Guernsey anti-GST protest gains momentum

Two anti-GST rallies, one billed as a 'strike', will take place ahead of July's tax reform debate.

Guernsey politicians will decide whether to back a tax reform package put forward by Policy and Resources at their sitting next Wednesday (15 July).

The committee says its proposals - including a 3% Goods and Services Tax (GST), changes to personal income tax, social security contributions, corporate income tax and transport measures - would help close the gap in the island's public finances.

GST has been a controversial subject for several years, prompting protests in 2023.

Now, two more rallies have been organised; one on Sunday 12 July, from midday until 3pm in Market Square and another on 15 July outside the Royal Court for the States sitting.

One of the organisers is 28-year-old Dominic Naermont and he says they have considered working people when arranging the demos:

"Everyone who is going to be most affected by a regressive tax isn't going to be able to lose a day's wage because that is the difference between being able to buy food, being able to buy nappies for your baby, or not.

"It's obvious people don't like this, they want to show support somehow but not everyone can just miss a day of work, so we're doing it on a Sunday so that they can have their voice heard."

Dominic says he contacted every Guernsey deputy to invite them to Sunday's rally.

Five have confirmed they will attend: Deputies Rob Curgenven, Hayley Camp, Garry Collins, Liam McKenna and David Goy and the majority of these have laid amendments - some substantial - to the Policy Letter.

The President of Policy and Resources, Lindsay de Sausmarez, has told Dominic she is unable to be there.

Dominic says he's encouraged that some deputies have chosen to support the event:

"The whole point is that we want as many islanders who disagree with this to be able to have their voices be heard, and if deputies are there, even better.

"You know, we're not trying to ostracise deputies, we're trying to be like, look, this is what people want, can you please just listen to us?"

Policy and Resources maintain its tax reform package would leave lower earners better off, but Dominic says that trust has been lost.

"There's no absolute evidence that what they're saying is correct, and if we look at all the other ways that the States have failed in reining in their spending, like with the MyGov project, I just find it very difficult to believe that we will all be better off.

"I don't want to have to leave my island, and it feels like if this comes in, then I will have to.

"This is really just like my last hurrah, being like, I really don't want this to come in; I want to stay where I live, please don't do this."