It’s a genuine attempt to engage with the public - but the content still needs to be refined.
That’s the verdict of Chief Minister Allan Bell following the third of the government’s Big Debates.
There was a near-capacity audience of 95 for last week’s public meeting at the Erin Arts Centre in Port Erin.
One more event is planned in the first round of the Big Debates - at the Manx Museum on November 4. As before, the audience will be randomly selected from the voters’ list.
But Mr Bell confirmed that future rounds would comprise open meetings.
He said: ‘It is an essential first step and genuine attempt to engage with the public.
‘I think there’s a lack of understanding from some as to what is hoped to achieve from the debate.
‘Now we are close to rebalancing the revenue budget it’s very important for people to recognise the work we have put in is only the first stage. The real challenge is the long term approach for addressing very serious issues such as the future of the health service, the sustainability of pensions and the structure of the welfare state.
‘The debate is intended to stimulate people into thinking more long term, 10 to 20 years, at how we can sustain the range of services we want and still maintain a competitive tax regime.’
Mr Bell said lessons had been learned from the first of the Big Debate sessions.
He said there may be some truth in criticisms about how vague some of the questions were and accepted the meetings must be more focused, with questions clearer and better understood and with clear outcomes at the end.
‘I think the concept is fine but I think we do have to refine the content of it,’ he said.
‘Once we get a feeling as to how the public have reacted to the first round, I would suspect that questions will become more specific. The chairman’s intention is to continue in further rounds with open meetings.’
In response to public feedback from the first two events in Peel and Ramsey the format in Port Erin was tweaked.
Presentations gave more context, some questions were removed or given more focus and voting was interspersed throughout, rather than in one block as before. There was also more detail on means testing and examples of services provided.