A PROPOSED new law requiring ministers to consider how new policies and legislation would impact future generations has been rejected by the States Assembly.
Deputy Karen Wilson put forward the new law, which she said would focus on protecting the Island’s finances and avoiding unsustainable debt, safeguarding the Island’s natural environment, identity, heritage and community cohesion, supporting a resilient, sustainable economy and ensuring policies helped future generations adapt to economic, technological, environmental and social change.
“We have an ongoing responsibility to start the ball rolling [in this respect] and signal our intent,” she said. “The alternative is that we continue to shape policy by chance.”
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham was one of multiple ministers to speak against the move, expressing fears about the effect of an extra layer of bureaucracy.
Deputy Farnham said: “This looks attractive at first glance but when you look beyond that it is less compelling – it’s unclear, unenforceable and won’t deliver real change.”
Treasury Minister Elaine Millar questioned Deputy Wilson’s argument that a similar scheme had worked well in Wales since being introduced around a decade ago, saying that the future generations commissioner there had described Wales as a small jurisdiction when its population was approximately 50 times bigger than Jersey’s.
The proposition was defeated by 32 votes to 12.
