A MAJORITY decision yesterday to scrap La Gazette Officielle was depressingly predictable and is a further demonstration that the States is prepared to act on the flimsiest of information and, in this case at least, for questionable reasons.
Yes, the Guernsey Press leaves itself open to accusations of sour grapes because it has a commercial interest in retaining La Gazette, but the principle this exposes is far more important.
The Policy Council, which is too busy to consider implementing freedom of information, nevertheless has time to tinker with a system running without complaint for more than 160 years.
Its justification for doing so is to improve communication and save money, yet it failed to make a case on either ground.
In future, if islanders do not have access to a computer, they will have to make a trip to a post office or parish hall to gain public and legal information – an ‘improvement’ that will clearly be lost on them.
On cost, the justification is even more threadbare and misleading.
The Policy Council airily states ‘it will almost certainly be cheaper’ to publish its own gazette, but it does not actually know. The statement is backed up by quoting what the parishes pay for their notices – which isn’t a States cost and does not receive the same discount arrangements.
Only as a result of yesterday’s decision will the council actually cost mounting its own publication and working out who will do it. And while it does not know, it hopes it can be done from within existing resources, a less than reassuring wish by an organisation that wanted to employ someone extra for an hour a day to put Mars bars into Beau Sejour’s vending machines.
In terms of establishing a clear case for action, the Billet d’Etat report is deficient in key areas yet all but 13 deputies were happy to commit the taxpayer to unknown expenditure and islanders to a poorer service.
It all has a sadly familiar feel.
This article posted on February 28, 2008 at 10:00 am, filed under Comment, News.
A familiar outcome
A MAJORITY decision yesterday to scrap La Gazette Officielle was depressingly predictable and is a further demonstration that the States is prepared to act on the flimsiest of information and, in this case at least, for questionable reasons.
Yes, the Guernsey Press leaves itself open to accusations of sour grapes because it has a commercial interest in retaining La Gazette, but the principle this exposes is far more important.
The Policy Council, which is too busy to consider implementing freedom of information, nevertheless has time to tinker with a system running without complaint for more than 160 years.
Its justification for doing so is to improve communication and save money, yet it failed to make a case on either ground.
In future, if islanders do not have access to a computer, they will have to make a trip to a post office or parish hall to gain public and legal information – an ‘improvement’ that will clearly be lost on them.
On cost, the justification is even more threadbare and misleading.
The Policy Council airily states ‘it will almost certainly be cheaper’ to publish its own gazette, but it does not actually know. The statement is backed up by quoting what the parishes pay for their notices – which isn’t a States cost and does not receive the same discount arrangements.
Only as a result of yesterday’s decision will the council actually cost mounting its own publication and working out who will do it. And while it does not know, it hopes it can be done from within existing resources, a less than reassuring wish by an organisation that wanted to employ someone extra for an hour a day to put Mars bars into Beau Sejour’s vending machines.
In terms of establishing a clear case for action, the Billet d’Etat report is deficient in key areas yet all but 13 deputies were happy to commit the taxpayer to unknown expenditure and islanders to a poorer service.
It all has a sadly familiar feel.
Share this article:
What are these?