Warning over review of States decision-publishing process

Warning over review of States decision-publishing process

Deputy Kirsten Morel was speaking about a government project to change how ministers’ decisions are recorded and presented to the public. Currently these documents, which include controversial decisions like the one that awarded States chief executive Charlie Parker his residential ‘quallies’, are compiled and published in a collaborative process between government officials and the independent States Greffe.

However, according to a States source, the ‘preferred option’ for a new way of recording ministerial decisions would be to remove the involvement of the States Greffe from the process and hand it instead to the ministerial support team in Cyril Le Marquand House.

This would place the clerks who would be recording and officially presenting government decisions in the same States department as the officials who draft policy and run government communications campaigns.

Deputy Morel expressed concerns about the centralisation of power that this option would represent if it were adopted.

‘While there’s still some confusion about the executive’s plans for the drafting and recording process for ministerial decisions, any move that seeks to remove the States Greffe from the process is likely to increase the risk of poor decision drafting, duplication of activities and will inject greater politicisation into the making, drafting and recording of ministerial decisions,’ he said.

‘The States Greffe is exactly the kind of service that Islanders need to see operating in sensitive areas such as the drafting and recording of ministerial decisions. To remove them from the process, at a time when so many of us are concerned about the effects of the changes to the machinery of government and the accumulation of power by the executive, would be to reduce transparency and efficiency in an area of law-making that is already
contentious.’

A spokesperson for the States Greffe, which lists ‘publishing and disseminating all official documents’ as part of its core administrative function, has also emphasised that impartiality and objectiveness are the cornerstones of the services they provide.

‘Officers at the States Greffe have been involved in supporting States committees and bodies for many years in the production of objective, impartial, accurate and well-written records of meetings,’ she said. ‘Our dedicated committee clerks are highly skilled and experienced in producing minutes and summary-style documents, we are trusted and respected for the work we do and we are happy to play our part in whatever process is devised to replace the current Livelink system for recording ministerial decisions.’

However, a government spokesman said that no final decision had been made regarding the new process. He declined to comment on whether a preferred option had been identified, saying instead that the existing system was ‘nearing the end of its life’. He added: ‘No decisions have been taken on what should replace the system, or any changes in procedure that may be required. However, we will ensure that we deliver greater transparency and an accurate, high-quality record of the decisions taken by government.’

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