The e-mail is self explanatory and offers the Chief Minister the opportunity to have the public informed of all the facts and explain why his answer(s) to questions in the States don’t stack up with the relevant documentation.
from voiceforchildren voiceforchildren
to t.lesueur1@gov.je
date Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 5:02 PM
subject Presumption of openness.
Dear Chief Minister.
“The former Chief of Police confirmed to the Deputy Chief Executive in a letter dated the 31st of March that he would fully participate in the investigation . that date being well before R39 was brought to the states”
You will also be aware that I and others have been “Blogging” extensively on the subject of the former Chief Police Officer’s unprecedented suspension and the related issues. We have, to the best of our ability tried to stick with the “facts” and have only ever sought to find the “truth”. It is with this in mind that I ask you to grant Mr. Power the permission to release the two letters mentioned above in order that I can share them with my readers in the quest for truth and facts?
The unfortunate consequence of not having the relevant facts in the public domain is that people will start making up their own versions of events and conspiracy theories start to develop and the truth gets lost. I am, (and I believe the former Police Chief Mr. Power QPM is) very anxious that these conspiracy theories are not able to materialize and hope that you are of the same opinion and in the interest of openness and transparency will permit the release of the letters?
To demonstrate Mr. Power’s commitment to ensure the public are furnished with the facts, he did give a fellow Blogger permission to publish his letter to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer dated the 31st March 2010 and is happy to supply me with, and publish the other two letters if you are in agreement?
I hope you share the same commitment as Mr. Power QPM and will agree to this request. Should you not be so inclined I wish this communication to be considered as an application under the Code of Practice on Access to Information for the release of both letters and draw your attention to Paragraph 1.2.2.(a) of the Code which specifies that there shall be a presumption of openness.
If for any reason you are inclined not to agree with my request I would ask that you state which exemption under the code is being claimed in support of the refusal in order that I can consider whether there is a basis for a complaint or an appeal. I would also like to ask for an early acknowledgement, and for a full response within 21 days as required under paragraph 2.1.1 (c) of the Code.
Although I am hopeful there will be no need for this and that you are as anxious as the rest of us to show that if you have been misled you are ready and willing to take the necessary action. And indeed that you are committed to ensuring that truth prevails over conspiracy theories.
I intend, (in the interests of open government) publishing this e-mail on my Blog and possibly your reply.
Kind Regards.
VFC. (End e-mail)
It may be that the information given to the Chief Minister was not ENTIRELY ACCURATE and that there may have been some PROCEDURAL ERRORS. But whatever the case, he’s not got a good track record when it comes to giving straight answers involving the suspension of our most Senior Police Officer………..Why not?
Submitted by VFC.
Team Voice have really upped their game. Not sure what the last part with the code was about it sounded on the money.
ReplyDeleteNice work fellow voice member.
ReplyDeleteAll we want is an open and transparent government.
The Child Abuse Investigation blew the lid off this festering pit. How ironic, it is the children who suffered so badly in the care of the states of jersey that are leading the way in exposing the putrid bunch.
If they can lie, conceal, and disregard child abuse then they can do anything, and are.
rs
Team Voice - If you do get a response from the Chief Minister I will donate a small sum of money to a charity of your choosing.
ReplyDeleteI suspect, as with our Home Affairs Minister, the feeling is that we peasants are not worthy of a response and if we are ignored long enough we will go away. Maybe it has not sunk in yet that this is not going to happen.
In regard to our local 'accredited' media I read a very interesting article the other day regarding the recent Wikileaks disclosures, and I think the following said it all, moreso here on this septic isle....
'The genuine role of the media, the role it must adopt if society is to function in a practically and morally coherent way, is to reveal power, to pester power, to hound it with questions. Because power cannot be trusted'
Terry denied graham power under the access to information code the right to see when his suspension letters were created - good luck with this - but I don't fancy your chances.
ReplyDelete"Team Voice have really upped their game. Not sure what the last part with the code was about it sounded on the money."
ReplyDeleteIt's easy anon, simple honest answers to simple honest questions!
Not only do bloggers in Jersey see what is happening here.
ReplyDeletePosters from Canada USA UK all will be waiting for the reply from Terry
Jerseys reputation is at stake.
Jersey's reputation at stake? Jersey's reputation couldn't be any lower than it is already.
ReplyDeleteHow can Chief Minister Terry Le Suer by virtue of his office as Chief of all the ministers of Jersey not allow a couple of letters to be published if the person they were sent to is happy for the public to view them.
ReplyDeleteWhat worries me more, is the fact that people outside Jersey reading this will wonder if it a safe place to do business, given that the head man of the Jersey Government, is so sure he is right, he refuses to answer honest questions by other politicians in the Jersey parliament.
This is not democracy, this is not accountability this is not impressing outside business CEO's and directors.
What Chief Minister Le Suer and his weak on a lead, political friends are actually achieving is shafting Jerseys' hard earned international standing as a well regulated finance centre, by not being honest, and by refusing to be accountable.
Two letters with the recipient apparently happy to publish, now how about the Government side who authored the letters, any problem with publishing, Chief Minister Le Suer to support your statement?
Anonymous.
"Not only do bloggers in Jersey see what is happening here.
ReplyDeletePosters from Canada USA UK all will be waiting for the reply from Terry
Jerseys reputation is at stake."
FUNNY THAT, BECAUSE NOBODY WITHIN EVER SHOWS A HINT OF CONCERN.
RE:
ReplyDeleteHow can Chief Minister Terry Le Suer by virtue of his office as Chief of all the ministers of Jersey not allow a couple of letters to be published if the person they were sent to is happy for the public to view them.
What worries me more, is the fact that people outside Jersey reading this will wonder if it a safe place to do business, given that the head man of the Jersey Government, is so sure he is right, he refuses to answer honest questions by other politicians in the Jersey parliament.
This is not democracy, this is not accountability this is not impressing outside business CEO's and directors.
What Chief Minister Le Suer and his weak on a lead, political friends are actually achieving is shafting Jerseys' hard earned international standing as a well regulated finance centre, by not being honest, and by refusing to be accountable.
Two letters with the recipient apparently happy to publish, now how about the Government side who authored the letters, any problem with publishing, Chief Minister Le Suer to support your statement?
Anonymous.
But this IS why people will invest in Jersey. It just means all the tax agreements TLS has recently signed are in fact worthless pieces of paper as he/SoJ will find a way to say one thing but do another AGAIN!!! and this is exactly what the crooked investors are looking for - a place that seems to be perfect but under the veneer is just as crooked as them.
"What Chief Minister Le Suer and his weak on a lead, political friends are actually achieving is shafting Jerseys' hard earned international standing as a well regulated finance centre."
ReplyDeleteWhat hard earned international standing as a well regulated finance centre?
Word Verification...."hades" about sum's it up, the underworld!
Our powers that be are still deluding themselves that Jersey has a good reputation on the world stage. When the truth is we are all getting tarred with their brush as being peado protectors, child abusers, corrupt, secretive and much more.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time that if you said you were from Jersey people would say things like "oh! you must be a millionaire" or "ah! that's where Bergerac come's from."
Not anymore and until our powers that be start prosecuting the Civil Servants who have abused our children and those that have covered up for the abusers, and facing up to the Child Abuse atrocities that have been allowed to flourish for decades, then we will be stuck with the reputation that only the likes of Gary Glitter would fit.
Ian.
ReplyDeleteThanks for submitting the link to the youtube video. As much as I would love for my readers/viewers to watch it I can't let it through due to the language contained in it.
[There was a time that if you said you were from Jersey people would say things like "oh! you must be a millionaire" or "ah! that's where Bergerac come's from.]
ReplyDeleteYes those were the good old days, whereas today, "are you a child abuser!" or "are you an abuse cover-up merchant!" or "are you a member of the States who votes against anything related to true justice!".
Have you had a reply back from Terry yet?
ReplyDeleteNo I have not yet had a reply from Terry, but as the e-mail in the main posting says, he has 21 days in order to repond.
ReplyDeleteHe will no doubt drag it all out as long as he can, as he did with Graham Power QPM when preventing him from finding out when the letters to suspend him were first drafted.
He's certainly in no hurry to convince people that everything is above board and that he, or his advisors, haven't been mis-leading the public and the States.
''He's certainly in no hurry to convince people that everything is above board and that he, or his advisors, haven't been mis-leading the public and the States.''
ReplyDeleteNot only is TLS in any hurry, neither are the FSL.
They did the opposite. Allowing TLS the ability of not having to justify the answers he provides. in his capacity as Chief Minister.
dear vfc
ReplyDeleteis it not time now for more action not words time to stand not talk how far do we let this go on before we lose before we say we should of done this or that i for one thinks its time to fight time for action
OK Martin we are all ears what are you going to organize?
ReplyDeleteWell for one thing Anonymous - a rally of protest like there was yesterday in the Royal Square.
ReplyDeleteTime to get like minded people together. Like Martin says, softly, softly is not going to work.
Your suggestions Anonymous? or are you happy with the status quo?
Just submitted this comment on the farce blog who have published some of the court proceedings in Syvret's trial
ReplyDeleteThe first bit is a quote from the proceedings.
"85 Again, despite impugning the integrity of some of those who wrote the risk assessment, the defendant must be satisfied with its conclusion that, taking into account the unproven allegations against X, he was assessed as being unsuitable to work in a care environment."
If this nurse was so innocent how come they assessed him as unfit to work in a care environment? Even the prosecutor said that Syvret's revelations might cause the nurse to harm witnesses. WTF? This one statement alone proves that the nurse, by having a dangerous personality should never have been allowed back to work. Yet he was, basically because of a judgement call by the AG that the absence of sufficient evidence to convict meant that the nurse was wholly innocent. Legally innocent maybe but that is not identical to actually being innocent. Anyone in the law or police who thinks that is a good way to behave needs to be replaced with people who really understand what Justice means.
Clearly the nurse was dangerous as was clearly implied by Baker in the court transcripts. If the nurse was not dangerous at all then there would be no need to declare him unfit and Baker could not have have castigated Syvret for exposing others to possible harm at the hands of the nurse by "outing" him.
Given that the court case strongly suggested that the nurse truly was a dangerous personality, yet he was allowed to go back to work having had no charges against him because he was treated as a legally innocent man. The police investigation at the time and the AG's decision clearly allowed a dangerous person to carry on unhindered in situations where he could be dangerous to vulnerable people. I believe that that was the height of irresponsibility. I cannot believe that the powers that be allowed that for one second. What the h*ll was the matter with them?
Personally, I think that there WAS a public interest defence in naming the nurse not necessarily to prevent him committing further (alleged) crimes but more to expose rank complacency, arrogance, stupidity and irresponsibility in the powers that be and the way they acted (or didn't act) to prevent future crime.
FROM OUR DEAR CHIEF MINISTER:
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of the Island’s government, I acknowledge that the care system that operated historically in the Island of Jersey failed some children in the States’ residential care in a serious way. Such abuse has been confirmed by the criminal cases that have been before Jersey’s courts. To all those who suffered abuse, whether confirmed by criminal conviction or not, the Island’s government offers its unreserved apology.
WHAT THE F**K!!!! IS THAT IT?
I am hoping that the JCLA will publish a Press Release.
ReplyDeleteOh whoopee Chief Minister - what about those who did NOT get the justice that was so blatantly denied them, again 'courtesy' the States of Jersey.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the constant sniping and denials of abuse, and that the abused were 'exaggerating' and 'making it up'.
Words come easy Chief Minister and you may well feel that that is all that is needed to draw a line under this.
No line will ever be drawn for those who suffered and still do.
Something you might LIKE.
ReplyDeleteHi VFC.
ReplyDeleteJust put up the Audio of the Statement by our Great Leader.
Here
What are your thought's on this Statement.
it was an interesting day in the States today. The Chief Minister did make a formal apology to those who were the victims of abuse (whether or not those particular cases resulted in successful convictions) whilst in the care of the States. However, the Education Minister was less forthcoming when attempting to answer Deputy S. Pitman's question:
ReplyDelete“Following the naming of a senior Civil Servant from the Education, Sport and Culture Department in court by alleged victims within the current historic abuse proceedings, will the Minister give members and parents assurances that the matter has been fully investigated by his department?”
The gist was that the case in question had been investigated 'by the relevant authorities,' however he was very cagey as to what he meant by that. He was asked by Deputy M. Higgins whether he simply meant 'by the police'. He later suggested that by the 'relevant authorities' he was referring to the SEB, which is made up of, amongst others, CEO to the States, Bill Ogley. The latter was said to have been present at a meeting of Chief Officers at which it was announced by the CEO that the Director of Education was being investigated as part of the historic abuse inquiry - but that if anyone wanted to get him, they would have to come through him.
Given scenario described in the affidavit, I asked the Chief Minsiter today whether it would not be better to have an independent body look into the allegations against the Director - and any other States employee who might find themselves in a similar situation, because even though no criminal action was pursued, there might still be evidence (on the balance of probability) of wrong doing. Clearly the CM was not willing to give this assurance, preferring to rather try to make me look bad for 'casting aspersions'.
Far from it, I replied: it was not me casting aspersions, but others in other forums who had named the Director of Education in court, which was then subsequently reported in the JEP and on Channel TV. I was not casting aspersions, just stating facts and asking how the CM and (earlier) Education Minister were planning to reassure the public that transparent and impartial processes had been followed. I still have not had these assurances.
Montfort.
ReplyDeleteI have e-mailed you and Deputy Le Herissier in your capacity as the Education Scrutiny Panel regarding this frightening stuff. I have been trying to get some answers from Deputy James Reed through e-mail but he doesn't acknowledge the e-mails......how re-assuring is that?
On another note, Stuart Syvret has published his Order of Justice and it is something I believe every States Member should read. If you politicians think you are running the show, then read the OJ, and then see what you think.
A fantastic blog....keep up the good work you have our full support.
ReplyDeleteI cannot beleive that the SoJ simply choose to ignore these kinds of questions. What kind of a government are they running over there? Its akin to the corrupt way Russia is run at the moment
A long read but good on you Stuart
ReplyDeleteDon't let the B------S get you down and when this is finally over, unlike the crooks that will get prosecuted, you will have a career in creative writing and you can hold your head up
Hi VFC.
ReplyDeleteOnly just got up the Audio of Questions 4 & 14 from Monday.
Here
We need more answers about this senior Civil Servant from the Education, Sport and Culture Department that has got away from Justice!
I enjoyed the Accredited Media dig today on the phone-in - well done :)
ReplyDeleteWikiLeaks HAS been working with the media though, for maximum exposure.
Google for -
"Wikileaks" + "working with" + "media"