Deputy Oliver is accused of ‘misleading the public’
DEPUTY Victoria Oliver has been misleading the public, says the vice-president of Home Affairs.
Deputy Oliver is facing removal from the committee in the wake of comments she made on social media in which Home Affairs says she criticised the actions of the police in carrying out a drugs search, and also drew attention to about a conflict of interests affecting its vice-president, Marc Leadbeater.
She said it was not right that he was involved with a company that is looking to grow cannabis for medicinal use while also being on a committee that backs law enforcement and therefore its stance on drugs.
But Deputy Leadbeater said that she is misleading people: ‘Right from the start when she [Deputy Oliver] 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.’
He said that if she had spoken of the issue in her role as a deputy rather than in a ‘single outburst’ on social media, they 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.’
Deputy Leadbeater also said that although she said she had taken the post down ‘as soon as I understood the upset that the post had caused within the committee’, in fact while discussing it in committee she had at first refused to withdraw it and also refused to apologised.
‘She later apologised for the committee as we had “misconstrued” her words in a not very sincere email sent later that evening.’
He has a lot more to say, he said.
‘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.’
