WITH the new States of Guernsey about halfway towards its first 100 days, four leading Guernsey business groups are already questioning how well the House is doing as it approaches what it calls ‘this key timeline’.
It is an indication of the pressure the new administration is under to get things right and separate itself from the previous assembly and the failures with which it was - rightly or wrongly - associated.
In particular, the joint seminar arranged by the IoD, CGi, Chamber and Giba is asking how well the House is doing in its focus on its role of government, developing its resources and attaining key objectives.
As the groups observe, there is already tension between building a sustainable vision and fixing immediate problems. Part of the difficulty, however, is knowing what the vision actually is.
Few islanders will have read the Government Business Plan, fewer still will regard it as a blueprint for the sort of Bailiwick society they want for their children. Yet before government can truly focus on its role, it needs to engage islanders in a discussion on what sort of future they want for themselves and Guernsey and how to balance the inevitable conflicts between economic growth and population pressures, the need to release land for industry against environmental issues and how to generate sufficient States incomes without penalising ‘ordinary’ Guernsey people.
This is touched on in part by ‘Guernsey Tomorrow’, work being carried out as part of a review of the strategic land use plan by a working group of the Policy Council.
But land use, vital though it is, can be only one aspect of looking to the future, as the looming demographic problems highlight. So, too, is the introduction of zero-10. While it might have been the only practical option, when it came down to it, a slim majority here are probably opposed to it and see current economic difficulties as part of that ‘wrong’ States decision.
While doubts remain about the ability of the States to deliver on behalf of islanders, it is far from clear what government collectively is trying to achieve for people living here.
When a vision for the future is in place, the rest will fall into place.
Vision for the future is a priority
WITH the new States of Guernsey about halfway towards its first 100 days, four leading Guernsey business groups are already questioning how well the House is doing as it approaches what it calls ‘this key timeline’.
It is an indication of the pressure the new administration is under to get things right and separate itself from the previous assembly and the failures with which it was - rightly or wrongly - associated.
In particular, the joint seminar arranged by the IoD, CGi, Chamber and Giba is asking how well the House is doing in its focus on its role of government, developing its resources and attaining key objectives.
As the groups observe, there is already tension between building a sustainable vision and fixing immediate problems. Part of the difficulty, however, is knowing what the vision actually is.
Few islanders will have read the Government Business Plan, fewer still will regard it as a blueprint for the sort of Bailiwick society they want for their children. Yet before government can truly focus on its role, it needs to engage islanders in a discussion on what sort of future they want for themselves and Guernsey and how to balance the inevitable conflicts between economic growth and population pressures, the need to release land for industry against environmental issues and how to generate sufficient States incomes without penalising ‘ordinary’ Guernsey people.
This is touched on in part by ‘Guernsey Tomorrow’, work being carried out as part of a review of the strategic land use plan by a working group of the Policy Council.
But land use, vital though it is, can be only one aspect of looking to the future, as the looming demographic problems highlight. So, too, is the introduction of zero-10. While it might have been the only practical option, when it came down to it, a slim majority here are probably opposed to it and see current economic difficulties as part of that ‘wrong’ States decision.
While doubts remain about the ability of the States to deliver on behalf of islanders, it is far from clear what government collectively is trying to achieve for people living here.
When a vision for the future is in place, the rest will fall into place.
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