St Helena : GOVERNOR GURR CHAIRS EXCO OVER THE PHONE
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 18.01.2008 (Article Archived on 01.02.2008)
Due to the wonders of technology I was able to chair this morning’s Executive Council from Ascension Island. Also I apologise for the fact that this is being recorded over the phone, so I probably sound more tinny than usual.
GOVERNOR GURR CHAIRS EXCO OVER THE PHONE
Due to the wonders of technology I was able to chair this morning’s Executive Council from Ascension Island. Also I apologise for the fact that this is being recorded over the phone, so I probably sound more tinny than usual.
All Exco Members were present and we began by looking at a Memorandum on the subject of public consultation. By now this has become a familiar subject and is all to do with the government trying to be as transparent as possible in its dealings, and in attempting to provide a good opportunity for any member of the public to be able to give their opinion on what should be done. I hope that this means that all new ideas and views will be taken into account on the issues raised. There has been some criticism of the timing of these meetings and the amount of detail that is being released. All I can say about that is that we are doing our best to make sure that the meetings will be held in different places and at a time that seems to be the most convenient. We are trying to please most of the people most of the time! There will be press releases telling you what is being discussed, where and when. Hopefully we will also be able to see that the required information is available in plenty of time.
The next Paper was initiating a discussion on the subject of the law surrounding our elections. It was promised after the last election that this would be done - and now we are starting that process.
The discussion will be structured and will involve all Councillors in Information Legcos. One of the thorny problems to be addressed is whether we will make it possible for government employees to stand and if so what rules would surround that. These deliberations will start soon.
The next Memorandum dealt with two clauses from the Economic Development Ordinance of 2007. Clauses 9 and 10 had been left out of the Ordinance last year as they were felt to be controversial. It isn’t that we avoid all controversy it was simply felt appropriate to delay bringing them forward. The two clauses deal with the employment of immigrants and landholding and have not proved to be controversial. In fact they create a more effective sanction on investors. However because of the importance of the subject, and the feeling of some Legco only councillors who had made their wishes known, it was decided that the complete Ordinance should be discussed at a forthcoming Information Legco.
Those of you with an interest in these matters may recall that the draft Bill for the Land Planning and Development Control Ordinance 2007 had been open to comment back in December. An interested member of the public submitted a long list of comments and suggestions just before the deadline and the Attorney General reported that he had now had the chance to consider the issues raised. He advised that a few minor amendments will now be proposed and the member of the public will be fully informed as to the situation.
Councillors next considered a draft submission to the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) of the UK Parliament. This is an interesting situation in that the FAC is carrying out an investigation into the whole issue of Overseas Territories.
Back in September it asked for submissions from anyone who wanted to say something. I know that all Saints will be very familiar with zany ideas about their island being floated by people who may have never been here or had only a small experience of what we are really like. This call for submissions produced quite a few of these. One only has to look at the FAC website to see some of them for yourself – a large pier that can also be used as an airport and such like. Councillors decided initially not to make a submission, but following Councillor Isaac’s visit to Europe and appearance before the FAC it was felt that it would be helpful to the FAC to make a submission that provided a sound basis for their understanding of the Island. A document is now in draft and all 12 Councillors will be working on that over the next few days.
The Order Paper for next weeks’ Legco was decided upon. You may be interested that this will be the first Legco where the idea of having a full adjournment debate will be tried. This means that at the very end of the Legco, almost certainly on Friday of next week, all 12 Councillors will be able to speak in a general fashion about any topic. I hope that members of the public and Councillors themselves find this a worthwhile exercise.
Under Matters Arising the Census date was confirmed as 10th February.
Under Any Other Business, the fact that the new crèche is abiding by Health and Safety standards was confirmed, and I assured Honourable Members that the whole issue of the current performance and future funding of the RMS St. Helena is being looked into in detail in the near future.
There was also concern expressed that the current work being carried out around the quay is causing some difficulty on the wharf and to the local fishermen.
The Chief Secretary is to look into this. In closing the Council passed a unanimous vote of thanks to Mrs. Carol George who is moving shortly to take up the post of Head of the Health Department. We all agreed that she has done the difficult job of Clerk of Councils with real professionalism and skill and I believe that the Island is in debt to her for her commitment to her job. The meeting finished shortly after 11.30.
I found the experience of chairing from a distance acceptable, but I missed the aside comments and facial expressions of the Members. They sometimes reveal more than what is being said.
A.M.Gurr
15th January 2008
(100X Transcription Service)
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