She's "misleading the public"

Friday 12 June 2020

The Home Affairs row continues with a response from Deputy Marc Leadbeater who has said Deputy Victoria Oliver is "misleading the public" by suggesting she has tried to change the law regarding cannabis, when he says there is "no substance to her claims".

Deputy Leadbeater is the Vice President of the Committee for Home Affairs - which oversees law enforcement in the Bailiwick.

He is also a director of a company which has a licence to produce cannabis for medicinal purposes. 

Deputy Victoria Oliver, who is a member of the Committee for Home Affairs referenced that in a post on social media recently, when she said she was "very angry" he had been elected Vice President of Home and that his involvement with a "whole blooming farm" "stinks".

Following a number of discussions between Deputy Oliver and the other four members of the Home Affairs Committee, her colleagues have now asked the States to terminate her role on the committee with immediate effect at the earliest opportunity.

That is likely to be debated when the States meet next week.

Deputy Oliver has responded, by saying the response to her comments on social media has been "completely over the top" and that she has apologised for any upset caused but she doesn't think what she said was unreasonable.

The original comment which Deputy Oliver replied to was in reference to an alleged raid carried out by Guernsey Police officers at the home of an individual who posted about the incident on Facebook.

Pictured: Deputy Victoria Oliver posted the above comment on Facebook, and then she had and Deputy Marc Leadbeater followed it up with other comments. All have since been deleted.

Since Home Affairs went public with its desire to oust Deputy Oliver from the committee yesterday, both she and Deputy Marc Leadbeater have commented again on social media. 

Deputy Leadbeater has issued a statement saying that "Deputy Oliver is misleading the public".

He said she has not tried to push through cannabis reforms and that she has not ever mentioned any desire to do so to him in a personal capacity, as members of the committee which oversees law enforcement in the Bailiwick or during States meetings. Deputy Leadbeater also highlighted his own efforts to raise awareness of the need for drug law reforms. 

Pictured: Deputy Leadbeater has made speeches in the States about reforming the island's drug laws including the need to change perceptions over prescription medicines. You can read about that HERE. 

Deputy Leadbeater's statement in response to the Oliver row is printed in full below: 

"The messaging coming from Deputy Oliver is misleading the public - right from the start when she claimed in her post that she has been trying to push through cannabis reforms – it was misleading. 

"I have worked with Deputy Oliver for more than four years, and not once during that time has she made any effort to try and change cannabis laws whatsoever. She has never mentioned it at committee, in the States or in the media, where I have on many occasions. It would have been helpful if Deputy Oliver had spoken of cannabis reform in her role as a Deputy instead of in a single outburst on social media – we could have worked together to try and make a difference. I can imagine that many islanders in favour are happy to read on social media that Deputy Oliver is trying to push through cannabis reforms, but then they may be disappointed to find out that there is no substance to her claims. 

"Also, Deputy Oliver in her recent statement advises us that “As soon as I understood the upset that the post had caused within the committee I took it down. I apologised to Deputy Leadbeater and the Head of Law Enforcement for any offence I may have caused – which was of course never my intention”. When discussing the matter at length in committee, Deputy Oliver initially refused to remove the post, and also refused to apologise. She later apologised for the committee as we had “misconstrued” her words in a not very sincere email sent later that evening. 

"There’s much more I have to say and, unfortunately, it will all be played out in the media and on the floor of the assembly. If Deputy Oliver had assumed responsibility for what she had said and apologised, we would not be in this position now – she had plenty of opportunity."

You can read about the Home Affairs dispute in more detail HERE. 

Deputy Oliver's statement can be read in full HERE. 

Pictured top: Deputies Marc Leadbeater and Victoria Oliver.