Q & A

1. WHAT DID THE LAST STATES GET RIGHT?
Internationally handling expertly Brexit plus depositors protection issues, Corona-virus management, taking first steps on anti-discrimination legislation and secondary pensions, improving bus passenger numbers.


2. WHAT DID THEY, THE STATES, GET WRONG?
Justice and drugs review unnecessarily delayed and zero progress on Education reorganisation. Bureaucratic regulation, postponed capital expenditure, less effective public accounts scrutiny auditing. We also failed to make progress on aspirational housing, supporting first time buyers and developing sites.

3. WHICH OF THE 4 SHORT-LISTED SECONDARY EDUCATION MODELS DO YOU
FAVOUR, AND WHY?
The preferable solution would liberate flexibility & opportunity so I prefer two 11 to 16 schools + one 11 to 18 on the Grammar site conserving our excellent sixth form academy.

4. ARE POLITICAL PARTIES GOOD FOR GUERNSEY?
Yes, eventually but current options aren’t based on democratic mass membership ideas. We need more diversity, leadership and accountability but no whip bullying!

5. HOW SHOULD WE REBUILD THE ECONOMY IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19?
Revitalise tourism through affordable transport air / ferry connections and routes, with grants to innovative 'Start Up' businesses, targeted tax reductions and infrastructure project management.

6. ARE MORE TAXES, INCLUDING A SALES TAX AN INEVITABLE PART OF THAT
RECOVERY?
No! The opposite policy is a compelling solution with reduced taxes for retail, lower earners, and business enterprises. Consumption taxes should only be considered with other tax reductions.

7. WHICH STATES PROJECTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PRIORITISED?
Education with reconsidering la Mare de Carteret school site, Town Seafront enhancement and harbour pier terminal redevelopment, and electric vehicles for public services. #buildbackbetter

8. COVID-19 : SHOULD THE ISLANDS BORDERS BE OPENED MORE QUICKLY?
No! Staying safe together protecting vulnerable islanders with internal economic freedom is the best way forward for at least 6 months although safer family business travel research options must continue.

9. WHAT MORE SHOULD BE DONE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE?
We need offsets, mindset attitude shifts combined with solar panels, energy insulation-incentives grants, restructuring electricity tariffs, subsidising electric vehicles and reducing commercial waste.

10. ARE WE BUILDING HOUSES IN THE RIGHT PLACES?
No! Time for radical change with focused brown field redevelopment like the BRIDGE preferable to homes or industrial warehouses down rural lanes taking good food producing land away.

And finally,

11. SHOULD CANNABIS (MARIJUANA) BE LEGALISED?
Yes with reservations as we need a mature conversation about unfairly harsh sentences, weed adult personal use decriminalisation and how best to regulate medicinal and relaxant healthy drug use.

Sincerely


John Gollop

Links
My 2020 manifesto as a PDF
Election 2020 - my candidate page
Election 2020 - candidate question and answers
My previous 2016 manifesto
My page on the States of Guernsey (Government) website