THE majority of IoD panel members felt that the chief minister needed more power to lead the island effectively.
Ernst and Young partner Graham Parrot (pictured) said he wanted to see the role changed. ‘I would give our chief minister more authority,’ he said.
‘I think it’s crazy to have a leader who cannot lead. I would give everyone two votes – one to vote in deputies and another to appoint the chief minister.
‘But it’s fairly easy to see what is wrong with the system and not so easy to suggest ways to make it better.’
Mel Carvill agreed, saying he thought Guernsey’s government needed to find ways of moving more quickly. ‘We do not do anything quickly and I think that leads to problems,’ he said.
Article posted on 3rd October, 2008 - 2.29pm
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7 Article Comments
Both Graham Parrot and Mel Carvill make very good points.
It is very necessary for the Chief Minister to be granted more powers.
It is also very necessary for the States to be able to move significantly more quickly.
Therefore it is very necessary to have decent leadership. If not decent, then at the very least, popular and democratic.
If not completely popular, then with a clear mandate that has to be adhered too.
What we don’t want is an unpopular character, volatile in pressurised situations, with a dim grasp on Island sentiment, with no attachments to the ‘ruling elite’ in smoking rooms and ‘power lunches’, prone to gaffs, who does not command respect among their peers.
Granting authoritative powers needs to be considered, but under a new political set up. It would quickly turn from ‘benign dictatorship’ into an unaccountable mess.
For this end Party Politics would serve us best. We would know where the CM would stand for and we would be able to judge on merit rather than through the press.
The chief minister should NOT be given any extra power. He was NOT elected by the general public to be chief minister and should not have any more power than any other deputy. If we had true democracy, (Island Wide Voting), I doubt our current chief minister would have even got elected. All deputies were elected to have an equal say and equal power. If he is given more power this will give him the power to dictate over other elected deputies, by passing the democratic process.
The Chief Minister couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat, let alone make decisions that affect the welfare of Guernsey autocratically.
Neil makes several valid points and to provide the CM with further powers would be giving him carte-blanche to do as he saw fit.
Remember Guernsey that Mr Trott oversaw capital spending on States developments between 2001 and 2007 - in this period the States coffers were reduced to pennies and consequently the black hole now looms.
Would you trust this man to dictate your lifestyle? I know I wouldn’t.
If the Chief Minister is to have more power then we would need another election, the one we have is very unpopular and wouldn’t have been elected in an island wide vote. His past speaks for itself, one mess after another. The job he has as cm must massage his ego enough without allowing him any real power, thankfully. Although being represented overseas by him sticks in my throat at least it keeps him out the way. At least Laurie Morgan came over as a good man not a patronising so and so like Torode and Trott.
Here here to Darren and Neil, completly agree with your comments.
So they (IOD), and people like them can operate his strings?
No thanks.