WHAT a difference an election makes. Just a few months ago, islanders were assured that the Policy Council was too busy even to consider insignificant matters such as freedom of information.
That was around the same time as the then chief minister was assuring members – sadly only too prepared to believe him – that sticking up official notices in church halls and post offices was a serious attempt at improving communication.
It has since emerged, of course, that Guernsey Post Ltd was not asked for its view on this, but it was symptomatic of the approach then adopted and, if it is not stretching the point too far, the lack of regard in which islanders were held.
Since the election – which increasingly has all the hallmarks of a ‘fresh start’ administration – however, it is clear that this Policy Council and its chief minister take very much more seriously the need to engage with this Bailiwick community.
While there is much going on in the background, yesterday’s announcement that the council has considered a research paper, Information Matters, and is now looking at which freedom of information regime could work here is revealing.
There is now a formal council resolution in support of the principle of greater openness of government and that must be welcomed. Yes, that is late in the day in arriving in the sense that it should have been an element of the 2004 reform of government, but the new council has been commendably quick in putting this matter near the top of its agenda.
FoI, of course, is not a universal panacea and there is evidence in the UK that it has increased bureaucracy and actually led to less information being available for release. There are, however, other models to choose.
Whether the island adopts a legislated approach or a less binding code remains to be seen but a ringing declaration of the sort of openness that islanders can expect from public bodies here will do much to improve confidence in the States.
If a non-statutory approach is adopted, however, appeals against non-disclosure cannot be adjudicated, as they are in Jersey, by any part of government.
Islanders will accept nothing less than public sector transparency being policed by an independent third party.
Election’s transparent difference
WHAT a difference an election makes. Just a few months ago, islanders were assured that the Policy Council was too busy even to consider insignificant matters such as freedom of information.
That was around the same time as the then chief minister was assuring members – sadly only too prepared to believe him – that sticking up official notices in church halls and post offices was a serious attempt at improving communication.
It has since emerged, of course, that Guernsey Post Ltd was not asked for its view on this, but it was symptomatic of the approach then adopted and, if it is not stretching the point too far, the lack of regard in which islanders were held.
Since the election – which increasingly has all the hallmarks of a ‘fresh start’ administration – however, it is clear that this Policy Council and its chief minister take very much more seriously the need to engage with this Bailiwick community.
While there is much going on in the background, yesterday’s announcement that the council has considered a research paper, Information Matters, and is now looking at which freedom of information regime could work here is revealing.
There is now a formal council resolution in support of the principle of greater openness of government and that must be welcomed. Yes, that is late in the day in arriving in the sense that it should have been an element of the 2004 reform of government, but the new council has been commendably quick in putting this matter near the top of its agenda.
FoI, of course, is not a universal panacea and there is evidence in the UK that it has increased bureaucracy and actually led to less information being available for release. There are, however, other models to choose.
Whether the island adopts a legislated approach or a less binding code remains to be seen but a ringing declaration of the sort of openness that islanders can expect from public bodies here will do much to improve confidence in the States.
If a non-statutory approach is adopted, however, appeals against non-disclosure cannot be adjudicated, as they are in Jersey, by any part of government.
Islanders will accept nothing less than public sector transparency being policed by an independent third party.
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