PUBLIC SERVICES has come out fighting in defence of its lack of involvement in the waste solution ‘alternatives’ debate.
Four alternatives to Suez’s £93.5m. incinerator are being discussed by deputies, experts and islanders alike and many have criticised PSD for not fighting its corner better.
But minister Bernard Flouquet (pictured) said that while the department had kept a close eye on developments, it would be inappropriate for it to act.
‘People believe I should be out there discussing these issues and evaluating these technologies against what the States has already agreed to. We are not mandated to do that.
‘How on earth can this department be speaking to people who say they can offer an alternative – they say cheaper – when we are under a States resolution to go through this process and sign a contract with Suez?’
Deputy Jan Kuttelwascher has tabled a requete for debate at the end of the month, designed to force Public Services to come back to the States for final approval before signing with Suez.
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Article posted on 8th February, 2010 - 2.29pm
6 Article Comments
With up to a quarter of a billion of the public’s money at risk and this man is arguing about words.
Just read and read again the quotation from Deputy Floquet to see just how pathetic the situation has become.
£250 million, most of which could be spent on schools, health and so any other socially valuable projects, and we have this man coming out with more pathetic excuses.
Note, nothing about what he is doing is right, just that he is forced to sign a contract with Suez.
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Well at least what most suspected has now been confirmed, he`s not in the slightest bit interested in anything else but suez, apart from keeping an eye on the opposition and doing his best to make sure we get what HE wants.
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Several of the Deputies are saying that we are where we are because attempts to change the direction of the waste strategy don’t get enough votes in the States.
This is because the Department blocking all these attempts is the department mandated to find the waste solution. PSD and formerly Environment have had the same people working on this project since its inception, pre Lurgi and they consistently vote against, and argue vociferously against any measures that are brought to the States that might reduce the waste flow to an end plant.
While these people are so determined not to recognise the huge changes that have occurred in the perception of waste treatment, they will go on making sure that we are in line for this commitment to Suez.
The more enlightened Deputies who can recognise the huge changes that are becoming increasingly apparent in the field of waste management, should stick to their guns. They should not allow this railroading into an overly expensive waste plant that we simply do not need and do not want.
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bcb
I wonder why that could be….we can only speculate although many have their suspicions…
Stephen
I wouldn’t read too much into Bernie’s comments…I don’t think he’s intellectually capable of saying anything remotely intelligent.
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PSD had a very specific ‘mandate’ for the tendering process …. all tenders failed. However in these circumstances they decided to go beyond their mandate and come up with a best of the failures.
They didn’t go back to the states to seek a change to the tender process or to advise that perhaps some of the requirements were un-realistic. Instead they left it right up to the states debate to disclose this, putting extreme pressure on all states members to select their ONLY suggested (but failed) tender.
BF, you cant have it both ways all the time just because it suits you.
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Did he have a mandate to ignore the tendering specifications which no company was able to meet ?
Flouquet should have gone back to the Assembly to seek different tendering criteria. Instead he took it upon himself to go with Suez which in effect was against what he had been directed to do
A vote of no confidence wouldn’t go amiss
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