What if there’s a role that nobody wants?

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That’s the worst, and it happens surprisingly often. The trouble is, Committees need people on them, so roles have to be filled by hook or by crook. The further down the voting order you go, the more likely it is that unwanted roles will be filled by someone who was unsuccessful earlier on, as a kind of consolation prize.

I really strongly feel this way of populating Committees needs to be improved on. I’m not sure that there’s a system fix (although now I’m wondering if it would have been sensible to completely separate Principal Committee elections and other Committee elections, in the same way as P&R and Committee elections are separated). Instead, I think it relies on Deputies being willing to put themselves forward for unenjoyable roles from the outset (maybe you choose one role out of enthusiasm, and a second out of duty?), and also on coordinating with others so you know where the gaps are likely to be, and you’re prepared to put yourself forward to fill it.

No one person can do the work of the whole States. You are not obliged or expected to step forward whenever there’s an empty role. What you can do, though, is work with others beforehand to make sure there’s a core of competent people prepared to stand for each Committee, to minimise the risks that go with unwanted roles.

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What if I don’t get the role I want?

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First up, don’t despair. There are ways you can pursue your interest even if you’re not on the responsible Committee – requetes, amendments and parliamentary questions are all tools to check up on Committee progress, and even to make things happen, from the outside.

Also, think about whether you can be equally effective elsewhere. There are only 40 of you, and a lot of roles to fill – your talents are bound to be needed. If you spend the whole of the Committee Election period licking your wounds because you didn’t get the role you wanted, you’ll miss the chance to get a decent role elsewhere. Swallow your pride, put your ego on ice, and concentrate on finding a place to fit in. You can deal with the hurt afterwards – you’ve got to be pragmatic for now.

Remember, the P&R President and P&R Committee Members are elected first. Then all the other Presidents, in alphabetical order – first of all the Principal Committees, then Scrutiny, then the rest. And finally, the Committee Members, in the same order.

There is at least an overnight break between each of those four elections, so if you’ve been disappointed early on, you’ve got time to get in touch with people and line up your candidacy for something else. But if you’re disappointed during the Committee elections, and decide to seek a seat on a different Committee, you may honestly just have to turn to the people sat to your left and right, and ask “will you propose / second me?”, so you can quickly throw your hat in the ring.

Be as flexible and adaptable as you can be about your Committee preferences, because there will be so much change during the elections. If you’re certain that having a seat on a Committee is something you want out of this term, then try to have two or three options lined up – but make sure they’re not all the same intense level of work, in case you end up getting them all!

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How do I know who to choose for other roles?

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Get to know them, as much as you can in this short space of time. Get a sense of their track record, and also of their character. Is this someone who’s going to be in a position of particular responsibility, as a President? Will they be able to knit together a functional team, and manage disagreements without it all falling apart? Would you enjoy working for them yourself – or with them, if you’re both standing as ordinary Committee members? Are they competent and essentially decent?

Values matter, and there may be some issues that are red lines for you. It’s reasonable not to want a climate change denier on E&I, for example, when their ignorance could cost people on this Island their future. But if that kind of red line is not crossed, then don’t rule out someone for a role just because they’re very different to you – Committees are teams, and a diversity of views and experiences can enhance the way they work.

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How do I know which role is for me?

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You probably already have some idea of what you want to achieve in the States, so that will help to guide you towards where you want to work.

I’d say think about the soft stuff as well as the technical stuff. Maybe this is the Committee that interests you, but will that President or that team allow you to function effectively? Are you comfortable being on board even though you know you won’t be able to toe the majority line?

Also, take soundings from others. Try to figure out where you’re *needed*, as well as where you’d like to go. 40 people is actually a very small number to run a whole government, whatever the nay-sayers on social media think, and we need people with good insight and good work ethics evenly distributed across Committees, if possible.

(On which note, my pet hobby-horse. Please think about putting yourself forward for the DPA or the TLA. These bodies are elected towards the end. This means that – especially at the start of term – people who hadn’t been elected onto other Committees are usually shoehorned into them. That’s not to say they don’t turn out to be good at the job, but this is not the right way to populate bodies that can make decisions with very substantial consequences – for our air connectivity, and for our environment and economy. We need competent people who are willing to take one for the team, who will put themselves forward for those roles alongside service on another Committee.)

Finally, do your research on the actual Committees. By all means, go along to the formal induction events, and talk to the civil servants involved with them – again, this will give you a sense of whether this is a team you can work with. But also talk informally to the outgoing politicians who have served on Committees you’re interested in. Not only will this give you some insight into the political reality, it may help you to understand if the thing you want to do is *actually* part of the remit of the Committee you assume it is, or if you’d be more effective elsewhere – or pushing for change from the outside.

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