NOW that the extent of the States of Guernsey’s financial mismanagement of islanders’ money is finally in the open, this Assembly, shortly to enter its second year in office, has an additional two priorities facing it.

The first is how to persuade people to believe what it says given the persistent claims that the States represented joined-up, efficient government and how it attacked those – including this newspaper – who dared to suggest otherwise.

The second is demonstrating that it has changed a 25-year culture of waste, cover-up and incompetence and is now committed to a process of continuous improvement.

For once-bitten, twice-shy islanders that will be a hard sell, not helped by one prominent minister using a radio interview yesterday to dismiss

Tribal Helm’s analysis as an English report not suited to the way things are done here.

The Treasury minister was also discussing the document yesterday and promised that the culture of waste in the States would end and that he is seeking powers to help make that happen.

Thus far, the minister has not emerged as an axe-wielding cost-cutter so his commitment to the success of a long-overdue reform of government’s profligate, uncontrolled and uncoordinated spending habits will be welcomed by islanders.

Equally, however, they will be aware of his recent insistence that the States needs to raise more than £50m. in additional taxes simply to balance the books.

Yet Tribal Helm’s work indicates that as things stand, States departments simply cannot be trusted to use taxpayers’ money sensibly. Why on earth should they be given more to waste?

There has been a cynical response by islanders to the review – ‘tell us something we didn’t know…’. The significant point, however, is that this latest research indicates that the waste has been on a scale so lavish that it has amazed even the States’ worst critics.

That abuse of trust and individuals’ money cannot simply be swept away and ignored.

The States of Guernsey has to get its house in order – and visibly so – before it seeks anything else from taxpayers.

That would make a suitable promise for a reforming Treasury minister to make: not a penny more until government actually deserves it.