OVER the weekend States members received some detailed correspondence about proposed inquiries into the airport firefighters’ dispute and, while seeking to give deputies some general guidance on what is rapidly emerging as a complex matter, it also served to illustrate just what deep waters the Assembly is headed into.

The paperwork was issued by the island’s most senior civil servant, the chief executive of the States, and he explained his unusual step because of ‘the potentially serious implications for good governance’ arising from the aftermath of the airport stoppage.

Elsewhere, he noted that the atmosphere was ‘currently highly politically charged’ and said that an appropriate independent inquiry needed to be held in order to preserve and maintain confidence in the government of this island.

That, alone, signifies the seriousness of what is happening. For most islanders, however, this is rather puzzling. There was a dispute, a sticking plaster was applied, an inquiry is to be held and everything eventually will be all right. What’s the fuss?

The political reality, however, is that deputies have lost focus on the real issue – how best to improve industrial relations with their own staff – and instead wish to embark on a trial of strength with those ministers who were involved in getting the fire crews back to work.

That is why members of the Public Sector Remuneration Committee want their mass resignations debated and why there is no agreement over what form the inquiry should take.

No one is in control and there is no telling what might course of action members might set in train.

It is for that reason that the island’s foremost professional adviser has stepped in to try to inject some sanity and prevent a very serious matter from becoming a spectacular political punch-up. In essence, he says Scrutiny’s inquiry won’t be believed because it is top-heavy with deputies, and a requete calling for a tribunal of inquiry will simply be too prescriptive.

What is needed is a totally independent review with no limits to its scope. Members need to heed that advice and leave the blood-letting for later.