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Deputy Carl Meerveld has claimed the year-long suspension of Deputy Chris Le Tissier for anonymous, offensive tweets is a punishment fuelled by a 'woke culture' that "enables and encourages people" to take offence.
The States' Assembly & Constitution Committee President argued that his States colleague had received an exaggerated punishment, saying that a public reprimand from the Bailiff would have been "about right".
"The punishment is disproportionate and sets a bad precedent," he said, before adding that the Code of Conduct complainants were "just six people out of 60,000".
"This is an example of anti-social media, a woke culture and its growing influence in Guernsey, where the Twitterati are constantly looking for the next issue to be offended by."
Deputy Meerveld has been in the spotlight this past week for his efforts to delay the reform of Guernsey's Abortion Law, leading to a slew of "vitriolic" messages and "attacks on my character".
Pictured: The rules defining what suspension from the States means for Deputy Le Tissier, who is not allowed within the precinct of the Royal Court building when the States is in deliberation.
"I am concerned by trial by social media and print media and people getting condemned. We as an institution should be rising above that. We should not run and hide from the a vocal minority, a baying mob.
"We have to take a resilient approach and lead by example and push through what is right."
Deputy Meerveld was appointed Vice-President of Education in his first States term. However, he resigned from the committee in 2018 after personally instructing a creative agency to set up an anti-two-schools Facebook page. It went live without his committee's approval and without any States branding, appearing as if it had been set up by a concerned member of the public.
Earlier this term, he was appointed to the Sacc Presidency by States colleagues. He stressed in his comments about Deputy Le Tissier that he was speaking in a personal capacity. He urged other uncertain voters not to yield to "the path of least resistance".
Pictured: In a Youtube video that has since been deleted, Deputy Le Tissier celebrated Liberation Day in 2015 by making a homemade video of Guernsey being bombed by the Americans to a distorted rendition of 'Sarnia Cherie'.
"Stand up for what you believe in," said Deputy Meerveld. "Push back against this woke culture. Don’t be swayed by the baying wolves and the Twitterati.
"There will be calls to lynch us, whatever, we cannot keep bowing to these things or what we are doing is not only enabling but encouraging that behaviour."
Among them was first-time Deputy Andrew Taylor, who admitted that he "hadn’t read the rules" himself relating to the Code of Conduct until last week.
"I don’t condone Deputy Le Tissier's actions but I don’t think a 12-month suspension is suitable," he said.
Having worked alongside the now-suspended Home Affairs and Development & Planning Authority Member, Deputy Taylor said his experience was of a deputy who was "an asset to the States" and both "excellent and respectful in the way he challenges things" in committee.
Pictured: Deputy Le Tissier used his election candidacy speech to condemn the behaviour of the previous States, which he described as "childish". He said at the time: "I think I can do better."
Deputy Tina Bury reminded members that they had all taken an oath or affirmation when sworn in as a deputy in Guernsey's Royal Court. This included adhering faithfully to the Code of Conduct. Deputy Le Tissier had trampled over that by breaching six sections of its rules relating to honesty, integrity and respect.
This came from an election candidate who had "waxed lyrical about there being too much backstabbing in the States" in his election pitch.
She pointed to contradictions in Deputy Le Tissier's apology, which offered up a "strange mix of profuse apologies, excuses and accusations against others" in his speech to the States.
Deputy Lyndon Trott said public officials are obliged to set very high standards. He admitted that he had not always been a saint himself. What had persuaded him with regards suspending Deputy Le Tissier was the potential damage to the reputation of States and of Guernsey.
Referring to the Panel's review, he said: "It is that point that I find most damning of all."
"I have known him for 40 years," he added of Deputy Le Tissier, citing his background in finance. "He is not a bad person but is a consummate fool for his actions."
Deputy Lester Queripel told the States he had looked at all the information about Deputy Le Tissier on balance and had concluded, after lengthy consideration, that he "is not a child" and "knew exactly what he was doing."
"He has tended to focus on the conduct of others, suggesting his posts have been taken out of context," said Deputy Queripel.
"The suspension is a proportionate penalty. You don’t have to be offensive or resort to baseline personality politics to get your message across. I think he should have made a personal statement this in this Chamber under rule 10 out of respect and courtesy for colleagues and the public."
On the other, Deputies Peter Ferbrache and John Dyke attacked the Code of Conduct process and the behaviour of other politicians respectively.
Deputy Ferbrache said: "To the keyboards cowards who want to decimate your reputation for making fallacious comments with no substance at all: grow up, be human, have respect for people like Deputy Le Tissier."
Deputy Dyke said the volume and nature of media exposure to Deputy Le Tissier's had "put pressure on the jury" - in this case the Code of Conduct Panel - to punish Deputy Le Tissier for his actions.
A lawyer, he said that in a courtroom that commentary would have resulted in the case being set aside.
He told the States: "We should not allow this injustice to continue huge pressure clouded by a relentless political onslaught against Deputy Le Tissier."
Deputy Burford - who was criticised on Twitter by Deputy Le Tissier operating under various pseudonyms - questioned why the former Guernsey Party member had not acquainted himself with those rules before pledging to adhere to them in the Royal Court.
Pictured: One of the tweets, posted under a pseudonym, that formed the basis of conduct complaints against the former Guernsey Party member.
Those guidelines are based on the same Nolan Principles, she noted, which were also reflected in the Guernsey Party's constitution, which he signed up to before the election.
The Scrutiny President also questioned Deputy Le Tissier's self-proclaimed "temporary lapse" in his social media behaviour. "It was certainly not my experience or the finding of the Panel," she said.
On the duplicity exposed and uncovered by Express, she added: "Imagine my surprise when it was discovered at the start of this year that ‘ChrisT’ aka ‘The Pirate’ aka ‘ Airbus666’ and aka who-knows-possibly-what-else was actually now a colleague of mine."
Deputy Burford argued that there had been "hubris and evasion" from the disgraced deputy, who covered his tracks by deleting tweets, social media accounts and other content including a controversial home-made video of Guernsey being bombed by Americans on Liberation Day.
"His behaviour would have seen him sacked in the private sector. He has been fortunate to have the punishment downgraded by the second Panel."
The Panel's recommendation of a one-year suspension from all States business was carried by 25 votes to 5, with 9 abstentions.
Pour: Deputies Parkinson, Prow, Queripel, Roffey, Soulsby, St Pier, Trott, Vermeulen, Brouard, Burford, Bury, Cameron, De Lisle, de Sausmarez, Dudley-Owen, Fairclough, Falla, Ferbrache, Gabriel, Gollop, Haskins, Inder, Kazantseva-Miller, Le Tocq and Leadbeater.
Contre: Deputies Meerveld, Taylor, Dyke, Mahoney and Alderney Representative Roberts.
Abstained: Deputies Moakes, Murray, Oliver, Aldwell, Blin, Helyar, Matthews, McKenna and Alderney Representative Snowdon.
Absent: Deputy Le Tissier.
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