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It's time for the States to have some grown-up conversations and make decisions that won't "upend" important projects like the Transformation of Education, according to Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen.
She was speaking to Express after a presentation to States members and education staff earlier this week where she tried to filter out some of the "misinformation" around the project ahead of asking deputies to back it during next week's Funding & Investment Plan debate.
In response to recent suggestions that she should consider her position as President of Education, Sport and Culture if the project has to be scrapped due to funding constraints or challenges from other deputies, she said that would be "ridiculous" at this stage in the political life cycle.
Deputy Dudley-Owen said the States are in danger of returning to a "siloed approach" to working if they pit the education plans against the hospital for funding, when both are discussed as part of wider spending on island infrastructure.
"...that is extremely filtered and and very, very concerning for our island that we're re entering into a siloed approach," she warned.
Pictured: Director of Education Nick Hynes and Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture.
"We are subcommittees of the States. I stood unopposed to the position. No one wanted to do the job. People understood what I wanted to do. They understood that I needed to improve education in the island. And that's what I set out to do.
"I was supported in that unanimously, no one stood against me and yet so much hinges on our ability to deliver this particular project that to then re-enter into a siloed one versus another committee (approach), when actually the holistic priorities are to ensure that our education system is up and running and aspiring to excellence and that our health system is up and running and aspiring to very good quality medical care on the island, and that we have sufficient accommodation to house workers and to continue to house locals."
Deputy Dudley-Owen said that with her committee and others under pressure to deliver, she can't imagine anyone would want to step into her shoes as ESC President, more than three years into this term of office.
"I can't see that they would," she said. "We're coming towards the end of the term, to upend and to reorganise the way the States is working now, I think would be extremely damaging to the whole of Guernsey."
With disharmony in the ranks throughout this term of office, Deputy Dudley-Owen said it's now time for some members to stop throwing political footballs.
"(It is) absolutely ridiculous to think that some internal political squabbles and viewpoints cannot be overcome.
"We're adults, you know, we should be able to have mature, challenging conversations in a grown up way without putting the island's infrastructure and the island's future at such serious risk."
Pictured: The Policy and Resources Committee will lead next week's talks on the Government Work Plan, the Funding and Investment Plan and associated matters.
Next week, the States meeting will include a debate on the Government Work Plan for 2023 - 25.
That will include deciding what money can be spent where.
With some concerns over how the island's construction sector will deliver multiple large projects if the finances are approved for Phase 2 of the hospital redevelopment and the post-16 campus at Les Ozouets, Policy and Resources has assured the island that it can be done.
Education and Health make up the two biggest projects in the GWP, with JW Rihoy expected to work on both as the island's largest construction firm.
With the projects likely to run to different time frames it's considered that both could proceed, if the States supports a spending portfolio which includes both next week.
P&R said the two projects would not need to call upon the same specific trades and skills at the same time, meaning they could be run in tandem.
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