Old Harbours Run Deep

Rather than a civil servant, for that is what the Harbour Master is, stating that 2010 will be a year of consultation listening to boat owners before any decisions are made one has to question why any decisions need to be made. The reason of course is to keep civil servants in meaningful employment. I will lay my cards down. I am not a boat owner and I do not benefit from the Old Harbour.

However what is fundamentally wrong here is yet again government, as with so many other walks of life, is interfering in something that works quite well and clearly local boat owners are happy with. Local boat owners. These are the people who are also now subject to SOLAS regulations, which have been adapted to suit Jersey, and apparently make it near impossible for small boat owners to comply with the law.

What the Island should be looking to do rather than come up with grand schemes is to appoint consultants to conduct and root and branch review and time and motion study of the whole Island civil service through every department and outline where cuts need to be made and then make them. This should happen before any taxation review.

The Island could lead the world in its cost cutting from government.