‘Business has too much influence’

By Gemma Hockey

EX-HOUSING member Barry Brehaut has called for a more diverse membership of the labour utilisation strategy group. Deputy Brehaut resigned from the department after he claimed members had been shut out from talks about the group’s review of the housing control law. He felt that its establishment cut through Housing’s mandate.

‘First of all I felt slightly relieved when I found out that deputy minister Mark Dorey was going to be attached to the group,’ he said.

But Deputy Brehaut said he felt there were too many members who have an interest in business.

‘Putting Paul Meader and Shelagh Mason in the group is one area of concern for me because I think there could have been a far more diverse social mix.

‘Deputy Stuart Falla, who will be chairing the group, has a large interest in business and then you have two other people who are interested in business.

‘A concern for me was that the business community had lost confidence in the process of the States and this was one of the reasons I left Housing,’ he said.

Deputy Brehaut said he had major worries that Housing’s chief officer Stephen Langford is to be seconded to the Policy Council .

‘My concern is that the chief officer of the Housing Department will have to spend considerable time on this issue.

‘This raises internal issues and I would like to know who will be filling the gap when the chief officer is dealing with this matter,’ said Deputy Brehaut.

He said the LUSG was a clear duplication of the demographics policy group, which was signed off by the States in September.

‘But I think some States members thought the group wasn’t working and rather than use the Housing Department and working on a solution, they decided there was a need to design another group.

‘I recognise that no system is perfect, but I would like something positive to come out of this,’ he said.