This is the full text of Chief Minister Lyndon Trott’s (pictured) ‘State of the States’ speech which a number of members do not want him to make on Wednesday

‘Members of the States. One of the casualties of the pace of modern life is time for reflection. Reflection which provides space within which to judge the performance of the past. Reflection which sets the context for tackling what is to come.

The Policy Council believes that this last States meeting in the first year of the new term provides an appropriate time to reflect on what has been achieved by government and to remind both States members and the community as a whole of the agreed programme of business that lies ahead.

It does so on the basis that it is too easy to forget what has been achieved when concentrating on the pressing issues of the moment. And it does so in order to fulfil the objectives of the States, as expressed by the Government Business Plan, to better communicate with the public.

So, in the last eight months what has the States achieved?

While it is customary after any general election to talk about the “new States” this label certainly applied in April when 19 new deputies – almost half the States – were elected from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Simultaneously, those stepping down carried with them over 250 years of experience in the Assembly.

The new States began with an enthusiasm, with contested elections and with no less than six candidates for the position of chief minister.

This is a sign of a healthy democracy. A democracy which has had to consider a substantial programme of legislation – the legacy from the previous States – and a number of challenging reports that have passed through the departments onto the Policy Council table and then onward to the States for decisions which will shape the future of our community.

These include, and in no particular order:

• The T&R Department forming and succeeding in producing its first Budget which was unamended.
• The Public Services Department advancing further on steps towards solid and liquid waste treatment as well as the question of maintaining our strategic infrastructure that is the airport runway.
• The Environment Department continuing to work on the introduction of the new planning law after more than 10 years in the pipeline with the commencement ordinance now approved with a 6 April start date.
• The Home Department has delivered a fundamental structural change in the creation and agreement in principle to a law commission and border agency and has introduced a police complaints commission.
• Housing has had the unenviable task of seeking States approval to extend the housing control laws pending a wider look at the complex and inter-related population issues.
• The Education Department has successfully delivered its new state-of-the-art St Sampsons High and Le Murier special school at Baubigny, being the fourth education development plan capital project completed on time and within budget.
• The Social Security Department proposed and the States agreed to increase the old age pension by 6.5% for 2009 – ahead of RPI.
• HSSD has completed the development of the Mignot Memorial Hospital and started an MRI service in Guernsey.
• Culture and Leisure has translated into action the previous States decision to create an Arts Commission.
• The Commerce and Employment Department has, as part of a corporate effort which I will expand on in a moment, delivered a depositor compensation scheme while the Guernsey Registry was successfully launched alongside the new companies law, as a significant piece of States-run commercial infrastructure for the island.
• And the Policy Council has, with States approval, finalised the international identity framework document. And these are only the highlights of an extremely busy first few months.

Reflecting on those achievements we must not ignore the fact they were met within a particular context. The issues of rapidly changing, unprecedented and staggering fiscal changes within the global economy from which Guernsey has not been immune are significant for our island.

This has led to an unprecedented intensification of effort to maintain the historic success of financial services in the face of the collapse of international financial institutions elsewhere and closer to home the demise of Landsbanki (Guernsey) Limited.

The Policy Council believes that we have seen true corporate working as all elements of Government and others such as the GFSC have worked together at speed and with sharp focus to deliver opportunity from disaster.

We have seen the rapid introduction of an appropriate bank funded depositor compensation scheme. We have signed eight tax information exchange agreements. We have intensified efforts to spread the message of the unique opportunities that Guernsey represents and succeeded; as reflected by the visit of the vice-mayor of Shanghai to the island after he met the Guernsey delegation to China.

Finally, we have been addressing the Treasury Select Committee’s review prompted by the Icelandic banking crisis and we are now engaged with the Treasury review into the role of the Crown Dependencies as financial service centres.

A challenging first eight months by any estimation and one that we could not have predicted at the outset.

So what of the year ahead? Having discussed the programme of States reports and other initiatives proposed by the various departments it is clear that the challenges that lie ahead will not diminish.

The Treasury and Resources-sponsored fundamental spending reviews which will begin in earnest in the new year could not be more timely, given current financial circumstances.

Furthermore, the outcome of the March debate on capital prioritisation and the related issue of funding options will have impact on this island for generations to come.

The Policy Council for its part will be leading an interim debate in February on the Government Business Plan. We will build on the successful workshops in recent weeks by holding sessions in April.

The new form of the Government Business Plan will embrace the family of plans covering our social, economic, fiscal and environmental policies and will properly reflect full engagement with all members of the States prior to debate in July.

In terms of engagement I should mention that the Guernsey Tomorrow series of meetings will continue to unfold during the course of 2009.

It is not my intention to list all of the reports or initiatives that are likely to come before you other than to give you a flavour which ranges from the institutional arrangements for the competition law led by Commerce and Employment, consultation on the introduction of nursery education from Education and the difficult issue of the rationalisation of primary schools which will be debated in January.

There will be a joint initiative between Treasury and Resources and Social Services on the merits of tax credits or income support or supplementary benefit as a vehicle for providing general revenue financial welfare payments.

More corporate working in the form of a joint report from Housing and the Health and Social Services Department setting out a strategy for housing, care and support strategy for older people. The first phase of redevelopment of the Grand Bouet Estate, plus new laws on medicines and children.

Just a glimpse of a formidable agenda.

Members of the States, there is a tendency on this island, and dare I say it, within this Assembly, to focus on the issue of the day and sometimes to seek out the negative sides and to concentrate on criticism rather than the pursuit of praise.

I hope that the reflections of the Policy Council that I have just touched on looking backwards and the glimpse of the challenges that face us looking forwards will both demonstrate that we have achieved a tremendous amount in the short time that this Assembly has been in session and this community is expecting us to address a punishing agenda in an increasingly difficult financial environment in the next 12 months.

Each and every States report is about change. It is about an attempt to make life in this community better. The Policy Council is firmly of the view that we owe it to the community to build on the corporate working that has certainly emerged in the last few months as common external challenges have brought the departments and others closer together.’