Lester Carlson Queripel

Personal Statement

1983-2012. Proprietor of my own successful Decorating business. 2006-12. Arts Commission Commissioner. 2008-12. St Peter Port Douzenier. 2012-20. St Peter Port North Deputy. 2012-16. Member of the Scrutiny Committee. 2013-16. Chairman of Age Concern. 2013-19. Founder/Chairman of the Age Concern Fuel Fund Committee. 2016-20. Member of the Development and Planning Authority. Currently: Facilitator of the Guernsey Poetry Group. Currently: President of the Guernsey Walking Football Club.

• To continue to value and support my fellow islanders and strive to improve the quality of their lives.
• To continue to value and support local businesses.
• To encourage an inclusive society.
• To continue to strive to retain and maintain the culture, heritage, traditions and community spirit of Guernsey.
• To continue to support ways in which we can diversify our economy.

Manifesto

THE TIME IS NOW is my manifesto slogan because if ever there was a time for the positive attributes of the Guernsey character to come to the fore then that time is NOW! Resourcefulness, enterprise, determination, practical thinking, shrewd judgement, these are just some of the qualities required to take Guernsey forward and aid our recovery and these are qualities I can offer.

The next Assembly needs to hit the ground running and be proactive. The time is NOW to attain joined up government. I have no interest in personality politics. States members time and energy should be targeted at the ultimate aim of the government, which is to create and implement policies and initiatives to ensure the social, economic and environmental well-being of the community.

The challenges we face are significant but they aren’t insurmountable. Should I be fortunate enough to be re-elected, I will bring to bear the experience and knowledge I have gained these last eight years to help address these challenges and secure the future well being of our island home. I appreciate the Assembly is in need of new faces, but we can’t afford to lose too much knowledge and experience. As in all things, we need to attain balance.

PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM (The system).

The time is NOW for the Public Sector Reform agenda to pay dividends. The purpose of this initiative is to identify where efficiencies can be made without impacting upon services. The result should be the States getting its own house in order and living within its means. The system is meant to serve you and I. It shouldn’t impose upon us in any way and it shouldn’t be self-serving or confusing. It should create a fair and orderly society and assist people in the living of their lives and the running of their businesses, not overwhelm us with bureaucracy. If you re-elect me, I will continue to hold the system to account at all times.

PRIORITISATION.

Resources are precious and prioritisation (and re-prioritisation) will be an essential theme in the next States, especially in light of the economic and social effects of Covid. Resources should be targeted where the evidence shows they are required and any action taken needs to be proportionate, appropriate and affordable for Guernsey. As much capital spend as possible needs to be retained on-island in order to benefit local businesses and our economy.

EDUCATION.

I was a Signatory on the successful Requete that halted the One School/Two sites model (Pause and Review). I would support the utilisation of three school sites to provide a higher quality, all ability Secondary education system.

SPORT/THE ARTS.

I have been one of the few Deputies who consistently champion sport and the arts. There is immense value to be realised by investing in both. People of all ages and abilities participate in stimulating and therapeutic artistic and sporting events which encourages social interaction. Involvement in sport and the arts helps to build confidence and self-worth and brings fun and fulfilment into people’s lives. Sport and the arts, along with our heritage and our culture, underpins the very social fabric of our community. In addition to all of that, it has been proven that sport, the arts and the creative industries are all economic enablers!

TAXES/CHARGES.

I will continue to rally against GST on the grounds that it’s a regressive tax. It would impose yet another burdensome and costly layer of red tape upon local businesses at a time when for the sake of our economy, we need to be facilitating and supporting our retailers and traders. Any changes to our tax system in order to raise additional revenue, needs to be fair, equitable and balanced. Ability to pay must be a key consideration in any plans to reform our tax system.

DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING.

I have served as a member of the Development and Planning Authority for the major part of this term. Despite it being a challenging and contentious role, I have loved every minute of it. I am absolutely fascinated by the whole planning process. Should you decide to re-elect me, I would once again seek a seat on the Authority.

The Authority produced its own Action Plan earlier this year that addresses the concerns raised by members of our community regarding policies in the Island Development Plan. Two of my primary concerns are the loss of green fields to development (the use of brownfield sites should be prioritised) and resource hungry Development Frameworks, which are purely speculative. Should I be re-elected, these are just two of the planning issues I will pursue.

THE ROLE OF A DEPUTY.

High Level Policies and Strategies are all well and good but too often the public feel disconnected from their government. Deputies are elected as representatives of the people and therefore working at grassroots level is essential. This often involves helping fellow islanders to resolve problems they encounter on a daily basis. On that note, I have worked on 287 constituency cases, the vast majority of which have been successfully resolved. This has helped to improve the quality of life of those fellow islanders and this to me is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

QUESTIONS?

I only have enough space in this Manifesto to cover a handful of issues. My full Manifesto is available at www.election2020.gg . If you have any questions or require a hard copy please don’t hesitate to contact me.

THE TIME IS NOW!