THE credibility of the island’s government took another huge blow yesterday as members were forced to rescind an important decision taken just hours earlier.

Deputies cringed as it became clear that – once again – its inability to get it right when it really counts had been laid bare.

‘People must be laughing with despair,’ said one deputy, while another summed it all up as ‘incredibly bad politics’.

And it was truly astonishing that, after months of preparation, the most important political debate of this century was derailed by an entirely predictable vote.

Predictable because some members were always going to be suspicious of Treasury’s motives for bringing the Ports Holding Account under its wing.

Many see the department as too hungry for power – and holding the purse strings is power. One minister went as far as to warn against Treasury becoming a ‘quasi-cabinet’.

The only people who did not appreciate the strength of that feeling appear to be in Treasury. If they had, they would have taken the amendment more seriously and either made it as clear as day to deputies just how important the money was to their plans, or had a plan B in the wings in case the amendment succeeded.

They did neither and the result was yesterday morning’s unseemly scramble from the Treasury minister to gather together a ball of wool that was rapidly unravelling.

His threat to withdraw the whole prioritisation and borrowing process from debate was enough to alert members to the seriousness of the situation.

Worryingly, among the 23 members who failed to register at first sight the importance of Treasury’s objections to the Flouquet amendment were eight ministers – including the chief minister.

Just what level of communication exists around the Policy Council table at present?

If it does not wield executive power and it does not help government communicate, what precisely is its purpose?