Government by 24 lacks proper rules
Monday 5th January 2009, 2:24PM GMT.
THE forthcoming vote of no confidence in Guernsey’s deputy chief minister, unfortunate though it is, will come to be seen as 2009 unfolds as further evidence of the deficiencies that remain in the island’s system of government.
And the reason is precisely because the debate is being held in the first place.
It was clear from day one of the ill-judged racist ‘joke’ that his position had become untenable and that resignation was the only credible course of action. The chief minister knows that, of course, and has been criticised for his lack of involvement in a crisis surrounding his number two.
Yet what was he to do?
A quiet conversation along the lines of, ‘Bernard, you really do have to go…’ might have achieved the right result. But it also carried the risk of being ignored, and then what? A subsequent debate that refused to sack the deputy chief minister would leave the chief minister’s role looking very exposed and would blow any remaining myth of a joined- up approach to anything.
Equally, an honourable resignation would create problems of its own. Who would be elected to replace the deputy chief minister and who would nominate him or her?
Given the mindset of the Assembly, a chief minister’s candidate would almost certainly be opposed and, given the level of perversity in the House, another imposed on the chief minister against his wishes. The system is almost guaranteed to ensure that the island’s political figurehead doesn’t actually nominate a candidate at all.
The other linked element that will further emerge in 2009 and beyond is government by 24, the use of a letter signed by a simple majority (or thereabouts) of members to force changes on the States and the Policy Council.
One of the frequently repeated arguments against executive or cabinet government here is that it would require political parties. Yet the reality is that a form of opposition is already emerging and is no respecter of corporate action or adhering to the Government Business Plan if that gets in the way of shorter-term objectives.
While challenge to government may be no bad thing, opposition by stealth means there are no rules of engagement and, importantly, no effective counterbalance.
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Surely the voting public would consider government by 24 more balanced than government by 11 (incl. CM)!, of which one Minister does not know when to resign and a CM who it would appear failed to get him to resign with his powers of persuasion!
If in the future, the States vote to give the role of Chief Minister executive powers, including removing disgraced Minister’s, would this be best incorporated at the next election, allowing members to vote for the person they believe has the right attitude and personality to exercise such power wisely or upon legislation being passed the current CM stands for re-election, and may well be re-elected but with the mandate of the Members to use the new powers. It could be argued, some may have voted the current CM in precisely because he had little power.
Oddly enough, I note that in the last election, had the DCM picked up all the loose votes in the final round he would have been CM with 24 votes whereas we all know that the current CM succeeded with 27 over 19, either way a simple majority in corporate language, but a majority in political terms.
One could say the counterbalance to the CM not being able to sack the DCM is the floor of the ‘house’ thereby demonstrating why there is no need for the CM role to have executive powers.
Furthermore, I assume that as the current CM has highlighted his lack of power in dealing effectively with the plight of the DCM, he will welcome the call by the majority of Members’ for the DCM to step down from that role.
Report abuse