THE Policy Council wants to defer debating the Government Business Plan after deciding at the last minute that it needs a radical rethink.

It has long championed the plan, which has been developed since 2004, as key to prioritising government’s work.

The latest progress report on its development was to be debated by the States next week, but now Chief Minister Lyndon Trott (pictured) has written to all deputies asking for permission to withdraw it as pressure mounted over its direction.

It is now set to be simplified with Treasury minister Charles Parkinson in charge of a new political team.

In his email letter to deputies, Deputy Trott said that he had been reflecting recently on the future of the plan in light of conversations with ministers and others.

He put proposals to Monday’s Policy Council meeting, which unanimously backed the concept of an overall strategic plan to guide how the States conducted its business and that departments’ work needed to be coordinated.

But it also agreed that to be successful it required widespread ownership together with understanding and commitment to a plan that was relevant and easily comprehended by the man in the street and States members.