BY A majority of three to one yesterday, States members instructed one of its watchdog committees to do what it was told – not tinker with the island’s machinery of government – when reporting back on ways of resolving the good governance issues identified by the Wales Audit Office.

And in doing so, the irony of their actions was entirely lost on most deputies.

The reason is that the States of Guernsey’s lack of effective scrutiny is number five out of the now infamous six-point tick-box of failure highlighted by the WAO and which government is supposed to be resolving.

How can any watchdog role be truly effective – or hold deputies and their departments to account – if it can be told what to do by those it is supposed to be scrutinising?

The other irony of yesterday’s debate was that there have been a succession of independent reports all pointing to broadly similar problems in the way the States conducts itself and that individuals are more concerned about processes rather than outcomes.

So it was yesterday. How dare Public Accounts take it upon itself to pursue the WAO report? It took the involvement of HM Comptroller to explain that the PAC was within its mandate but the inference was clear: if deputies don’t like where the watchdog is sniffing, it should be muzzled.

For everyone else of course, the real source of puzzlement is how so many elected representatives could miss the real point.

The WAO report is merely the latest highlighting – let’s be kind at this point – where improvements could be made.

Members might have focused on what sort of improvements might be introduced, or considered whether it is helpful for departments to retain silo-like independence and freedom to act in ways unhelpful to government’s corporate strategies.

They could have spoken about how to demonstrate taxpayers are getting value for money when none of the commonly accepted tests are in place.

But they did none of it.

If good governance is all about responsible government, what yesterday’s debate showed in terrifying clarity is that most deputies are wedded to retaining the freedom to act irresponsibly.