Split emerges as senior politicians ignore WAO’s call for urgent action
Wednesday 9th September 2009, 4:01PM BST.
THE Policy Council will not take the urgent action the Wales Audit Office believes is necessary to ensure major savings are made by the States, it emerged yesterday.
Instead of putting into motion a plan of action to reform the system of government so it can deliver cuts of millions of pounds identified in the forthcoming fundamental spending review, ministers have decided to wait and see if it works.
A majority of the Policy Council also do not want the WAO report debated, despite it identifying serious deficiencies in the current system.
Neither the WAO nor the Public Accounts Committee, which commissioned the report, has made any recommendations.
Instead it was left in the hands of ministers.
The council’s stance, announced yesterday, appears to highlight a split between pro-reformers such as Chief Minister Lyndon Trott and Treasury minister Charles Parkinson and traditionalists.
A statement issued yesterday on behalf of the Policy Council said it recognised that any sustainable government would constantly evolve in response to changing economic, social and environmental pressures and public expectations.
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Why on earth did the States commission the WAO report (at taxpayers expense) if they are just going to ignore the recommendations?
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For once I’m at a loss for words’
I believe it is because of the frustration of these idiots.
what on earth are they playing at, Their school days are over; when will they begin to act like adults and listen to the people.
They are a shame on the Island; THEY MNUST GO!
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I just cannot beleive what I am reading!
So when are our minister serving the public intrest in commisioning this report at considerable taxpayers expense, hopefully reading it, listening to business leaders and people of experience (who know how to run organisations with huge budgets and manpower) stating action is required and then sticking their heads in the sand!
I don’t think it has anything to do with ministers being traditionalists at all, it is purely down to ministers not taking responsibilty to improve an archaic machine because it seemed to hard! We need a strong leader to make big decisions, this is clearly not the case and I think the public have a right to shout out loud saying that they are not impressed with the caliber of the people who they have chosen to run the island.
This is a sad sad day, clearly showing the cracks in an inept old old system.
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But that’s exactly what they’ve done with all the other WAO reports. It’s more surprising that this one is getting so much attention.
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CD – according to the article the WAO didn’t actually make any recommendations, it only identified flaws in the current system.
If that is the case, what exactly was the point of the report? Writers on Your Shout can point out flaws in local government for free – why pay for an expensive report to tell us the system doesn’t work but not propose any alternatives?
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It’s not untypical of the States to make this kind of decision, to ignore something they feel uncomfortable with, it’s something the electore (Tax payers!) have become used to. But for the Policy council not to declare their rationale behind this stance is foolhardy. On the face of it it would seem Depuies Tott and Parkinson are the “good guys” wanting reform, but do they have a hidden agenda?? Do they want a more power and an executive style of Government. Deputy Trott said, in a recent radio interview, that he could do nothing about pushing forwad reforms as his position held no power, is this the reason he wants reform, and is this the reason other States members don’t??
And a general mesage to all States members – from this day forwad please be open and honest with the people who elected you, stand tall and let your true views be known, and tell the people of the Island what you’re prepared to do over the coming months and years to enure Guernsey continues to be a socially and economically stable place to live.
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Paul
I can sort of see your point, however if you get pulled over by the police and they say “you might want to get your front tyres looked at mate, they look dangerous”
What would you do??
Would you ignore their recommendation and potentially risk your life??
Or would you go and get them changed knowing it will cost you a bit of cash??
I know what I’d do….
We all know that the recommendations will come from the WAO at a premium because the states probably never asked for recommendations, just a review (and we all know consultants dont do things gratis).
However for some of the ministers to say it should be ignored (especially after commissioning it) is just madness.
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Why would they take any notice of the report? they dont take any from the people who elected them either.
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The Man, I agree however to take your analogy of the policeman: driver hears officer’s words but due to the lack of an official warning he decides to ignore him. A few weeks later tyres burst and driver gets seriously injured. If the same driver had received an official notice that his tyres were illegally dangerous he would be compelled to take action.
My only concern in having a report without clearly stated recommendations is that it is far too easily brushed away. If clear recommendations were made it would be harder to ignore them – or maybe that was the intention in the first place?
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Now im not saying if the recomendations in the report are the way forward or not, but why spend our money to produce a report they seem content in burying in the sand. We need a more open government and good explanation why after spending our money no actions are to be taken.
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