WRITING today, columnist and former politician Peter Roffey considers the performance of the States, concludes that there is some sign of backbone developing yet gives it only four out of 10. So, definitely ‘could do better’.

If accurate – and there are some who will believe his marking is too generous – it is a low base of achievement from which to face up to the challenges ahead.

Yet while there’s room for improvement, there is also room for hope.

What States members and their officials will need in the coming months are open minds.

Guernsey is where it is because for a generation plus, money has been easy to come by and easy to spend on staff and public services.

Those days have gone and a new realism needs to be ushered in. And that means having an island debate on what the minimum levels of service should be, what the menu of enhancements is, from plain vanilla to gold plated, what they cost and how much people are prepared to pay for them.

It is not a debate that has happened before.

Before zero-10 and a crushing recession, the name of the game was service creep as whatever enhancement could be devised could generally be afforded.

That, inevitably, has led to bloat and has to be reassessed, with the whole public sector modernised and developed to take account of the new reality. Part of that process means that performance has to be recognised – as does the need for accountability.

What has been lacking to date is any sense that government as a whole is moving at anywhere near the speed required, or even that it is moving at all.

When zero-10 was mooted, islanders made it clear that they expected government to share the pain of less money. That has not happened and December’s Budget will reveal what further damage the States has in mind for taxpayers.

Instead, however, the process could become much more open and recognise that change is a partnership dialogue involving islanders, the public sector and deputies.

That alone has to be worth seven out of 10 and would pave the way towards a better future.