More productive government promised with 5 year terms

Monday 22 October 2018

Attempting to change the length of time our deputies spend in office may not have been met with universal support, but one of the politicians behind the idea thinks it will be good for the States of Guernsey.

Deputy Peter Ferbrache, in conjunction with Deputy Gavin St Pier, released proposals on Friday for changing the length of a term of office from four years to five years, with effect from the 2020 election.

That is already scheduled to be the first election which will see the States voted in on an island wide basis but the two senior politicians now want to make further changes.

The pair have placed an amendment against the States' Rules of Procedure, which comes under the remit of the States Assembly and Constitution Committee.

It's due to be debated either later this year or early next year and if enough deputies agree then SACC would have to come up with plans for bringing the five year terms of office in by the end of April 2019, so it can be brought in as soon as possible, meaning that those deputies elected island wide in 2020 will all serve five year terms.

Deputies St Pier, as the proposer, and Ferbrache, as the seconder, said this would fall in line with the Isle of Man which already has five year terms. 

Adding to that, Deputy Ferbrache said it would make the States more productive.

"Speaking just for myself as seconder of the amendment the main reason is to make the States more productive," he said. "In reality the States take a year, at least, to get going and the last year is electioneering so 50 per cent of the four year period is wasted. So a five year term is more productive."

While many people may say a more productive government is high on anyone's wish list, there were a large number of people angry at the proposal, with many saying it went against the recent referendum which saw a majority of people voting for island wide voting.

Option A which won the referendum promised the electorate the right to vote for 38 deputies, each elected on an island wide basis, with elections every four years with each deputy serving for four years.

Pictured: The options presented to voters at the recent referendum.

Just over a week after Option A won the vote, the amendment to change terms of office to five years was lodged. Jeff Brache said, "we will have to have another referendum because we have just voted on A for four years. They did say it would be binding. They say trust us, well we will see if we can."

Carla Blackmore said, "we voted 4 years and it’s binding, it better not change."

Deputy Ferbrache said he doesn't see any contradiction with the recent referendum though.

"The electorate decided two things," he said. "The first is that the people want Island wide voting.

"The second is that they want the chance to elect all the deputies."

Deputy Ferbrache said the proposals to change elections to every five years doesn't change that. 

Pictured top: Deputies Peter Ferbrache and Gavin St Pier.