ANYONE currently struggling to accept the headline conclusion by the Wales Audit Office – that the States of Guernsey does not have a clear strategic direction or agreement on its strategic objectives and desired outcomes – had only to listen to Aurigny boss Malcolm Hart yesterday.

Giving evidence to the tribunal of inquiry into the airport firefighters’ dispute, he revealed that senior civil servants had warned him to be aware that the stoppage could last for up to 10 days.

It isn’t clear whether the advice came from Public Services, the operator, or Public Sector Remuneration, the negotiator, but the significance of it is plain. Senior echelons within government were entirely content to allow Guernsey’s aviation gateway to remain closed for that time and had no concerns whatsoever about the consequences for passengers, airlines and the businesses and industries reliant on a functioning airport.

That demonstrates a frightening disconnection from reality and a cavalier attitude towards those who have to earn money to pay staff and run a business.

In short, it could only have emerged from a public sector obsessed with following its own procedural processes and treating the airport and the terms and conditions of the staff there as yet another States department.

The lack of awareness is simply terrifying and equally plain – from the island’s number two civil servant’s earlier evidence – is the absence of strategies to prevent difficulties from escalating into full-blown crises.

That was why, it has also emerged, Unite the union, the editor of this newspaper, Mr Hart, and who knows how many others, all independently urged the chief minister to get involved and exercise some leadership to reopen the airport.

In doing so, of course, he went out on a limb and the tribunal of inquiry is a direct result of that as some of his States colleagues attempt to convict him of interference or exceeding his remit.

For islanders, that is the most puzzling aspect. Getting the airport open again had to be the priority but many in the States see the inquiry as a way of vindicating them having followed the right processes irrespective of whether the airport remained closed for 10 days.

There are profound lessons to be learned from this.