ALTHOUGH the States have already made their decision, a sharp debate continues on whether an extra public holiday should be declared this year because 9 May falls on a Sunday.

That date is, of course, sacrosanct. For 65 years it has ranked as the most important in Jersey’s recent past, and many would argue further that its significance exceeds that of any event in the whole of the Island’s long history. There has, therefore, never been any doubt that the events both celebratory and reflective which mark Liberation Day should take place on 9 May, now and in perpetuity. Unfortunately, some States Members appeared to fail to grasp that fairly simple point when they debated the question of whether Monday 10 May should be made an additional public holiday to extend the celebrations.

There were sound reasons why they should have voted in favour, as their counterparts in Guernsey did without much ado. One is that this is the 65th anniversary of the Island’s deliverance from enemy occupation, which may not be a major landmark year but is nevertheless one that has been considered worthy of special attention in other ways. Another is that many employees will receive an extra holiday by virtue of agreements which provide for a day off in lieu when a declared holiday falls on a non-working day, leaving others at a disadvantage.

More importantly, a decision not to allow a general extra day off was always going to convey the message, rightly or wrongly and however sound the rational arguments against it may have been, that the States now care more about economic growth than they do about such trivialities as heritage and Island pride.

It should have been equally obvious to Members that while a ‘yes’ vote would have offended no one, a rejection was bound to cheapen Liberation Day by dragging it into a political row. Such lack of wisdom and foresight among our elected representatives, coupled with the failure of some even to comprehend what they were being asked to vote on, is a fairly alarming indication of the calibre of the current States.

What can they do to remedy a mean-spirited and thoughtless decision? The answer, it seems, is not very much. The arcane protocols of the House dictate that there can be no second debate on the 10 May proposition and, appealingly inventive though it may be, there is little prospect of success for Deputy Montfort Tadier’s alternative plan for a day off on Friday, 7 May.

One way or another, then, there probably will not be an extra day’s holiday this year. In the grander scheme of things, that may not matter much for its own sake, but what does give cause for concern is the slapstick ease with which those nominally in charge of the Island contrived to turn the most important day in its calendar into yet another vehicle for division and dissatisfaction.