The West

Mimi Byrom

I am standing for election because I am aware that there is a growing public concern that we are in danger of losing our quality of life and what is important to us. We are all privileged to live in such a beautiful place, but there are a number of factors that are contributing to this sense of unease about where we are going.

We need our finance industry and we have one of the best finance centres in the world. However, the introduction of zero-10 will put an unfair financial burden on the local people with unknown future social consequences. I feel there was not enough public awareness of what the tax debate was all about and people felt they had been left in the dark. The zero-10 system is in place, but we now need to find ways to tackle these negative consequences and to keep people better informed in the future.

I believe we are in danger of letting down our children. Their education should be a top priority and funding their higher education by student grants must be seen as a necessary investment in all our futures. Thinking about closing primary schools when we do not know what the future holds is unwise. Updating our secondary school facilities is essential. By not investing in education and developing the skills of those in our community we are undermining the integrity of our community and culture.

Guernsey depends on a healthy economy, but it must also be sustainable. It is essential that we protect our natural resources and conserve our environmental infrastructure.

We need to be able to trust those in government to make the right decisions. I believe it is the duty of Deputies to serve and be representatives of the electorate.