JERSEY should work with Guernsey to identify one or two sure-fire areas of cooperation – but it also needs to be mindful of the political differences between the islands, a forum of business leaders has heard.
On Tuesday, a panel-led discussion organised by the Jersey Chamber of Commerce explored where the two islands should work collaboratively to save both Crown Dependencies time, money and effort.
However, reflecting on his own experiences in government, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said that while inter-island cooperation in the business world could be relatively painless if an organisation’s leadership wanted it to happen, it was far less straightforward at a political level.
“I learned the hard way that our interests are not always the same,” he said, using Guernsey’s stance on the ownership of Aurigny and funding of the Islander ferry, and its Covid measures in 2020, as examples of divergent positions.
“I certainty want to work more closely with Guernsey, and see healthcare as the place to explore first, but it is also vital that we continue to understand the realities,” he added.
Those included, he argued, Guernsey still operating under a committee system of government; Jersey having a more “transparent” political system, including a strong Freedom of Information Law and dedicated Scrutiny panels; and concerns in Guernsey of being “dominated” by Jersey.
However, the Deputy said that the islands did work together at a number of levels, including the lottery, the Bureau des Iles Anglo-Normandes, various tourism trade shows this year and the Jersey Cyber Security Centre successfully pitching for work in Guernsey.
Other panellists included Channel Islands Coop chief executive Mark Cox, who identified several areas in which he would like to see the islands working together, including health procurement, the utilities, offshore energy, regulation and transport links.
This would avoid duplication and save both time and money, he said.
The panel, which also included Executive Director of Guernsey of Commerce Alice Gill and Jersey Chamber of Commerce president Lee Madden, all supported calls for a ‘inter-island work permit’ which would allow workers on a permit in one island to fill employment gas in the other.
Both Deputy Morel and Ms Gill also expressed their support for the construction of a tunnel between the two islands and onto France.
All agreed that the two islands needed to identify some ‘quick wins’ to increase the level of collaboration, which would come about through greater communication and consequential trust.
