If deputies don’t want GST, they need to “explain how [they’re] going to replace that income”.

That was the clear message from Deputy Andrew Niles, a Policy and Resources (P&R) Member, during a tetchy Scrutiny hearing earlier this month.

This was echoed by P&R President Lindsay de Sausmarez, who said deputies opposing GST needed to identify how any alternative would “be funded or where savings will come from”.

Well one deputy who took them at their words was first-term States’ Member Deputy David Goy, who put forward a detailed, 129-page plan explaining how he’d replace the income from GST and the rest of P&R’s package.

Deputy Goy argued his Productivity Incentivisation Tax (PIT) proposal – which was 75% the length of P&R’s own policy letter – would be fairer and more effective.

However, on Thursday the States Assembly chose not to debate any of the four amendments Deputy Goy presented, in a decision branded “a disgrace” by Deputy Haley Camp.

Asking for alternatives

“I may not agree with Deputy Goy’s proposals, but I do not agree that his right to bring alternatives should not be heard in a debate that has been asking for alternatives,” she said.

Deputy Camp explained there was “a rule that allows the Assembly not to hear a debate on a proposal that goes beyond the original proposition”.

However, she felt the rule was being used by P&R and its supporters “to prevent Deputy Goy’s proposals from being duly considered and voted on”.

Deputy Jayne Ozanne echoed the sentiment, saying she was “sad and frustrated”, calling it “political manoeuvring”.

Meanwhile Deputy Rob Curgenven said: “Just because P&R doesn’t want to hear opposing views, it doesn’t mean islanders – or other deputies – feel the same.”

Deputy Curgenven said deputies had a “right” to speak on behalf of voters on “the biggest change to Guernsey’s tax system since the Second World War”.

Incorrectly drafted

However, Deputy Rhona Humphreys defended the decision, posting on social media that the amendments had been “incorrectly drafted” and that “each one would negate the one proceeding [sic: preceding] it”.

She said “not voting in them is in the best interest of the whole process”, because of the “drafting error”.

She said Deputy Goy had been invited to “submit an amendment without the errors”, adding: “He declined.”

Whatever the rules of the Assembly, it’s left many islanders – and some of their elected representatives – questioning whether it was fair to stifle the debate.

One Facebook poster summed up the mood: “Why wasn’t David Goy allowed to speak, allowed to explain his proposals?”

‘Deeply disappointed’

Deputy Goy told Express he was “deeply disappointed” his “constructive” proposals were “never even debated”.

He said: “My focus has always been on developing sound policy and finding fair, sustainable solutions for Guernsey.

“To see these proposals not even receive a debate is deeply disappointing. I know many of my colleagues share that same disappointment.”

Deputy Goy said Deputy Humphreys’ claim that he’d declined to submit a corrected version was “incorrect”.

He told Express: “As explained, the reason my amendments were not debated was because they were ruled out of scope, and motions were brought forward to prevent them from being debated. Unfortunately, those motions were successful.”

He said the “drafting issue” was “entirely separate”.

He explained that because he’d missed a filing deadline, Assembly rules would have meant that if he resubmitted he would not have been allowed to explain his proposals in the chamber, so chose not to.

“If enough Members had been interested in exploring these proposals further, I could then have resubmitted them with the necessary motions to suspend the Rules of Procedure,” he added.

Fix the holes in the boat

Deputy Goy told Express he felt the Assembly should have “at least debated my amendments”.

“I strongly believe these alternatives represent the due diligence that needs to take place before we even contemplate broad-based taxes like GST, which increase the cost of living for ordinary families.

“We should not be asking the public to bail out water before we have fixed the holes in the boat.”

Fighting for ordinary families

Deputy Goy vowed “not to give up fighting for ordinary families”.

He added: “I strongly believe the alternatives I presented, all of which are drawn from my PIT framework, represent the genuine tax reform that this island needs.

“For that reason, I believe these ideas will return in another form. If not this time, then another time.”

The Deputy – who came 23rd out of 38 at last year’s general election – said he would “leave it for the people to decide” whether the 6,703 people who voted for him had been disenfranchised by the Assembly’s decision.