David Mahoney

Personal Statement

Hi, I’m Dave. I am 54 years old and have an adult son. But for a Covid postponement I would now be married to Angie. After 34 years in finance I am Managing Director of a local trust company. With Angie, I own the Off-Road Coffee Company, and perhaps you know my face from that. I am a director and treasurer of the Guernsey Rugby Academy, and a rugby referee.

• Common Sense Sensible and pragmatic choices over the next 4 years.
• Accountability Ownership and responsibility for the decisions made.
• Prudence No more wasted money on vanity projects or overpriced consultants.
• Crime Tougher sentencing and greater support for the police.

Manifesto

As a newbie to politics, it isn’t lost on me just how much faith candidates are asking the public to put in them as strangers. It is a heavy responsibility and one I will not take lightly. Across the entire government, I want to see some COMMON SENSE decisions that don’t have people wondering what the States were thinking. I want to see ACCOUNTABILITY for Deputies and anyone drawing a salary from the public purse. In the private sector we are accountable for our mistakes, with consequences if appropriate – why should the public sector be different? I want more PRUDENCE in the financial decisions being made.

I would like the States to stop wasting millions on expensive consultants, and for people’s individual agendas and ideologies to take a back seat. Stop telling us how to live our lives!

Finally, I’d like to see greater back up for the police in the courts when dealing with local crime. Bad decisions should have immediate and real consequences for those breaking the law.

After deciding to stand, I read the previous manifestos of each of the current Deputies. In 2016 we were promised financial prudence, accountability, cost controls, proper scrutiny, and rebuilding of trust in the States. The list goes on, but how many of these have we seen? Don’t get me wrong, a few have done the job they were elected to do, and they will get my vote in October. Would political parties serve a meaningful purpose? These are strange times when ‘independent’ can mean whatever you choose. Look to the UK with Conservative/Labour, or the USA with Democrat/Republican to see how divided people become, and both places are the worse for it. It all sounds very wrong for Guernsey, and there are a lot of current members that seem to want safety in numbers. Ask yourself why. With Island Wide Voting this is the moment when the Island gets what it deserves.

Education I’ve always been from the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ school of thinking, and that is never truer than when the ‘fixed version’ is entirely untried, and not thought through. I was not educated locally, but I am the product of the UK grammar system. It works. Whatever you may be told, we do not grow and learn at the same rate, and that should mean we are allowed to learn in an environment that best suits individual needs. The two-school model would be a disaster. When a vast majority of the Island teaching professionals believe that it won’t work - I’m inclined to listen.

Economy The finance industry is vital to our economy giving us an enviable level of services and facilities. We must continue to protect this industry. However, we must also encourage small businesses in the face of ever-increasing outside competition. Our vibrant small business community must be encouraged. I would like to see the talks of a Guernsey Bank reinstated.

More than ever, post-Covid, the demands on public funds must be tightly controlled, and scrutinised like never before. Our grandchildren mustn’t be left holding the can for today’s poorly thought out policies and spending. In the coming sitting there may be pressure from some quarters to impose a sales tax and I will not support this.

Environment Guernsey is already up with the best in the world for recycling and we should continue to be as green as possible - with a caveat. Let’s be pragmatic about our position in the world. The most industrialised countries in the world are building or reopening fossil fuel power stations at a huge rate with no intention of limiting carbon emissions. Guernsey is responsible for approximately 0.001% of global CO2 emissions. We must not put too heavy a social or financial burden on islanders in the pursuit of an idealist agenda.

I would be in favour of reviewing the entire bus service for something greener and more suitable. The current buses are not fit for purpose and were subsidised by the taxpayer by over £4m last year.

Transport Our current ferry service does not provide the cover we need. We need to push Condor for a significantly better service or look elsewhere, even if that means a State-owned operator. The Aurigny losses must be better understood and managed lower.

Health/Social Care We have an amazing health service staffed by a dedicated and largely underpaid workforce. I would look for ways to ensure those on the front line are properly rewarded for their dedication. We must fine tune the welfare system such that it is beneficial to be in work rather than unemployed.

Sport/Leisure I make no apologies for separating this area as I’ve always found it strange that this is not its own committee. I believe it should stand alone.

Why me? I have the relevant business, people and management skills and would support policies to build a stronger community. I’m not afraid to listen and learn, and I have no personal axe to grind or agenda to push. I will speak my mind when required and would bring a pragmatic approach to government.

Let’s get the right people, with the right skills, in the right jobs. People that listen, debate, and act. Please have a read of my full manifesto for more details online. Thank you.

Dave