Government Addresses GSD Concerns Over Leanse Place
The Government has responded to GSD criticism over the recent flooding at Leanse Place.
A statement from the Government follows below:
The Government notes the GSD’s new attempt to turn a plumbing problem at Leanse Place into a wider political controversy.
The opposition's attempt to, yet again, use an unremarkable maintenance issue to present the rent paid for Leanse Place as poor value for money is myopic and misleading. As was explained last time, the relocation formed part of a wider programme to bring Government offices up to modern standards.
Appropriate, well-maintained working environments matter. They improve conditions for staff, support morale and productivity, and ultimately contribute to a better service for the public.
Value for money must therefore be assessed over the long term, taking into account the suitability, quality and operational benefits of the premises, not simply by quoting an annual rental figure whenever a maintenance problem arises. A burst pipe does not retrospectively make that investment economically unsound.
Government does, however, recognise that repeated disruption is unacceptable. The owners of the premises are working positively and constructively with Government to renew the relevant infrastructure and address the underlying problem. Government is also seeking appropriate damages for the inconvenience and disruption caused.
The GSD’s suggestion that refurbishing the former Immigration premises for the Mental Health Hub somehow proves the relocation was unnecessary is similarly contrived. Different public services have different accommodation requirements, and buildings can plainly be refurbished and repurposed accordingly.
There is a transparent pattern here of political opportunism: every operational difficulty is immediately inflated into evidence of Government failure.
Government will continue investing in modern, fit-for-purpose public offices and dealing practically with problems when they arise. The GSD can continue trying to make politics out of plumbing.
The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said:
“The GSD’s attempt to present this as some form of political failure shows just how desperately they are clutching at straws in their search for something to criticise the Government over. When this happened last time, we pointed out the absurdity of blaming the Government for a burst pipe in privately owned premises, and joked that at this rate they would soon be blaming us for the heat, the rain and even the occasional eclipse. Their latest statement suggests that joke may have been closer to the mark than we thought.
“There are legitimate questions to ask when public services are disrupted, and we are addressing those seriously with the owners of the building. But trying to turn a plumbing problem into evidence of political failure is transparent opportunism, not serious opposition.”
