Stop picking on me – there is no way I would ever mock the public
Thursday 28th January 2010, 2:59PM GMT.
From Senator Terry Le Main.
PLEASE be kind enough to publish this letter so I can explain to your readers my defence to your seeming campaign of picking on me for absenting myself from the first States meeting of 2010 by going on holiday.
Firstly, may I say it’s really sad and pathetic that for some unknown reason you see fit to pick upon me for missing this States meeting when throughout the year several members have been ‘en défaut’ because of taking their holidays, etc (and I am aware that for several of these members there have been very valid family reasons).
For several years I have not taken a holiday break during the States Christmas holiday period because my role as Housing Minister demands that I am available to assist any of our tenant clients during these long holiday breaks.
I and my assistant minister Deputy Power, and before him Deputy Jacqueline Hilton, have had to put up with calls day and night, seven days a week. Many calls are urgent to those who make them and of course there are difficult clients that we have to deal with. Where else in the world can someone call a minister 24 hours a day and get an immediate response?
To further defend myself, the Housing Minister is the only minister who has public surgeries twice a month to assist the public. My answerphone when I am out is changed twice daily. Everyone gets a response. And, yes, I visit the elderly services wards at Health on Christmas morning among many other things. But what particularly galls me is to have to put forward my private and personal life so that I can defend myself from your very unfair attacks.
Yes, I have a very aged mother and aunt who rely on family members to look after them, yes I have a duty of care to my beloved mother, and, yes I have to share the burden of her care and try to give her some quality of life.
This responsibility is borne by a close family member virtually on a daily basis and I have a duty to give some respite to close family involved on a daily basis in our mother’s care.
Please remember that being a States Member is an utter privilege. To be elected as a States Member by your own people is an honour and something sacrosanct and there is no way I would ever try to mock or otherwise the public as a States Member. If anyone has been offended by your misreporting or otherwise, then please accept my apologies. It was not of my doing.
There are other very personal issues that I am not prepared to share with your readers as to why I needed a break and that I could only have done so at this time, missing the first meeting of the States.
Please be advised I do have to maintain the quality of life for my family, my wife who so greatly assists in my being a States Member behind the scenes, my children, my two granddaughters who came back from university for Christmas – these children are our lives and we have to be there for them.
So, to the people of Jersey who may have been offended by my so-called behaviour and allegations of contempt, I apologise because I would never do that.
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I did not realise that our Tel was such a sensitive soul.
If he cannot take the heat he should get out of the kitchen.
What is he going to complain about next: that he is not getting enough publicity, instead of too much?
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When I read our esteemed senator’s screed I checked the calendar; is today April Fool’s Day?
How dare he make such craven excuses? Just how many tenants telephoned him during the Christmas period? More to the point, how many people have the senator’s phone number?
To bring his aged mother into the story is, quite frankly, despicable.
No, Tel: this is probably the worse career move you have ever made in your entire life. I, for one, cannot stop laughing at your crass stupidity.
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In all the years I have lived on this island (slightly more than eighty in number) I have never seen such idiocy.
Whatever possessed this whinger to write such a letter? Who does he think he is kidding?
Dear God, whatever next?
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Was this published as a joke? Does Senator Le Main know that he is being impersonated?
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Well he would say that wouldn’t he.
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I totally agree, all Terry Le Main is doing is taking a well earned rest after all the hard slog he has put in with Housing and why not after all he is got to be one of the hardest workers in the States and I admire him immensely? If they really want to point the finger at anybody they should be starting with Stuart Syvret for his Houdini impressions. His disappearing acts even put David Blaine to shame and to add insult he gets paid for it by the tax payer. A totally obscene situation and I hope the council of ministers do something about it soon.
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RICO 6,Can you tell me what you have been taking,as i would love to try it.not one word rings true.can i walk/fly,or catch a plane to your planet.
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Ahhhh bless his little cotton socks. Everyone picking on him…
What he fails to address is his arrogant ‘None of your business’ remark when he was quite properly questioned on his absence. I suggest that, rather than him not being here, has riled people more than anything.
It certainly is our business.
I also note that he accuses the JEP of ‘misreporting’. I would suggest that the JEP have a right to reply on that!
I now await the anti-Syvret opportunists to start turning this Le Main story into a Syvret story.
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Well you would say that Tel Boy wouldn’t you. Just a pity we don’t believe you!!
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I always liked Terry Le Main. Honest, reliable and always stuck his neck out for housing tenants when called upon. I only wish some other states members would take a leaf out of his book for a change and represent the people that elected for them instead of behaving like spoilt children.
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Hermes, he helped us the family get housing quals. I have every admiration for him and he should not be attacked like this. He is a good man.
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NO 8 BUSTER GUT,Spot on,everything that you state is 100%.I see some people did Infact try and turn it around earlier this week about Syvret,When it had nothing whatsoever to do with him.maybe T Le Main could do with Max Clifford.
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Udupi asks: “More to the point, how many people have the senator’s phone number?”
Answer: anyone who looks up his number in the front of the phone book.
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I have known Terry LeMain since we were among the first intake at Hautlieu in 1952. Over the years I have followed Terry’s service in the States for the residents of Jersey. I challenge anyone to spend a day with Terry and observe the effort and concern he shows to everyone.
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Rico 6
This is about Terry Le Mains appalling comment to the public of Jersey, your dislike of Stuart Syvret comes across in all your media posts! it is quite a fixation and rather sad, as another commentator said what planet do you live on?
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So the public who questioned his absense are ‘really sad and pathetic’?
We have a right to question the whereabouts of our Ministers…We are paying them to be in a job. At least we know where Stuart Syvret was!
Now that the Minister has come back and informed us of where he was then the matter should be closed….except for an appology for calling us, the voters ‘really sad and pathetic’
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Terry asks us to remember it is a privaledge to be a states member, a fact I think he has forgotten.
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Give Terry Le Main a break, he is heading to be the next Father of the House and I wouldn’t mind seeing him as Chief Minister one day. More dedicated than another senator mentioned on here and totally law abiding. He recently passed a law for us J-Cats to buy A-H so the man deserves a round of applause!
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#17 wendy
Exactly the point, a “privaledge” (sic) bestowed upon him by members of the public who expect him to be at work.
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Well done for speaking out against these accusers Senator Le Main! Don’t worry, more people support you then these trouble makers would like you to think and that is why you are a Senator and on an Island wide mandate!
Keep up the good work in Housing!
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In my view Senator Le Main is one of the kindest, sensitive people in the States, He has a very hard and demanding job. He has always helped me with my housing problems in in a most agreeable and sensitive way, Terry keep up the good work,
May god bless you.
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Rico #11 said “he helped us the family get housing quals”.
I would be interested in how he helped you because if you were entitled to them they were yours to be had and his ‘help’ would be unnecessary.
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TLM is always at the end of the phone even if it means he has to come back to you.
Udupi; How many calls he take over Christmas. Loads pet Loads. You would not believe how many people he runs around helping. The joe public haven’t a clue how many this chap help out of the public eye. Easter eggs for families who have little at Easter,giving a helping hand when needed. You have to go a long way to find such a down to earth minister.
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Whatever you think of Terry, good bad or indifferent, the point is he was out of order in this instance and then added insult to injury in his response on the matter.
His pitty me response with the use of his beloved aged mother and other personal issues to vindicate his arogance is quite patheteteic. And, it seems to me, an example of just how lowly, he holds the intelligence of the people to whom his respose is aimed i.e. you and me.
Very poor effort Terry, to have said nothing would have been vastly better than this disdainful response.
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Poor old Tel eh, you have got to feel sorry for him NOT, he should not be burdening us all with his problems, we have enough of our own. If it is too much work for him to handle he should leave and give the job to someone who can cope. The States members have weeks and weeks of holidays, he should go on vacation during them.
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Since Terry changed the housing laws we are now actively looking to buy under A-H and they are cheaper than A-J so a big thank you to him. Before hand we bought an A-H flat but could only rent out to a person qualified under A-H but now we can get them to leave. With our combined income though there is plenty out there and we are also telling our friends to get over here. Finance firms are desperate for qualified accountants at the moment and thanks to Terry we can also look at settling down in Jersey perhaps for good.
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Don’t you just hate…whineing
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26. Patrick Hopkins
“now we can get them to leave” so the locals are to be kicked out of the houses they are renting so that the ‘J’ cats can have them back under Terrys new law.
Good one Terry! Kept that one hidden.
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While it seems perfectly ok for posters to give specific examples of what kind creature Le Main is, why is it that any suggestion that others might have had more negative experiences of the man gets edited out – even though no specific examples are given?
Come on JEP!
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I have known Terry Le Main for over 40 years, I knew his beloved son who died at a young age tragically years ago, I witnessed the the soul destroying effect this sad loss had upon Terry Le Main, Terry is a true gentleman who cares, he cares about his family and he cares about the people of Jersey. Terry has managed over time to overcome his own misfortunes and grief to concentrate on helping others. He is entitled to take a little break now and then to avoid burning himself out. Terry is a true Jerseyman so please have some respect.
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Terry’s plane must have landed.
I drove past the airport and could still hear the whining even after they turned the engines off.
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We all have family and we all are on call to one relative or another 24/7, only Terry get paid a lot more than most of us! you should have bben there for the first states meeting Terry no excuse, we all had to go back to wrk after the xmas holdiays relatives or not!! grow up.
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Pusillanimous tosh, from a Minister who runs a Department that is not fit for purpose.
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So according to Patrick Hopkins J-Cats can now take away urgent first time buyer homes from A-H locals and they probably have more spending power. Typical, it keeps the prices high. When are some of these so called ‘new’ people in the States going to do something for their voters? They have no power, no teeth and seem to only hark on about suspensions all the time. No wonder this Island is going to the dogs the lefties don’t do a thing about changes like this one.
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you are one of the good guys .
some of us would be totaly lost without your voice.
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A serious LOL moment. The Housing Minister, writing a letter asking people to stop picking on him!! I’m embarrassed for the man and all his supporters.
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Michelle (#15):
“Rico 6
This is about Terry Le Mains appalling comment to the public of Jersey, your dislike of Stuart Syvret comes across in all your media posts! it is quite a fixation and rather sad, as another commentator said what planet do you live on?”
Simples: Planet Jersey!
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Michelle, If all States members behaved like Stuart Syvret this Island would have been flushed down the toilet in seconds. Or perhaps thats just what you want?
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@38 Jeremy Holmes
“If all States members behaved like Stuart Syvret…” What, expose the truth and then get sacked for it? Oh, Ok then…
Apols for topic and I don’t want to be seen to be childish but JH started it ..
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what on earth is a true Jerseyman? and what relivance does this have to Terry not turning up for the the first day of term and freezing his bits off for 45 minutes in the Town Church? does he deserve an extra day off because he went to Hautlieu? or because he suffered persaonal tragedy? or going back to my first question does he deserve not to be here because he was born here and his surname begins with Le?
really this is all too much although I do quite like his style.
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Thumbs up @ 14
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Hey tanks for me qualies Tezza, only been here a year and got ‘em for being a good “pseudo local” I’m bringing the family over next month.
Here’s to you
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Quote by Flymo:-
“If all States members behaved like Stuart Syvret…” What, expose the truth and then get sacked for it? Oh, Ok then…
But what is the truth? Has he not been asked on several occassions to supply evidence to all his claims but never does?
If you choose to believe everything he tells you without any evidence then more fool you.
Boris a true Jersey Man no longer exists.
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Buster Gut, how I obtained my housing quals is none of your business but I will say Terry Le Main’s department was most helpful. I think these attacks on him for just being on holiday are weaker than weak.
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Poor old tired Terry. He should still take his holidays when the States are in recession. I remember Terry in his younger days he was then what you called “a Person for the people of Jersey” he never really missed meeting, spoke out on behalf of the working class, and supported the locals, but now I get the impression that he just biding his time taking the good salary that the States offers until he feels it his time to quit. It just a shame he can not finish as he began,
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If he made as much effort to attend the first meeting of 2010 as he has in writing this pathetic excuse letter then we wouldn’t even be having this discussion !!
Sad…….and very symptomatic of our political set-up!
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I feel sorry for Terry Le Main who must realise how many spoilt brats there are living in an island who do not appreciate the help they are given by the States. This island seems to consist of alot of winging idiots who do not know that they have got it good!
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Part of being an elected representative is to attend said meetings. To then publicly cry about circumstances is quite unbelievable.
How about responding to the comments that you originally made Terry instead of doing the Jersey thing of ‘pretending it never happened’.
Dig deep and find a bigger pair, criticism goes with the territory.
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Rico #44, not my business how you got your quallies eh?
I disagree. It is all our business how you, and everyone else, gets their quallies. Whether obtained legally or not.
As for those who feel sorry fo Le Main for getting stick for being arrogant when questioned about why he was on holiday rather than being where we pay him to be I would say this.
It is forbidden to take a child out of school a couple of days early to go on holiday. Holiday and term dates are set and must be adhered to. Likewise a teachers cannot decide to wander into school a few days into term and tell the headmaster that it’s none of their business.
Some jobs are like that. If you break the rules you answer to the paymaster.
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Jeremy Holmes #43 – “But what is the truth? Has he not been asked on several occassions to supply evidence to all his claims but never does?”
You will find that he has done a number of times if you bothered to look.
For starters try these independant reports:
The Sharp Report
The Dylan Southern Report
The Howard League Report
Of course, alternatively, you could simply carry on repeating “there is no evidence…there is no evidence…” ad infinitum. It wouldn’t make it true though.
Your call.
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Buster Gut.
The reports you quote are old news and do not name innocent until proven guilty people.
Try the Chapman Report.
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Rico,it is becoming more and more obvious that you are showing your hand …as they say
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truthseeker, I think you must have a problem with Maderian person getting housing quals, why else are you asking me for personal information all the time?
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Oh come on…..give the guy a break!
Everyone is entitled to a holiday and a life outside of work.
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This thread should be re-named “stop picking on rico”.
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Jeremy, the age of the reports vary, some are really not ‘old’. Nevertheless read them again and I think you will find that they name and critisize a number of people who have not been tried.
If you can honestly look at those reports and not come to the conclusion that something is seriously wrong then your judgment is suspect.
Syvret was right about the reclamation site. Syvret was right about the hospital managment and was sacked for raising it.
One has to wonder what else he is right about.
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Buster Gut, the reports you keep on dredging up have already been looked into deep enough, apporiate action has been taken and its old news especially that Sharp Report. According to the Chapman Report (which is current) Stuart Syvret has been far from right about a lot of things and his accusations against a lot of people. He has been asked by other States members on several occasions to supply evidence to back up his attacks on many people and he cannot. Now ask yourself this, if you had such dynamite evidence against people, why has nobody been arrested and why waste such dynamite evidence on a 3rd rate blog? You are being hoodwinked my friend, if he had such over whelming material something would have been done with it by now.
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Stop picking on me Terry!
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Sorry Syvret was responsible for good moral in the management and only took a serious interest in the latter end. You cannot improve the managment by just shouting at them, perhaps it shows the job was beyond Syvret anyway.
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I like him
I think he is hard working great guy so yeah boo to all the “haters”…
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Oh all hail the great Syvret! Hail! Hail! Hail!
Oh get a life please!!!!
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@56 Buster Gut
Thanks for replying to JH
JH, what he said.
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I agree with JH.
Stuart’s got no worthy evidence, otherwise he would do like any other sensible minded person would do in his position and take it either down to the Police Station and make a statement or to a Lawyer for review and possible action.
.
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Syvret is just a bluffer. They called his bluff and arrested him but instead of facing the charges against him like a real man or any other citizen he decided to run away to London. Some leader he is.
Go for it Terry Le Main I am behind you!
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This revelation by Patrick Hopkins is starting to make my blood boil. How can the housing minister make such a decision with a stroke of a pen which will inflate A-H house and flat prices pretty well over night? Who is he working for, the property agents, the developers or the fat cat outside investors? It also makes my blood boil when he tries to make out that this will not have effect on prices because the supply and demand ratio of basic economics says it will.
No I am not happy with this decision at all, especially during recession and I have to now question his position as housing minister.
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I would like some one to investigate what they spend there money on…
Sky news has just informed that
MPs Told To Repay More Than £1.1m Expenses
Maybe this needs to be done in Jersey. See where all the money is going and has gone..
NOt relevant to what your talking about but an interesting subject all the same
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Well Mr Patrick Hopkins (26), following todays headlines you can forget about “settling down in Jersey”, bringing your friends over, and chucking out the locals to make room
Back to the drawing board Mr Hopkins.
Ho ho ho
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67 Tobias
Well done Ben Shenton for raising this issue. TLM hadn’t run this past the house first…tut, tut.
Perhaps our esteemed leaders DO read these comments afterall ????
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Michelina (#66) has suggested that a journalistic investigation of States Assembly members’ expenses be mounted.
I would remind Jersey Evening Post readers that the investigation into UK MP’s expenses was mounted by a responsible London newspaper with an impeccable reputation.
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@69 Albert Salmon
Yes it was finally raised by the Daily Telegraph after certain “reputable” news sources refused to do anything with it; including the BBC. One of the main instigators of this expose is a gentleman called Michael Barnbrook – an ex Met copper.
Who is standing in the next General Election for the BNP
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