I'd like one of them, please.
Second day on the 2016 Campaign Trail for me. Our youngest daughter Emily, back for her Easter break from her Vis-Com degree at Bournemouth University joined me in the wind and rain in the Grandes Rocques area to knock on a few dozen doors. Like yesterday - although the weather was almost the opposite - many folk were out, or perhaps away for the weekend. Nevertheless we left note cards to say we'd dropped by, with details of this website and how to contact me if they wanted to discuss an issue. Those that were in and wanted to talk did not tend to want to discuss "an issue" but rather "every issue" you could think of. So I've made some plans to return to a few homes, as well as to follow up on this blog with some of the issues raised as well as via Twitter and Facebook so that others can join in if they want.
Those we talked to fell largely into two categories:
1. Totally ****ed off with everything. It would seem in a couple of cases it was certainly not just the government, but TV, radio, press, media in general, their neighbours, the weather, quality of teachers, "foreigners" (apparently there's only 18,000 of us "real Guerns" left - Cor la me!), parents who can't control their kids, banks, those who work in finance generally, bus-drivers, taxi-drivers, hoards of unemployed youths loitering about (apparently generally at Cobo where I live), the Middle East, Europe, France in particular, Jersey (mentioned at least twice). Reassuring that the moans were very widely spread, but of course the States "should always do something about it." For the few people who expressed this type of view to me today (and it was only about 6 or 7 out of around 30 I spoke to on the doors) it was clear that this current government would be classified as the "Worst States Ever". I didn't have to ask, in fact one person used the phrase several times as soon as she began speaking, "You've all been in for far too long" she opined, "We need to vote at least half of you out and have a new lot in!" When I tried pointing out to the lady that this is basically what happened in 2012, when nearly half the assembly were complete newcomers and a couple were returnees like me, having taken a break from politics, she would have none of it. Apparently we've all be at it for decades, and this certainly makes us the worst States ever - even the Press were saying so now, so there must be some truth in it. Apparently we have made all the wrong decisions on everything, and ignored things we should have been deciding on (I asked for an example, and although she could not think of one, someone from another room shouted "airport runway"). Unfortunately I had not read John Fernandez's interesting take today on this very issue, otherwise I might have pointed her towards reading more than the headlines and the letters pages, but you know, I sort of recognised I was unlikely to win this argument, so I bade her a happy Easter and trudged on to the next door. This lady was probably at the extreme end of the this category, and it was important to recognise her perceptions, but there were others who felt similarly even if they expressed themselves in a more reserved manner.
2. Grateful for the advances made in social policy this term. It was really heartening to speak to again around half a dozen people who each, unprompted, mentioned some issue in the area of equality, disability and inclusion, mental health, pre-school education, Guernsey Employment Trust, extra-care housing, etc., where they evidently were personally aware of the benefits that are coming about because we have taken (for Guernsey) huge strides in these areas during the last term. It was particularly encouraging to note several people recognise that we have managed to take these decisions despite huge financial constraints and a global recession which has caused other governments to back-pedal in social policy areas. One of them said to me "You've all had one of the most difficult terms in living history and I think you've done better than we could have imagined". Not quite "Best States Ever" but I'll settle for exceeding expectations! He also went on to say - as people often do, although I find it annoying - that he could never do my job, and he didn't envy the issues we've had to handle, and the tough decisions to make. These were not people living in unreality - they had frustrations (one family were struggling to rearrange transport for their son and fiancée due to ferry cancellations) but they realised that government has not and cannot have all the answers as it does not control all the variables - neither would we want it to!
The thing is I reckon both of the above groups would therefore agree on this: This has been a Watershed States - a term when some major changes and tough decisions have been made, when a paradigm shift in culture has been initiated, some are threatened by this and others embrace it as long overdue. I might be wrong on this, but this would make sense.
Of course I'm being economical with the truth here. There is a third category of people we spoke to today - it's those in the middle. They are just not sure about things, not confident about how to vote, what issues are important and in what priority, who to trust - quite a few of these told me they had never voted before. They can see the changes happening, and for some it looks okay, but for others it is all a leap in the dark. One said although it was the first time he'd put his name on the electoral roll he was still not at all confident that he would go and vote on the day. "It just seems like so much could rest on my X in the box" he told me. And he's absolutely right. People have fought and given their lives in the past, and still today in some parts of the world, to win the right - the power - to vote.
Which is why we should all take it very seriously, think deeply, widely, question thoroughly, and engage with politics and politicians - not just at election times, but in between too.
Your vote is powerful - use it, and use it wisely.