GUERNSEY’S Treasury minister made a telling observation in explaining why he had decided against signing a letter opposing any move by the States towards executive government.

The reason is he believes the current consensus system is effectively on trial. If the committee of 47 deputies cannot adequately deal with the problems ahead – the strategic direction of the island, its capital priorities and funding options and how to fill the zero-10 black hole – then the machinery of government would need changing.

Opponents of any shift towards a more ministerial system will say that is exactly why the current set up needs to stay in place: a ruling cabal would simply impose the decisions it wanted.

Whether islanders are in favour of a States with more delegated power devolving to the Policy Council or not, most would agree that the Assembly is very poor in two areas: dealing with difficult issues and sticking to an agreed plan.

Paid parking is a classic example. Having decided to introduce it and instruct Environment to come up with an amount to charge, hours were wasted because the department would not do what it was told and a fudge emerged which penalises every user of fuel rather than those who choose to park in Town rather than taking a taxpayer-subsidised bus.

The Assembly is even worse when a decision is finely balanced. No opportunity is missed at later stages to try to rescind what has earlier been agreed and members are reluctant to accept an outcome and move on.

Supporters of the collegiate system say that proves what a pure form of democracy Guernsey has – conveniently ignoring how dreadful yo-yo government looks to everyone else.

What they also ignore is that the current committee system has only lasted as long as it has because for so many years the States was led by vested interest.

Decisions taken by the growers, and merchants and farmers before them, were generally good for Guernsey because they were good for the business classes, for employment and for the economy generally.

Today, by comparison, the dominant financial services sector is chronically under represented in terms of its importance.

So who now speaks for the good of the island?