Sunday 15 January 2017

Leah McGrath Goodman. "Legacies Will Be Cemented."



Leah McGrath Goodman

In anticipation of the Jersey Child Abuse Committee of Inquiry publishing its report by the end of December 2016 U.S author and Journalist Leah McGrath Goodman returned to the Island for its publication. As regular readers will be aware the report was DELAYED but Ms. Goodman's visit was not wasted.

Readers of this Blog will be aware that Leah McGrath Goodman was banned from coming to Jersey when it became apparent she was investigating (for her upcoming book) Child Abuse, and related matters, on the Island. Jersey Immigration "flagged" her with the UK which caused her to be detained for up to 12 hours in "the basement" at Heathrow Airport when she attempted to return to Jersey. The full harrowing story can be read HERE.

Former Deputy Trevor Pitman

After (and possibly partly because of) an online petition (which achieved in excess of 3,600 signatures) set up by former St. Helier No.1 Deputy Trevor Pitman to restore Ms. Goodman's visa status and of course an "Early Day Motion" tabled by former UK MP John Hemming, Miss Goodman had her controversial ban reduced from 2 years to one year and she returned to the Island in 2013.

Since then she has continued with her crucial work researching/investigating the Jersey Child Abuse Atrocities and subsequent cover up(s) so has kept an extremely close eye on the Child Abuse Committee of Inquiry and related events.

In the interview below Ms. Goodman discusses her thoughts on the (soon to be published)? final report of the Child Abuse Inquiry and much more. She also warns: "Legacies are going to be cemented by how they choose to respond to this report."





45 comments:

  1. Good interview with a top class journalist. Await the COI report with bated breath. No idea how it will turn out but fingers crossed. A nice reminder too of the excellent former St. Helier Deputy Pitman who helped get the disgusting ban on Leah overturned. How we could do with him back in the States.

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  2. Why do you censor comments so much on here?
    I gave evidence and I am pleased they are taking longer to do the report.
    It has to be properly done.

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    1. Because your original comment attacked the interview while saying the exact same thing as LMG was saying in the interview. Which is the exact same thing as you've said now minus the insult!

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    2. Okay, it is all a bit negative though.
      We've waited so long and have to be optimistic.

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    3. “I expect the report to tell us a few things we’ve been waiting to read about”

      “If this is what it takes (the delay) to do things right”….for the report to be thorough then so be it” Are just a couple of the positive comments made. There are many more in the video. Are you sure you watched it?

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    4. Credit (positive) was also given to the COI HERE.

      I don't think it is fair to say that it's all a bit negative when the vast majority of it is positive. If you have watched it you might want to try watching it again because I think there is a lot that you missed.

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  3. Good interview.

    Two things struck me, and maybe I should have been aware of them if I'd been paying attention all along.

    I hadn't copped that the vast array of legal support for the Authorities was coming out of the Inquiry budget, or at least was counted in the twenty odd million attributed to it. That would certainly make hypocrites out of any of that bunch criticising the cost of the Inquiry.

    I knew that Frances Oldham had resisted any attempt by the Authorities to see the Report in advance and it is reassuring that they will only do so some hours before publication when it is already effectively definitively finalised. This means that publication can't be delayed by challenges (including legal) and by people delaying responses and all the other usual delaying tactics employed regarding some other reports.


    However, Leah does say, if I understand her correctly, that anyone likely to be criticised in the report would have been given an opportunity to respond to that criticism, I assume privately and if necessary through lawyers.

    If that is the case, this might just be an explanation for the delay in publishing and while it would be encouraging to think names were being named, it is a bit like what Frances Oldham said she wouldn't do.

    So we'll just have to wait and hope we see. And hopefully Leah will have picked up on all of this and include mention of any irregularities in her book.

    My only advice to her would be to avoid a Jersey publisher and never send the manuscript in the ordinary post. ;)

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    1. Polo @20:22 is right to point out that a large part of what are being spoken of in the "Inquiry Costs" are in fact fees for the various legal firms representing Jersey Government interests. But I have it on good authority that it goes further than that. Some States Departments have employed extra staff allegedly to dig out the files and documents needed to present their case. It is by these and no doubt other subtle means that many of the costs attributed to the Inquiry have effectively been laundered into departmental budgets as well as the coffers of the Jersey Legal Profession.

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  4. Great interview VFC.

    May I say that your engaging interview style is of a professional standard and, were it possible to do investigative journalism for a living in Jersey, you would certainly make the grade to do it for a living. If you look back at your early interviews, you were a bit raw and inexperienced. You are now a first class interviewer. Well done. Note bad for a fisherman who is mates with a pipe fitter!

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    1. And a few bolshie Lefty trouble-makers! Well done. Good interview and nice to see Leah back in Jersey. Wonder if she was being followed this time around as Pitman revealed in his witness statement? What a police State we live in.

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  5. The big question is, are people going to accept this Report's findings no matter what they conclude?
    When reading these Blogs you sometimes get the impression that some people have already written their own imaginary Report and expect the Col's to be similar in content.

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  6. whatever the report says, we must not forget the evidence. The testimonies, statements and supporting documents are there to be read, so we can make our own minds up. If the report does not accurately reflect the evidence then the panel will be and should be open to criticism. There are two other problems, If people are not familiar with the evidence ,and the report is a whitewash they may believe the report without assessing the evidence. Some people (not survivors) were not truthfull however in most cases their testimony was disproved by subsequent witnesses. I believe the COI were quite strategic in the order they called up witnesses. I was able to attend some key sessions in phase Two and was able to form an opinion on the prevaricating ,forgetful, confused and questionable evidence. Now VFC and JCLA were present throughout the inquiry and are very familiar with the material, I believe their opinion of the report will be valuable.

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  7. Very interesting interview. Leah seems quite upbeat about the chances of the report being worthwhile. Hope that she is right.

    On a more trivial note this lovely journalist does look very attractive in your interview. Your professionalism obviously now stretches to very good lighting not just questioning.

    Perhaps a job at Channel Television could be in the offing? Don't know what you could do about the daft words that come out of their 'reporters' mouths though?

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  8. Had to chuckle clicking on Philip Ozouf's blog on the side of your page. he is talking about 'how proud' he is of the steps the Innovation Fund team have taken. Hope someone uses it in States Question Time!

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    1. Really? Those words could come back to haunt him. Going to print the page off now. Hope some of how money-wise Constables will be doing the same for tomorrow.

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  9. J S Shellsuit- Kebab16 January 2017 at 13:33

    I have always been a huge fan of Leah McGrath Goodman. I thought her work in exposing the true founder of Bitcoin was top notch investigative journalism.

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  10. Do we have a rumoured date for publication of the report yet?

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    1. The rumour is the end of this month.

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    2. Will Ms Goodman be travelling back to our Septic Isle to report on it do you know? Our Jersey 'journalists' will be sure to try and play any damning news down. Hope more international media renew their interest.

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    3. It is unclear as yet if Ms Goodman will be back in January but more certain she will be returning to the Island at some stage.

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  11. If rumours are true the Council of Maggots are beginning to turn on the Great Ooze. A case of fear that people's ire might turn on the Muppet Collective?

    Who knows but the Ooze needs to go. He is a Thatcherite dinosaur who has cost this island millions with his incompetence, and a politician who has made the lives of the old and the sick and the poor unnecessarily tough for more than a decade.

    Go. Great Ooze and never darken the doors of democracy again!

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  12. Senator Philip Ozouf is politically irrelevant. He became that when he lost his precious Treasury ministry. If he has any self respect and pride he would resign from the States this week. He has helped drive our island to the brink of the economic abyss. It would be good if he could take MacLean, Green, Farnham, Gorst, Luce and Bailhache with him. Plus a children's one way ticket for little Eddie Noel.

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    1. Think you overlooked the useless Routier? mind you most people do.

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  13. Here's a new website for the SOJ - Itsnotmyfault.gov.je.. Jersey is in meltdown mode, we are doomed, and the completely incompetent fascist neo-liberals are to blame.

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  14. This week's States should be observed by all islanders concerned about the incompetence of our government. Some of the propositions and surely the questions that come up will tell people a lot with an election little more than a year away now.

    Not just on this Ozouf issue and whether our Chief Minister gives a hoot about one of his subordinates wasting our money. But also this question of why the Constables are still allowed to be treated as if somehow different to other States Members.

    This issues of the rules on madness and bankruptcy goes right to the heart of what a mess our system of government is. How can it be that a few years ago we saw two respected Deputies lose their seats after losing a court case, yet if they had been Constables and been made bankrupt they would have kept those seats?

    Constables seem to do the least from my observations yet they remain the great untouchables. There is no justification for it. I will be watching how many of these Constables vote against making them the same as other Members with interest.

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    1. Anonymous, you are quite right when you say: "Constables seem to do the least " They do indeed do the least, or at least they DID do the least when I researched this very matter.

      I researched this thoroughly for the first electoral reform referendum campaign and showed conclusively that at that time they did indeed do far less than the other members. I would be surprised if this has changed. Anyone who wants to do the work I can let you have the methodology and you can just do the sums all over again.

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  15. Agree with the above comments. I also want to see an emergency statement from our great leader saying how he has sadly accepted Senator Ozouf's resignation.

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  16. On the radio that old Nina Simone classic came on "Nobody's fault but mine". Don't know why but I suddenly wondered if Ozouf had phoned it in as a request? Gorst won't sack him though. Accountability just doesn't exist with these incompetent far-right Conservatives. They will ruin us before they ever hold anyone to account. Old boys network and all that. Once the kids are through school I'm out of here.

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    1. I so agree. Jersey is a corrupt cartoon state. Not a healthy environment for any sane honest person.

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  17. Deputy Andrew Lewis has had some bad press in the Blogs over time and in the interests of balance and basic fairness I would like to offer some words of support.

    In recent public statements he has been highly critical of others in positions of authority whose failings have been exposed and has been quoted as saying that those responsible for such failings would be "held to account." Well done Andrew. It is right and proper that those who misuse their position of authority in government should suffer the full consequences of their actions.

    I suppose that this would particularly apply, for example, to someone once holding a Ministerial position who was found by an Independent Committee of Inquiry to have misused that position with damaging consequence for the community and the public purse. Should such a thing happen then we would expect the guilty party to "Consider their Position" quickly (an hour should be enough) rather than face the justified wrath of the Jersey public.........Time will tell.

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    1. VFC, lol.

      You may not be the Messiah, but you are definitely a very naughty boy.

      Black is white to a PR man so I would not expect anything from Lewis.
      A human being with any fibre and moral overview would have spilled the beans on who put him up to it.

      The job was surely done by FW, but on who's behalf?

      The evil hide behind the powerful, who hide behind the gullible but the evil is passed down the line unless it is cleansed with honesty and genuine contrition.

      A passage mentioning millstones springs to mind.

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  18. Hi VFC,

    £1.4 million in loans looking dodgy from a fund of £5 million.

    The spending by the Hospital management though tops that after £5 million was spent ( as Sam Mezec said in the states ) informing the health Minister that new hospital should be built at the back of the old hospital. If anyone researches the work history of the project manager for the new hospital they will discover he is an ex nurse with a not so comprehensive in fact utterly poor history.

    It is still far worse much worse with this bunch of clowns in charge as explained on another blog. All credit to Gladiator.

    Jersey’s planned costs for a new hospital are £466m with estimated total costs incl. interest payments of £900m for a catchment area of 103000 people VERSUS the costs of the planned new Liverpool Royal Hospital of £429m for 750000 people needing the specialist services for a catchment area of 2 million people!

    http://planetjersey.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3950.msg61211;topicseen#msg61211

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  19. If Senator Ozouf survives this week's States sitting then there really must be a vote of no confidence in Ian Gorst. Show some damn leadership man no matter how late in the day it is!

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  20. Said on Radio 103 that e-mail thief Dooley Power is heading the pressure group in today's lunchtime demonstration.
    I thought it was a Reform Jersey event or is this another demo they have missed the chance to do?

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    1. Sean Power is raising his profile for a Political comeback but yeah, Reform Jersey should have arranged this if they had been quicker off the mark.
      Same as the Save the Park campaign.

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  21. The comment received by the JEP yesterday afternoon ( States press ) which so far, they refuse to publish, in the comments section reference the article STATES VOTE ON £400 MILLION LOAN.

    In 2014 Philip Ozouf speaking on BBC radio about the New Hospital project was actually on the ball as far as costing was concerned. He quoted a cost of £273 million, which would come from the strategic fun. No borrowing and the cost although still too expensive, but closer to reality.

    What Philip Ozouf needs to explain is why he and the majority of politicians’ in the assembly are not trying to stop Alan Mclean from grossly, and obscenely overspending on Jersey most expensive purchase ever ?

    Alan Maclean has the audacity to refuse to allow scrutiny to do its job of looking at the costing and funding ? Why are the council of ministers allowing this unaccountable behaviour given the long term financial ramifications.

    Politicians living on a forty five square mile island do not spend £900 million every day. What are the islanders getting apart from a big debt to hand down to the following generations for forty years ? A very small hospital ?

    Where is the extra £190 million extra going from the original Senator Ozouf quote of £273 million Senator Maclean ? To the usual lawyers', civil servants' and special friends and politicians' private pension pots?

    Have a look through the links below. Larger, smarter, cheaper and facilities for 750,000 patients annually in a catchment area of two million people. For a cost of £335 million plus £94m in associated schemes including the new multi storey car park, equipment and demolitions. Total £429 million.

    Links

    http://www.rlbuht.nhs.uk/The%20New%20Royal/Pages/New-Royal-overview.aspx

    http://www.rlbuht.nhs.uk/The%20New%20Royal/Documents/New-Royal-Carillion-Newsletter.pdf

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  22. In case your many readers are interested VFC.

    Note: to clarify the states figures show the hospital cost of £466 million ( without demolition and other works therefore a guess ) becomes £900 million after borrowing over forty years with interest added.

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  23. For any reader with the know how to do so there is a truly stunning piece of political deconstruction of Philip Ozouf's abilities in a long comment under the story 'Ozouf urged to resign' regarding the Innovation Fund shambles on the JEP on line pages. Someone ought to post it here. Read it then ask yourself: what does it say about the Jersey Establishment that this incompetent has been allowed to remain in the States after all of these years of failures and it seems horrible probable bullying.

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    1. Definitely written by an insider. A dynamite expose of a politician who was all gloss and no substance. Good rid I say.

      One down about 44 to go.

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    2. Sean Power wrote it.

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    3. Yes indeed, I saw that one too. I was going to add several more disasters in a further comment but the site would not accept more comments.

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  24. If I find it. I'll nick it. I'll photocopy it.17 January 2017 at 13:54

    What is this latest demo apparently being organised by email thief Sean 'Fingers' Power today? Anyone know how many people turned out to see Mr Desperate continue his struggle to try and reinvent himself before the next election?

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  25. Just watched the video of Gorst in the States, the Bailiff did great, didn't he do well and sorted out the ramblings of Gorst who did not give a straight answer regarding Philip Ozouf resignation letter that was on the way, but praised him a lot.

    Went " something " like,

    Bailiff:- Chief MInister just so the chamber and public are clear, has Senator Ozouf resigned. CM Gorst when I receive his letter of resigination, I will accept it ?

    Clearly there is still a problem in that Maclean signed of about three loans and so did Farnham Ozouf two. The train is coming down the track as well for Treasurer Maclean. If Ozouf cannot handle one little baby innovation fund how can Maclean handle, Airports and Harbours, The housing quango, Development Company quango, and the whole raft of other mixed up quango's.


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    1. If Reform Jersey want to start rehabilitating themselves after the supporting Lewis' P133 debacle then surely a good way to do it is lodge votes of no confidence in all THREE involved in this Innovation Fund giveaway to directors chums. As Gandalf might have said had he been fighting the evil of the Jersey Way rather than Mordor. One NCV for Ozouf. One NCV for MacLean. One NCV for Farnham. And one great big NCV for Gorst to in the darkness bind them!

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