COMMERCE AND EMPLOYMENT minister Carla McNulty Bauer is under mounting pressure because of the milk licensing row.
Housing minister Dave Jones yesterday claimed her position and that of the department would be untenable if the matter went back to the States for debate again and C&E lost.
Deputy Jones said the department had refused to carry out an instruction given to it by the States to issue milk retailers licences stipulating zones for each round.
A Commerce and Employment spokesman said that following a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Lyndon Trott late last week, a letter had been sent to the Guernsey Milk Retailers’ Association setting out a complete offer, which the association would have received on Wednesday.
The States agreed a resolution in April last year in the hope of securing the future of doorstep deliveries.
Deputy Jones said: ‘Continued defiance by the Commerce and Employment Department and its refusal to carry out the direct instructions of the States concerning the issuing of licences to the milk retailers could have severe consequences for the long-term future of the dairy industry in Guernsey.’
He claimed the department’s actions had left many milk retailers with a business that was almost worthless.
‘It’s a classic case of government interference in something that wasn’t broken and didn’t need fixing,’ he said.
‘Should doorstep deliveries cease, sales of milk will undoubtedly plummet, which in turn will threaten the whole viability of our local dairy industry – opening the door to the importation of long-life milk.’
Deputy Jones believed that would lead to the collapse of the centuries-old industry.
‘Recent talks do not appear to have resulted in much progress and it would appear that the milk retailers have been given a two-week deadline to accept what’s on offer or the matter will go back to the States,’ he said.
He said the department had had more than a year to implement the States’ decision and believed it delayed doing so to try to get the decision overturned by the new House.
‘The strategy of taking it back to the States is not without some risk for C&E as I believe that if the matter came back before the States yet again and C&E lost the argument again, then the position of the board and its minister would at that point become untenable,’ he said.
‘I take great exception to C&E’s assumption that States members were unsure what they voted for in 2007. It is an act of supreme arrogance on its behalf to believe that a rerun of that debate will produce a different result.’
The department’s spokesman said Deputy McNulty Bauer had given a detailed reply to a question in the States on 25 June regarding progress on the States resolution regarding licences.
He added: ‘It is wholly inappropriate to discuss in an open forum the current dealings between the department and the GMRA as the department awaits its response to that offer. We have offered to provide any clarification should the association require any. The department is keen to ensure that this issue is resolved as soon as possible.’ ˬ
Article posted on 4th July, 2008 - 2.29pm
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