The skirmishes over GST look set to rumble on for at least another few months, after Guernsey deputies ran out of time to vote on the latest tax proposals at this week’s States Assembly meeting.
Deputies were asked earlier in the day if they’d be prepared to come in on Saturday, by Deputy Marc Leadbeater, but that idea was abandoned after a show of hands.
The debate will now be delayed until at least the end of September, when the Assembly reconvenes.
After some run-of-the-mill business on Wednesday morning, the States spent most of the last three days debating and voting on various delaying motions and amendments to Policy and Resources’ (P&R) tax proposals.
Filibustering & outrage
In total, deputies laid an astonishing 27 amendments – up from 22 at the start of Thursday – although not all of them were given debate time.
In the end, fewer than half of them were actually debated, with accusations of filibustering – a political tactic used to run down the clock on votes using extended debate.
P&R Member Deputy Charles Parkinson – a former opponent of GST – went on television to chastise deputies for using their allocated time during the debate, saying: “Sadly, some people think they need to talk for their full 15 minutes.”
Meanwhile many people – including deputies – were outraged the Assembly chose not to debate Deputy David Goy’s alternative tax proposal for a Productivity Incentivisation Tax (PIT).
What now?
The delay will be good news for opponents of the proposals, who now have more time to ask questions, fine-tune alternatives, and push P&R to release the numbers behind the 3% GST proposals.
Supporters of the proposals will argue delaying the decision yet again amounts to “kicking the can down the road”.
However, anyone who was hoping they’d heard the last of arguments over GST will be sadly disappointed.
The next States meeting is on 30 September.
