Mark Helyar wants P&R election to be a public vote

Moves are under way to force next week's votes on a vacancy for Guernsey's Policy and Resources Committee (P&R) to be public.

Under States rules, votes for presidents and members of committees are normally done privately, but Deputy Mark Helyar has drafted a proposal to change that.

He said: "On an issue of this seriousness there should be nowhere to hide behind the secrecy of a ballot."

The vacancy on P&R came up after Deputy Gavin St Pier resigned from the committee following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and offences under the reform law. He denies the allegations.

Deputy St Pier has said he would stand for the position, whilst Deputies Jayne Ozanne, Haley Camp, Simon Vermeulen and David Goy have all said they would be interested in the role.

Deputy Marc Lainé had been tipped by many politicians to be the favourite for the role but has told colleagues he does not intend to stand.

P&R said it would not be selecting St Pier as its preferred nominee for the vacancy on the committee and has not confirmed who will be replacing him as treasury lead.

Ahead of the election on Wednesday 20 May, another proposal has been submitted to change the way the election will be held by Deputies Neil Inder and David Dorrity.

If approved by the States it would mean the candidates would face an election similar to that of presidents of States committees, meaning there would be a period of time where deputies could ask questions of candidates before voting.

The States can choose to override the established rules for elections in the assembly if an amendment is approved by majority vote.

Helyar said he planned to add to that motion by forcing a vote on whether votes for this position should be public.

"I have circulated this motion because I believe these are highly unusual circumstances.

"P&R is the senior committee of government, and the island's reputation depends on the integrity of those who serve on it.

"This is not about pre‑judging the outcome of any criminal investigation or undermining the presumption of innocence in the courts.

"It is about whether it would be a responsible decision, in the public interest, to elevate to one of the highest public offices in the bailiwick a person who is currently under investigation in respect of potentially serious criminal matters."

Helyar was one of the first politicians to criticise the move by St Pier to re-stand for the seat on P&R.

He said: "In my view that would be a serious error of judgment and would do real damage to Guernsey's standing.

"If any member is prepared to support such a candidature, then in my view the public has a right to know that they have done so.

"An open, recorded vote is the only way to ensure proper transparency and accountability to the people we serve."

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