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Despite having the best intentions, there is a lack of trust and respect among the island's politicians, according to two of the most senior deputies in the States, and a rehash of the States Code of Conduct has been mooted as a way of resolving that.
As President of Education, Sport and Culture, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen is responsible for the States' second largest budget - and the ongoing transformation of secondary education among other work streams.
As a panelist at the Women in Public Life debate on politics last night, Deputy Dudley-Owen told the audience that trust among each other and trust from the electorate are both lacking in this term of government, but she also said she doesn't think the States is as toxic as some deputies claim.
Deputy Dudley-Owen said the 2016-20 States was far more adversarial than the current States, which is her second term in office.
Deputy Heidi Soulsby says: "it's only a small number of people who are the problem, but they are being allowed to get away with it. Let's replace the politics of fear, with hope and trust."
— Women in Public Life Guernsey (@womenpubliclife) June 12, 2023
Deputy Heidi Soulsby is in her third term of office and told the audience that toxicity has increased throughout her 11 years and counting in office.
She claimed the seating plan, devised by the Bailiff as Presiding Officer of the States, has enabled some of the toxicity to develop by creating opposing sides of the States. She said that may work in other parliaments, such as the UK where there is a government and an opposition, but she says it doesn't work in a consensus government such as ours.
They agreed that one way of improving trust in the States and individual politicians can be achieved is through reshaping the Code of Conduct to heighten focus on behaviour instead.
They also agreed that increased engagement with the electorate needs to be a priority.
Pictured (l-r): Jennifer Nadel, Deputy Heidi Soulsby, Perrin Carey, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, and (standing) Shelaine Green.
Deputy Dudley-Owen said she doesn't think the current States are keeping up with the expectation of the electorate. A lack of training and then follow up training for new States members was also highlighted - with the idea of mentors for new States Members suggested.
Deputy Dudley-Owen explained how she had invested £10,000 of her own money into her personal development by doing the Institute of Directors course to prepare her for standing for a presidency role in the States. Acknowledging that States budgets are already being squeezed, she said there may not be public money available to train States members but the expense involved precludes less well off people from putting themselves forward for leadership roles.
Both women were supportive of ideas to improve engagement with the public - with Deputy Dudley-Owen saying "everyone is keen for the public to be more involved", and various ideas were mooted about how to achieve that.
Citizens assemblies were highlighted, with the Youth States and wider student engagement encouraged. Students in the audience pointed out that some of the Youth States events organised are very poorly attended with one not even advertised to the current States members.
There are lots of hands up with people eager to ask questions. A year 10 pupil says hardly any States members turned up to a Youth States meeting. Also it wasn't even registered on the https://t.co/qHFFbSwvTg website
— Women in Public Life Guernsey (@womenpubliclife) June 12, 2023
Governance Specialist Perrin Carey was also on the debate panel and after extolling the need to protect our culture he also said the States have a duty to those young people who are already engaged in politics and want to be further engaged.
"You are the custodians," he told current States members. "Those coming after you have to pick up what you leave behind," he added, encouraging more work to bring together the young people of the island and current politicians.
Also on the panel was Jennifer Nadel who had opened the evening as guest speaker.
Ms Nadel is the Co-Founder of Compassion in Politics. She explained how compassion has been lost in UK politics, and ideas were shared on how to rediscover it.
Pictured: Some of the ideas shared by Jennifer Nadel.
With her father being saved from persecution - by the compassionate people responsible for the Kinder Transport, prior to the outbreak of World War Two in Europe - Ms Nadel highlighted how vital it is.
She was keen to learn about politics in Guernsey - saying there are few good examples of governance anywhere. Citing the UN as an example, Ms Nadel said "they are great on talk, but they're lacking on the walk".
Debate chair Shelaine Green had opened the debate by warning that the growth of toxicity in the States is only going to get worse, she later closed the debate by saying: "The ideas put forward tonight will not get done by themselves, they will be done because people get together and drive them. It doesn't have to be this way."
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