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Discrimination will be outlawed on multiple grounds in the years to come, however States have decided against creating an Equality & Rights Advisory Committee.
The Committee was proposed in an amendment put forward by Deputies Sarah Hansmann Rouxel and Jennifer Merrett.
The vote was lost as it was felt that the proposed Committee would not achieve enough to warrant the resources necessary to establish it. However, support was voiced by a number of deputies for an Organisation that would provide the proposed scrutiny & expertise on matters of equality, but would be fully independent from the States of Guernsey.
Some deputies, including Policy and Resources President Gavin St Pier, were concerned that the Equality & Rights Committee would be redundant, as many of the responsibilities it would take on are already fulfilled by the Employment and Social Security Committee.
Pictured: Deputy St Pier was not a fan of setting up an Equality & Rights Advisory Committee, which he said would be "worse than nothing".
“Several people have asked whether or not this committee would be better than nothing,” said Deputy St Pier during the States of Deliberation. “I would go further and suggest that it would actually be worse than nothing.”
Other deputies doubted that the third sector and special interest groups, who directly lobby members of the States, would feel that this committee would be necessary, saying that consultation on the matter may be needed.
Another amendment introduced by Deputy Hansmann Rouxel, which hoped to increase the budget for education and advice for smaller businesses, was also lost.
Guernsey Disability Alliance's Karen Blanchford was unimpressed by the decision.
"Oh well the third sector can just keep doing awareness-raising for free then," she tweeted. "Very disappointing."
Pictured Top: Deputy Sarah Hansmann-Rouxel has lost her proposed amendment to establish an Equality & Rights Committee to advise the States of Guernsey on policy matters concerning equality
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