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The decision to "decouple" States spending from revenue raising has been made with the very finest of margins, after Deputy Roffey called on his colleagues to "act like adults" and take responsibility for their own decision making.
The Employment and Social Security President - who has consistently backed any efforts to lighten the financial load on lower earners - worked with Deputy Aidan Matthews to break down Policy and Resources proposals.
Their amendment "unbundles" the propositions regarding taxation and spending so the two subjects will be voted on separately later in the debate.
Some deputies were unsure that this was a good idea with the vote on Amendment 1 going through with 20 pour and 19 contre and one Deputy absent at the time of the vote.
That majority of one means P&R's proposals are now being redrawn into separate propositions but the subject matter will all remain the same.
Pictured: Deputies Aidan Matthews and Peter Roffey worked together to break down P&R's proposals into 'bite-size' propositions.
In essence, P&R wants to raise revenue through various means including a goods and services tax while also borrowing money to fund vital infrastructure developments and repairs.
Some deputies were concerned that by splitting the proposals into separate votes, the States could end up saddling the island with hundreds of millions of pounds of debt, while not realising any of the suggested ways of raising revenue.
Deputy Roffey countered that by saying they don't need to be "spoon fed packages" and should all be able to take responsibility for which way they vote.
"I say to members, do you feel like adults?
"Do you feel you're able to make a responsible mix of decisions over revenue raising and spending?
"If you don't, if you really feel you need to be spoon fed packages that fit together and you can't actually take responsibility for your own actions, then throw this amendment out, but I hope you don't feel that way."
P&R was backing Deputy Roffey and Matthew's amendment, as it didn't change their plans just the way it will be voted on.
Other senior States members including Deputy Lyndon Trott warned that members could vote for borrowing and spending but not raising taxes which would leave the island in debt. His concerns were echoed by others.
Pictured: P&R backed the amendment as it didn't fundamentally change their proposals.
Deputy Steve Falla was also concerned about the unintended consequences of the amendment fearing that many States Members wouldn't understand what they might end up voting for.
"I believe that Deputy Roffey has brought this amendment for the best of reasons and with the best of intentions, but I can't support it. It's just not clear enough what the consequences may be.
"The fact that during the recess, most members appear to be scratching their heads trying to make sense of it. And then overnight, we've had a number of diagrams and instructions about how to approach it makes me feel that I'm not alone.
"At worst we could end up voting for no revenue raising and a long list of spending. It feels like a game of snakes and ladders. And I for one do not want to slide down a snake."
In response, Deputy Roffey said that our elected States Members should be able to understand what they are voting for.
"What I would say to Deputy Falla is this amendment treats this assembly as adults and lets them make the responsibility for their own decision. If they do that, then the whole island will be in no doubt of what sort of assembly they elected last time around.
"We should have the freedom to make those choices and to use our responsibility.
"Actually, that danger is already there. Look at scenario two: it borrows £200 million. It spends most of the health reserve, I can't remember how many hundreds of millions of pounds on capital works and it raises no extra revenues at all. So if that's the danger then that danger already exists."
Deputy Roffey countered other concerns before the vote went his way.
"There's nothing in this amendment that obliges you to vote for one penny of borrowing. You'll be just as free to vote against borrowing," he said.
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