Member criticises, but minister helps
Tuesday 24th March 2009, 2:29PM GMT.
A MIXED message was coming out of Treasury yesterday after one of its members went on the offensive over the drafting of a report opposing its spending plans.
As revealed in yesterday’s Guernsey Press, five deputies are gathering support to oppose the department’s plans to borrow £175m. to help fund a £300m. capital investment programme.
They believe that there are alternative funding models, but their approach has angered Treasury member Jack Honeybill.
But on the same day he said the group led by Deputy Matt Fallaize was undermining the process, minister Charles Parkinson had written to all States members offering his department’s staff’s help to any amendments and praising the openness of Deputy Fallaize ‘s approach.
Deputy Honeybill (pictured) said that everyone had the right to question departments’ decisions and the advice they received from third parties.
‘That’s democracy. What I don’t like is the fact that effectively this new quasi-Treasury board is undermining the process we embarked on to give States members that ability to make their minds up having sort the advice of experts in the field,’ he said.
Deputy Honeybill backs the borrowing approach recommended by the department’s consultant, Rothschild.
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I hardly think that Jack Honeybill’s comment “What I don’t like is the fact that effectively this new quasi-Treasury board is undermining the process we embarked on…” is praise of the Matt Fallaize et al approach.
Mind you having Deputy Honeybill against you automatically gives credibility to your approach.
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It is just stupid to allow these so-called politicians to borrow so much money.
If the Guernsey people allow this to go through; then you can say goodbye to your island; you will be in the hands of these money mad people and they will do whatever they like.
‘STOP IT NOW.
Is there no one out there who rid us of these money glad felons who gradually ruin what was once a beautiful Island, It must stop.
WEake nup Guernsey people; they don’t do it for you. it’s a trick to put forever in their claws.
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Consulting bankers on how to finance projects is akin to consulting father christmas on how we should celebrate Christs birth. By far the better approach if you wish to finance projects would be to consult wealth creators. That would be farmers fishermen and engineers. Bankers such as Rothschilds just shift the wealth about in weird and confusing vehicles taking a cut for themselves, leaving less for the creators.
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Come on Mr Honeybill. Have an open mind, listen to other ideas and support democracy. In the past the States members have been criticised for being sheep like in their behaviour – at last we have a group who is open minded enough to look at alternatives.
Good luck to this pioneering group – may it be the first of many to make States members think, just occasionally, that there may just be an alternative to a department’s proposals.
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Steven says “Consulting bankers on how to finance projects is akin to consulting father christmas on how we should celebrate Christs birth”
Surely you mean Herod!!!
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