3 days ago
What are the priorities of Guernsey's new chief minister?
Guernsey has its first female chief minister after Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez became president of the Policy and Resources Committee (P&R) on Tuesday. But who is de Sausmarez and what does she stand for?
De Sausmarez, who has pledged to unite the assembly and end factionalism within the States, was born in Asia and spent her upbringing travelling and studying between the region and Guernsey, according to her further education was completed in Scotland before she attended Durham University to study to Australia followed where she worked several jobs and engaged in charity returned to Guernsey permanently in 2004.
De Sausmarez, who has had a long career in the media production industry, including television, radio, theatre and as a writer, first started photocopying film scripts for Granda in London, according to her LinkedIn prior to becoming a politician, she spent nearly 15 years at Specsavers working in the TV department helping to deliver advertisements.
Outside of work, De Sausmarez said she enjoyed volunteering, walking and sea swimming in her spare is also a keen touch rugby player for more than two decades and has represented Guernsey many times.
In her pitch to States members, De Sausmarez committed to reviewing the island's tax system again by the first quarter of said there was a "clear mandate" to look into the controversial territorial corporate tax proposal again, but said this should be done quickly and in a way that reassured business groups.
Housing tops priorities
De Sausmarez recognised "many are worried" about new taxes and said every option would be explored, including increasing her manifesto, she said public services must be funded sustainably but in a way that protects businesses, pensioners and working people.
Housing appears top of a list of priorities in de Sausmarez's told deputies moving forward with Leale's Yard was not just essential for housing, but also for "reinvigorating the Bridge area" and allowing major infrastructure new P&R president said work completed last term meant there was a "healthy pipeline" of new housing sites coming forward in the coming warned the committee had become too passive with strategic oversight of things such population and promised it would be more open with data and information.
