‘Why let facts get in way of prejudice?’
Wednesday 25th November 2009, 1:00PM GMT.
GUERNSEYFINANCE chief executive Peter Niven has hit out at Deputy Gloria Dudley-Owen for being ill-prepared for a States debate on Guernsey Finance Law.
She has seconded an amendment to a proposal by the Commerce and Employment Department that recommends businesses regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission pay £75 per full-time employee annually to support GuernseyFinance, the industry’s promotional body.
Mr Niven criticised Deputy Dudley-Owen (pictured) for requesting last-minute information from GuernseyFinance ahead of the debate.
He said she and Deputy Rhoderick Matthews, whose amendment it is, had done nothing to acquaint themselves with the facts.
‘But why should States deputies let the facts get in the way of what their petty prejudices are?’
In an email to the deputy, he said repeated requests for information from GuernseyFinance this week and in the run-up to the debate were unprofessional. ‘Quite some while ago I set aside time to speak with you about the work of GuernseyFinance but, unfortunately, you had to cancel that meeting and a replacement date was never arranged.’
Mr Niven said GuernseyFinance had set up a meeting for all States members to update them on the work that was being done by the organisation, but Deputy Dudley-Owen had again not attended. She was also absent at the industry update at the OGH last month, he said.
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The States finance most if not all Guernsey Finance.
Mr Niven is effectively (those who support GF not the word effectively) paid by the taxpayer.
Mr Niven should answer questions put to him by deputies even if they offend by not being in the manner nor time, he dictates.
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Stephen, we pay the salaries of the deputies. Surely it’s not too much to ask for them to be a little bit organised for the job we pay them for?
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Niven is classless and rude. He should answer any question regardless of elected persons’ uselessness.
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Also!
It would not be amiss if all parties, before they go too far.
‘should at least bge honest.’
I know I dream, I also remember how things were with our own people; People we knew and they dare not do the scandalous things that are now common place.
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I wonder how the Guernsey Press got to know about the contents of an email from an individual to a Deputy…more spin!
Also, as Guernsey Finance is funded by the taxpayer doesn’t that make Mr Niven a civil servant?
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Peter
Seems that he is not civil and is self-serving.
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Mr Niven probably regrets some of his wording but I can understand his frustration.
He and his staff and the relevant States committee probably spent months working out the proposals in their Policy letter.
They invited States members to meetings to explain their plans,but the deputy concerned managed to miss all of these opportunities before blindly seconding an amendment to alter those well prepared plans.
It seems that no matter what is proposed in the States meetings there is ALWAYS some know all who has worked out something better on the back of a fag packet or in most cases on the back of a carrier bag.
I suppose that is what passes for debate in a democracy but very rarely do these late amendments achieve anything except waste civil servants time by having to answer stupid last minute questions and worse still waste States time in the chamber.
A fellow by the name of Tony was notorious for this type of questioning. Now that he is gone perhaps Mr Niven is trying to prevent another Deputy moving in ?
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Ray, you’re being funny again, aren’t you?
Why can’t anyone demand information from a publically funded institution that purports to serve the public (Yeah right!!) whenever they like without being insulted by a self publicist?
Niven is a disgrace to our island.
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