Five man Policy and Finance would be "too divisive"
Posted Mon 5th June 2017 at 15:50
Alderney's Policy and Finance Committee, from 10 to a maximum of five, was rejected at the May States Meeting.
Matt Birmingham introduced the requete in order to bring better debate on Billet items to the monthly States Meeting, which is open to the public. Currently all 10 States Members sit on the Policy and Finance Committee. He, James Dent, Graham McKinley and Tony Barnes, who all signed the requete, claimed decisions were made behind the closed doors of the P&F meeting and then effectively just rubber stamped at States Meetings. He likened it to driving with 10 pairs of hands on the steering wheel - "car crash government". Policy and Finance Committee leader James Dent, who also signed the requete, said debate around policy was "very rarely taken to the States". "This States has lost its oomph; it has lost its pizzazz," he said. "I want to go back to the time when this chamber was important. This requete is about forcing debate into this chamber."
Ian Tugby, who has been on the States for five years, said the last time P&F had been reduced to just five members it had been divisive and the 10 man version had been quickly reinstalled. Mr Birmingham admitted that he had not, in fact expected the requete to succeed. "All I heard was the turkeys not voting for Christmas," he said. "But I'm not going to give up on this; we have to grow up and remember that States Members are voted on to serve the public, not to have hissy fits about not feeling included." The requete failed with five votes against, four votes for and one abstention.
The Guernsey Bereavement Service has made three visits to Alderney over the past few months and would like to continue to help you. We are visiting the island again on
Tuesday, 23rd February 2024 and would invite anyone who feels they would like Bereavement Counselling to telephone the Bereavement Service Office on 257778 to make a time to meet one of our counsellors.
The Guernsey Bereavement Service has made three visits to Alderney over the past few months and would like to continue to help you. We are visiting the island again on
Tuesday, 23rd February 2024 and would invite anyone who feels they would like Bereavement Counselling to telephone the Bereavement Service Office on 257778 to make a time to meet one of our counsellors. 