Election 2008

I came to Guernsey in 1983 as an essential licence holder with special expertise in the horticultural seed industry. Sarah & I married in the spring of that year and in 1989 had the opportunity to set up our own business Sarnia Seeds Ltd., which operates from 4 vineries producing speciality tomatoes for UK supermarkets and seeds.

We have lived in Torteval & Forest for the past 25 years and brought up a family in a wonderful safe & caring community. There is no where else one would wish to bring up a family. It is this safe and caring community which I wish to nurture as a deputy. Earlier I have been a Scout Leader both in England and Guernsey and more recently I have been Constable of the Forest for three years and now sit on the Forest Douzaine.

In my business I use my endeavours to follow best practice, avoid the errors of the past and avoid re-inventing the wheel and these are the principles I would bring to the States.

I envisage the first purpose of a community is to provide services that an individual cannot offer his family such as education, health services, protection through police, fire brigade and customs. Where services do not need to be delivered by the community I would seek to transfer them to the private sector as we have done with electricity, telecoms & postal services. The second purpose of a community is to support the less able members, be it in terms of their health or income and this requires the redistribution of wealth.

For a community to succeed we must provide the environment which will enable our wealth generators to thrive, be it through Zero-10, revision of our planning laws and removal of red tape.

We must progress.