WHAT does States chief executive Bill Ogley have in common with Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff and Sir Gus O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and head of the Home Civil Service?

There could well be more than one answer to this question, but figures recently released in the UK and data now in the public domain here indicate that all three men enjoy similar levels of take-home remuneration after taxation – which, of course, is much higher on the other side of the Channel.

It is fair to assume that Mr Ogley performs to the high level that his job demands. If this were not the case, it is unlikely that he would still be in his post. Moreover, if he delivers all that he is expected to deliver as our top civil servant, it can be argued that he is worth every penny that we pay him.

In spite of this, it is impossible to resist comparing Mr Ogley’s weight of responsibility with the burdens shouldered by Sir Jock, who heads of Britain’s armed forces – including, of course, units fighting the war in Afghanistan – or Sir Gus, who is the linchpin between government and more than 500,000 UK civil servants who transform policy into action.

Mr Ogley is in the unfortunate position of being the obvious target for criticism because, through no fault of his own, he is our top public sector earner. In broader terms, however, he is by no means an isolated case.

Figures released in the annual accounts for the first time paint a picture of big pay packets not only for a wide range of very senior people but also for an incredible number of also-rans in the Island’s administrative machine.

To extract just a small sample from the data, 176 civil servants and 32 police officers earn between £70,000 and £90,000 and seven chief officers earn between £130,000 and £150,000.

Against this background, it is legitimate to ask whether we have painted ourselves into a ridiculous corner where we are obliged to pay many of our public servants and also people such as Waterfront Enterprise Board managing director Steven Izatt, whose total remuneration package amounts to over £280,000, far more than can possibly be warranted in a community of some 92,000 souls.

Public sector pay groups have been asked to play their part in coping with present economic difficulties by accepting pay freezes. In the light of the newly published figures, many Islanders would applaud loudly and lengthily if the higher tiers of the administration volunteered for an additional freeze for a significant time – say the next five years.