Tuesday 4 September 2012

Jersey's Culture of Secrecy Continues.

An "independent" Electoral Commission can be HIJACKED by politicians, with a vested interest, in a matter of months, yet a Committee of Enquiry into decades of Child Abuse could take years.

What, since his election as Chief Minister, has Senator Ian Gorst brought to the table in order to show the outside world that Jersey is not a secretive jurisdiction and is ready to tackle, and put right (as best he can) the wrongs committed by pedophiles and Child Abusers, on this island? Where is this on his, or the Council Of Minsters, priority list? Certainly not as high as the hijacking.

In the interview below with Deputy Montfort Tadier we discuss the continued secrecy, where it appears that Senator Gorst brings it to a new level surpassing his predecessor Terry Le Sueur. The Stake holders, as in the Jersey Care Leavers Association, current and former politicians, and others who have been campaigning for a robust, and fit for purpose, Committee of Enquiry were told they would be kept "in the loop" and consulted at the different stages....They haven't been! The very same secrecy that enabled the Child Abuse to flourish, on this island, for decades.

Chief Minster Gorst, and the Council of Ministers, have had hold of the suggested Terms of Reference for the Committee Of Enquiry, as suggested by Verita, since November 2011 and have not shared them with the rest of the parliament. Instead (in what could be described as a sneaky and underhanded move) Senator Gorst engaged Andrew Williamson to come up with another set of Terms of (P)Reference, which he has had hold of since August this year, we are told, and hasn't shared them with the rest of the States either. Instead the Chief Minister planned to give States Members the Williamson TOR's ONLY which were to be shared with Members the very same day (yesterday) as Andrew Williamson was going to give his presentation on them............With no Verita TOR's in sight! Why weren't Verita given the opportunity to present their TOR's to the States as Williamson was? Why if there was a problem with Verita's TOR's wasn't it sorted out with them? Why bring Williamson in at all? (the $million question)

This is/was all wholly unacceptable and Deputy Tadier warned the Chief Minister that unless he started showing "some clear leadership and common decency" that he could face, as the first item of business in the next States Sitting, "a vote of censure or worse."

There are no doubt a number of people who do not want this Committee of Enquiry into decades of Child Abuse to go ahead and in all honesty we don't believe Senator Gorst is one of them, he just needs to grow a pair of aggy's, start showing some LEADERSHIP, or face the consequences of a possible vote of confidence, that we are told, is already being drafted.

It's time to start doing the right thing, Chief Minister, for the Child Abuse Victims and Survivors including Jersey as a whole.

Jersey's Culture of Secrecy HAS to stop, question is, have you got the leadership qualities and common decency to stop it?




23 comments:

  1. With four priority suspects in a position of power or authority you bet your sweet cheeks there won't be a committee of inquiry.

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  2. Excellent interview, and it can only be said that I fully endorse every single word and sentiment that Monty has spoken.

    Well done both!

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  3. Senator Le Gresley has gone quiet shouldn't it be him putting pressure on Gorst since it was his proposition?

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  4. What they don't want THE SHEEPLE to know about banking!

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  5. In what parallel universe would the COM contact Verita and thank them for creating that report and TORs?

    Surely Verita was directed to whitewash and water down anything unpleasant or risky to the King.

    Jersey's Bailhache Fiefdom paid good public money for another "Our Chap" service and was insulted with Verita's thorough and robust result.

    What an insult Verita was to the four key suspects still in position. For them to risk exposure would be appallingly rude.

    It is an unfortunate imposition upon the COM that so much more time and money and State Media coordination must now be invested in directing a last minute paedo-protecting rescue effort by Williamson.

    The abuse survivors must accept that their interests and input are not welcome for acceptance into any official record of child abuse or any upcoming inquiry, if such an unwanted inquiry can't be avoided indefinitely.

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  6. Sure does look like Verita are just as sick of the corruption as we are!

    Great interview you guys.

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  7. Hi VFC,

    Deputy Tadier mentions the Verita Report in his interview and their recommended TOR'S for a Committee of Enquiry. These can be read here:

    http://ricosorda.blogspot.com/2012/06/verita-3-terms-of-reference-in-full.html

    rs

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  8. Well done Team Voice. And to Deputy Tadier for continuing to fight for justice for abuse survivors. I had some high hopes that Senator Gorst would be different from the rest, but he seems to be lacking leadership and submitting to stronger, more insidious voices, on the Council of Ministers. I hope he ceases control soon, because I know deep down he is a decent man

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  9. Not forgetting Senator Gorst's actions with THIS Where there was a vote of confidence discussed then!

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  10. "I hope he ceases control soon, because I know deep down he is a decent man."


    Well he is obviously not a decent man is he, or he wouldn't be engaging in the cover up, where do you people come from?

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  11. Ian Gorst is a good Christian man and he will do the right thing.

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  12. what, like ILM?

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  13. This could well be a moment of truth regarding Senator Le Gresley. There is a feeling that he too has now drunk from the poisoned chalice of the CoM.

    This was his proposition, and as such he must fight for Verita's terms of reference and the abuse survivors to maintain his credibility.

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  14. williamson provided us with a badly written,expensive piece of flannel,In his report he says that everything was basically o.k. just need a few tweaks here and there,Since then we have two "independent" reports ,the serious case review and the scottish care agency which show that not only are things not o.k. they have not been for some time i.e. pre Willamson.Williamson has no credibility anymore.As Monty says when asked he could not say why he had been called in to review the TOR's what does this say about his integrity,take the money and run "ourchap"

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  15. http://ricosorda.blogspot.com/2012/09/verita-council-of-ministers.html

    A look back at a report submitted by the council of ministers in covering up the child abuse.

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  16. Ricos newest link on the side bar is not working for me.

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  17. Williamson is certainly creating a legacy and not one his family will thank him for one would imagine. Certainly not one he is thanked for by the Abuse Victims/Survivors that have been in contact with us.

    Here's the link to Rico Sorda's latest Blog Posting and it is a MUST READ because you won't get any of this "evidence" given to you by the State Media.

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  18. Yes, it is a good read. It is very strange that in a place as as small as Jersey someone would risk the permanent besmirching of their family name as so many have now done, on behalf of a shady effort to cover up paedophilia. Most families probably have a few skeletons in the closet, but oh how horrid it would be to be the child or grandchild of someone known for being a champion of the side of such evil for pay. Far worse than simple prostitution, which is generally less cruel. I just can't understand why these professional men think they will win their all-consuming quest to cover up and re-write the history of this. They won't. The internet has already won the premium position of protecting your factual evidence. The already established factual evidence is simply never going to line up on their transparently corrupt spin-doctoring side. Williamson's upcoming soul selling will be a last gasp effort and spectacular fail for more than a few proud family reputations.

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  19. VFC,

    An anonymous comment left on Sam Mezec's blog beautifully sums up the larger motive for much of this, which is fear of outside scrutiny:

    "Anonymous6 September 2012 03:39
    The function of the JEP, as its editors know well, is to reassure the faithful and dupe the gullible. That it comes out in defence of the status quo on all things surprises none – that is its function – to prevent change at all cost. Constables are a part of the baroque structure of government that has functioned to preserve a political system and prevents change. Lauded under the guise of “stability” it is a system that ensures there can never be any serious challenge to the island operating as an offshore financial centre. That is what the game is all about really. Democracy threatens markets.

    The use of expressions like “vociferous minority” is a way of delegitimising the significant body of opinion that considers the present composition of the States Assembly and electoral system do not pass muster democratically. The submissions on the web site of the Electoral Commission are evidence of that. This is why a boycott of the Commission was never sensible. Whatever the Commission publishes and whether it was in Bailhache’s back pocket all along, will lack credibility unless it comes up with recommendations that essentially echo Clothier. Indeed Clothier remains the only sensible democratic way to proceed. It is becoming clear that the Commission is not going to recommend anything that will extend democracy and encourage participation. Lacking essential independence meant it was always going to be fatally flawed.

    The referendum is sure to be manipulated and here the JEP will play its organising role to support a vote for the status quo. This can then be used as an indication that the public like and prefer their ancient and undemocratic system, making it difficult for external forces to argue otherwise. The fear of outside scrutiny is the real worry, not a little bit of domestic dissent."

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  20. Indeed, the JEP's (and others) method of doing business was exposed, by what should be the most defining report of this modern era. The Scrutiny Sub Panel Chaired by Deputy Trevor Pitman with members Former Deputy Daniel Wimberley and Deputy Roy Le Herissier with Scrutiny Officer Mike Hayden exposed the tripe churned out by Jersey's State Media concerning the Child Abuse Enquiry. It was a damming Report on the disgraceful (IMO) "journalism by, among others, the Jersey Evening Post.

    A link to the full report can be found on HERE

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