theA lderney Press Issue 314300 5th June - 19th June 2020 £1.50 Shock over articles published in Guernsey CEO’s wife castigates is not sold on Alderney but is well read on its home island and a number of government Guernsey States deputies contacted the Alderney representatives to express their STATES MEMBERS have reacted angri- surprise that she had placed her views ly after the wife of Alderney States’ CEO before the Guernsey public. sent a critical report about the island gov- Catherine Staite, who has undertaken ernment to the Guernsey Press for publi- governance reviews of two Guernsey cation instead of sharing her thoughts committees, had not been commissioned with them or the Alderney population. by Alderney States to review island gov- The articles, published on Wednesday ernance. and yesterday, gave her views on what is She said she found it “utterly astonish- wrong with Alderney’s government and ing” that the States has 10 elected mem- included claims that States members did bers for a population of 2,000 and put the not all conform to acceptable standards “cost of democracy” at £220,000 a year, of behaviour. which equates to £107 per person com- The print edition of the Guernsey Press pared with £30 in Guernsey. She did not Prof. Catherine Staite include reference to her husband’s six- figure salary as chief executive or other administration costs. Global challenge reaches home stretch She concluded that the structures of gov- ernment in Alderney were not fit for pur- pose, were top–heavy and very expensive to run. On the effectiveness of States systems of government, she considered the number of committees, sub-committees and working groups, resulting in about 130 meetings a year, was “entirely dispropor- tionate to the scale and scope of govern- ment.” She said “Each committee generates a lot of paperwork and eats up a huge amount of time, without producing much in the way of measurable impact.” Engagement with the public was outdat- ed and ineffective. The most controversial part of her piece identifying problems, concerned behav- iour of members, and after listing the qualities needed, she stated “Not all members conform consistently to high standards of behaviour, which are essen- This year’s Coast Race went global because of Covid-19, with entrants running and tial to good government.” No specifics otherwise exerting themselves during May near their homes. Participants from as far were mentioned, but in her second arti- away at Australia and New Zealand took part and over £2,700 was raised. The event cle, dealing with possible improvements reached the home stretch, quite literally, on Wednesday when cheques for £938 each to the system of government she wrote were presented to Beth Chapman for St. Anne’s School playground, Roland Gauvain “Alderney is a small community and we for AWT and Kate Orton for AAWS at arm’s and sticks length to be socially distant. See page 17 Continued on page 2 Alderney Chamber Music Festival launches online Concert Series 5 7 Alderney will soon have it’s very own se- concerts and musical ries of classical music evenings - through talks into Alderney 3 the online meeting app Zoom. homes. So many of our 10 11 ACMF@Home hopes to keep music alive wonderful ACMF Art- 8 9 in Alderney, even during lockdown. ists from around the 6 ACMF Artistic Directors Louisa and Samu- world are looking for- 4 12 el Staples write: ‘We are devastated to have ward to taking part and 1 2 13 to cancel this years festival. ACMF is the we hope that you will highlight of our year and our friends and be able to join us’. colleagues who all love Alderney are in- ACMF@Home will credibly disappointed not to be coming to take place on Fridays at play for you. We miss Alderney terribly, 6pm beginning with a Louisa and Samuel Staples but we are confident that both the island solo violin evening live from and the festival will be back stronger than Berlin with Louisa on the 12th of June. Do make sure you have the free meeting ever. In the meantime, we are excited to Entry is completely free, simply email al- app Zoom downloaded on your computer, share ACMF@Home with you, a new [email protected] tablet or smartphone. If you are having any online series that will bring thirty minute to claim your E-ticket and personal invite. problems downloading Zoom, please email us and we can help. Continued from front page can make our own judgements about the behaviour exhibited in our government. We know who is abusive, who tries to bully people, who uses their role to feed Just a bit of fun . How observant are you when out walking? their ego, who is manipulative or tells Can you identify where these places are? lies or supports the interests of their The arrows give you a clue. The answers will be in issue 315 friends against those of the whole com- munity. We also know who is hard- working, truthful and sober.” er, er, you can only apply by post or by Guernsey residents they are currently being Change to the structures of government Not SMART enough going to the Island Hall with your docu- reviewed as part of SMART Guernsey. would require technical, legal and moral These days you can do almost anything ments. “The review will identify opportunities to support from the UK Government and online, from ordering a pizza to paying bills These include printed photographs. While further enhance and expand the services as these can be made at one island shop, they the States of Guernsey, she wrote. It or renewing your TV licence. well as making them available to a wider can be home printed IF to a professional number of users including access for Alder- would also require the involvement of But if you live on Alderney you can’t re- new a driving licence online. standard, which is not so easy. ney residents.” She added that guidelines islanders in mature and sensible discus- Anyone with a Guernsey postcode can re- A spokesperson for Driver and Vehicle on driving licence photos have recently sions. new and send a digital photo using any of Licensing apologises and explains that been updated. Three options for change suggested were: four file formats, but if your code is GY9, while online services are only available to * trimming the existing States, by abol- ishing its plethora of committees, to refo- cus on its key tasks – the strategic leader- ship of core local services. *choose a much simpler model of gov- ernment, with an elected president, who chairs a small committee and represents NOONE & ASSOCIATES us effectively and constructively in Guernsey. *have a much closer relationship with FOR ALL YOUR Guernsey, not as the ‘13th parish’ [there ACCOUNTANCY, are currently 10—Ed.] but as an integrat- TAXATION, ed part of a Bailiwick government. “We PAYROLL, IT would still need local political leadership AND OTHER BUSINESS and management of services but we REQUIREMENTS would be part of a family, not a distant relative,” she wrote. Please contact Stepping into the political arena, she Brendan Noone urged people to “Vote wisely in Decem- Chartered Management Accountant ber”. Member of the Society of Trust and “We do not need lots of election manifes- Estate Practitioners tos. They have proved largely worthless Telephone: +44 (0) 1481 823869 in the past. We just need evidence that Mobile: +44 (0) 7911 723238 the candidates are committed to improv- Email: [email protected] ing things, will act with integrity and in Website: www.accounts.gg the interests of the whole island.” 2 [email protected] [email protected] 19 No wider ed out there was garden space and parking available and offered to move the develop- Quay FM awarded Further efforts by the owners of Burhou View ment 1m from his boundary wall if that Marina presentation well received in Petit Val Lane to obtain permission to have would be preferred. The committee approved £5,000 by a wider balcony constructed on the north ele- the plan subject to that change being made. 12 Friday An Alderney Marina moved back onto the vation have been rejected by BDCC. HIGH TIDES: 1141 2357 agenda of the States yesterday (Thursday) Enterprise Trust With permission granted for a balcony 1.5m LOW TIDES: 0551 1803 when all States Members and seven civil AY Enterprise Trust, the new charity set up wide, the owners applied in August to in- Amendments agreed servants met to receive an online presenta- crease the width to 2.75m. In August, a fur- Amendments to plans for four apartments at to assist in the revitalisation of the island’s 5 Friday 13 Saturday tion from two leading members of a consor- economy and reviving its entrepreneurial ther application was rejected on grounds that the site of the former Mouriaux Garage, in- tium who were the States preferred bidders it would cause overlooking of neighbouring volving a flat roof instead of tiled over slight- HIGH TIDES: 0623 1847 HIGH TIDE: 1238 spirit, has made its first two grants. LOW TIDES: 0036 1259 LOW TIDES: 0642 1859 in 2013. property, and another refusal was issued on a ly enlarged garages, were approved by the QUAY-FM is to receive a capital injection Gordon Owen, a former chief executive of majority vote of members at last month’s BDCC at their May meeting. of £5,000 for a continuity project aimed at Cable and Wireless and architect Derek committee meeting. 6 Saturday 14 Sunday keeping the station broadcasting in the Elliott, presented amended plans which HIGH TIDES: 0710 1931 HIGH TIDES: 0059 1342 event of future disasters and civil emergen- Job done LOW TIDES: 0738 2002 Annexe plan rejected LOW TIDES: 0123 1344 were similar to their 2012 proposal for a cies.