they can. It’s our money, not theirs. It takes some earning. These are straitened times and every pound matters. Acting with apparent unaccountable profligacy is deeply unattractive; I wonder how many candidates last summer at the hustings would have agreed to vote for this?
Why not wait until there are, say, three vacancies? This isn’t about plugging gaps on committees; this is about making up a full complement on the floor of the chamber. Legislation can certainly every day be passed with a deputy absent here and there, so what is so vital about electing one single replacement as soon as possible at a cost of 250 grand? There are no geographically specific constituencies that will lose ‘our deputy’. Island-wide voting has seen to that.
Why not create standing legislation that allows for the automatic promotion of the candidate at the general election who topped the poll of those who didn’t make the cut, and so on, down the list until one accepts the burden of office?
‘There is no mechanism in the law to award the seat to the 39th in the general election et seq.’
‘We don’t have time to change the rules.’
‘We can’t make room in the programme to have this dealt with.’
‘That’s not what the law says.’
All are, really, pathetic excuses.
Deputies – you’re in charge. Amend the law. What would you do if it was your money alone that you were spending? Islanders, voters, expect you to act as if it was. Don’t hide behind the ‘can’t be done’ barricades.
P&R: sort it. Bring forward urgent amending legislation. It may not have been ‘how things are done around here’ but that is the past and is no excuse.
President of P&R: Lead us forward. Please don’t say it can’t be done.
This is real money you 37 people are talking about, our money. Please don’t waste it, and if you do so, don’t you dare say in the future that you can’t afford to spend our money on teachers or nurses or roads.
Lord Digby Jones Kb
Chairman, Guernsey Policy & Economics Group
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