Mac says Dan should go

| 28/01/2010

(CNS): Following the recent comments by the auditor general about the importance of preserving the independence of the office, the premier has said if it was up to him Dan Duguay would have already gone as he does not know how to do his job and has madetoo many mistakes. Speaking on Radio Cayman himself, McKeeva Bush said that the auditor general should not be “blabbing on radio shows” and he is just an accountant who has got a big mouth. Responding to the criticisms by the premier, Duguay told CNS that he believed it  may be because he and his team at the AG’s office do their jobs very well.

In a strong condemnation of Duguay, Bush said that the politicians had nothing to do with his independence or his job because if they did he, as premier, would choose a better person. Appearing on Radio Cayman’s lunch time show, Talk Today, on Wednesday, Bush said that the AG’s recent comments about extending the length of the position’s contract so that future auditor generals could not be beholden to political influence were wrong.

“He has got such a big mouth talking about what he don’t know,” Bush said, adding that the political regime had nothing to do with his job as it was the chief secretary or deputy governor that appointed him.  “I have nothing to do with it. If I had anything to do with it, he would be gone.”

The premier said that he would not give him three months as he does not know how to do his job. “He has done too many wrong things, made too many mistakes and got away with too much, then go on the radio and blabber, and carry on like he knows it all. He is not a god; he is just an accountant and one that I suspect don’t know what he is doing either,” the premier told Dwayne Ebanks, the radio show’s host. “If I had anything to do with the job, I would chose a much better person.”

Responding to the premier’s condemnation of him, Duguay said that he believed it came as a result of him just doing his job properly. “I think if you are doing this job well, you will upset some people and clearly I have upset some people,” he said, echoing the comments made by the governor, Duncan Taylor, when he was asked about the AG’s role at his first press briefing. Taylor had said he expected that the person in that office should be irritating everyone.

This is not the first time that the premier has attacked the AG, but when Bush referred to him as a cowboy a few months ago, Duguay remained silent. This time, however, he observed that the comments came at an unfortunate time. “It is unfortunate that when the role has come up for competition and I am one of the candidates, that Mr Bush has made his thoughts so publicly known,” Duguay noted.

While appearing on his radio show, the premier told Ebanks that he believed the AG was looking for a fight and he should not be getting on the radio. Bush also accused Duguay of damaging good people’s lives. Referring to the Royal Watler Report, he said Duguay would not correct the report when he was wrong about government losing money.

“You cannot say that government lost something on a building for 9,000 square feet when the whole building process was over 18,000 square feet and when they had built an acre of land which is valued over what he says was lost. Yet he wouldn’t correct it and they talk about that being professional … I think the deputy governor is right in dealing with him,” Bush added.

Duguay, however, said that the premier was wrong when he made much of the fact that the Royal Watler Report was not changed as, the AG noted, the later changes in the project did not alter the original observations made by his office during the audit.

Nevertheless, Bush said the AG had abused his position and was looking for glamour. As a result of that abuse by Duguay, he said the AG reports should not be made public until the people involved and those concerned got a chance to look at them so the people would see both sides when it goes to the public.

Previously, when the reports were held back until they had been assessed, the reports ended up languishing behind closed doors as a result of the public accounts committee (PAC) not getting around to making their reports. For example, the CUC report published by the previous auditor general in 2003 was not released into the public domain until the middle of 2009, six years after the work was undertaken.

The premier insisted that previous auditor generals had done their jobs properly and there was nothing wrong with the independence of the office.

The AG had made his original comments about the position’s period of service at the CBO conference last Thursday when he took part in a panel debate. He noted that the current contract in the Cayman Islands for an auditor general is three years and his had been renewed once. He was recently told that he would have to compete for the next contract if he wanted to continue in the post.

Duguay pointed out that in some jurisdictions the AG’s role is appointed for life to ensure there can never be political interference, as he observed that anyone in such a role who was afraid their job would be taken from them would be less likely to tackle the difficult issues that come with the position. He suggested that Cayman should think about extending the contract to five years with an opportunity for one renewal, which offers more stability and surety to the post and would protect any future holders from undue influence.

 

Vote in the CNS online poll: Is Dan Duguay doing a good job as auditor general?

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  1. what a mess says:

    Cayman definately needs "one man, one vote" system NOW!

    We are well past allowing a majority of voters of (only one district) to decide (be bought out with fridges and promises or other unethical and corrupt means etc.) who the Leader/Premier of Cayman is to be.

    There is too much at stake here for us all…and our children and…

    Enough of this "Ongoing popularity contest" between Mac and Kurt.

    • Hairy McBush says:

      You are wasting your time, most of Mac’s voters can’t read these posts anyway

  2. Peter Milburn says:

    Mr.Premiercould you please stop your verbal attacks on certain people.You have a good streak in you somewhere and need to bring it out more often.I am sure it will make your life far more enjoyable if you did.As I have said before we all need to try to get along as life is too short for this kind of stuff to be going on.and it would certainly make Cayman a better place for all to live in.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Hi CNS, I posted a reply to poster 12:27  (A Louse In Wonderland). And I don’t see my reply posted. And my reply was not offensive and I wondering why it was not posted? And plus it had facts in it. And this is also the first time I had none of my messages posted on CNS. And I would like to know what happen to the reply Thanks.

     

    CNS: It’s amazing how often I get asked by "Anonymous" why their comment was not posted without any indication of what it said. 1) Get a user name so I know which Anonymous you are. 2) Read the Comment policy, which might answer your question. 3) If the answer is not in the comment policy email me the comment or a rough approximation of it.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Big Mac is picking on the auditor General because his own people are pointing fingrs at him. mcKeeva should resign. His attitude sucks!

    .Mr. Duguay we love you. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORKS.

    It makes one wonder just which idiots voted for this man to get back into office again when obviously the polls show that there is only a hand ful of Caymanians that even acknowledge him as their premiere and for that they are even ashamed of because of his obnoxious behavior.

    We really can not have another dictator in the caribbean. So start planning who will lead in the 2013 elections. because it can not be big Mac. plans now need to be made how the UDP will be kept out of office. We have to make sure they don’t get back in office. They are a disgrace.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Maybe Mac has over stepped his boundaries this time but it amazes me to see the level of hate against him and UDP on this site. No leader is perfect and to be honest Mac has a lot of flaws that are very apparent but I do think he has the best intention for the country.

    At the end of the day, he might be uneducated (if we assume education just comes from academia) but he is very business savy and an effective leader. He knows what the average Caymanian wants and will not sugar-coat what he believes which is often seen as a flaw by PPM sympathisers. PPM has a tendency of trying to sit on the fence and not be accountable for anything they believe in.

    It was McKeeva that was stern with CUC when Hurricane Ivan ravaged the country and if Kurt was in power at the time, the country would still be in deliberation with CUC when to provide electricity to the island. It was the same authoritative Mac that stood-up for the average Joe Blow, which is something I did not see Kurt and his party did when in power.

    PPM’s main tactic is to divide the country in regards to nationality but supply no real solutions to the problem. It was PPM that created this roll-over policy that did not provide any better situation to the average Caymanian. It just provided opportunities to privileged Caymanians to be placed in figure-head roles while being puppets to the same expats that own the companies. Can anyone attest that the roll-over policy provided any help to the average Caymanian?

    It was PPM that caused the country to be in debt, which Mac inherited. When Kurt was interviewed about what he would do to correct the situation, his reply caused me to nearly have an aneurysm. He said he would, "go back to the basics". Here I was thinking, this is a new problem the Island has to face and the best answer Kurt could give was to go back to basics. So he would use old tools to correct new problems? I shudder to think what the Island would be like if he was still in power today.

    PPM always pushed for transparency yet it seemed quite hypocritical when Mac was being transparent and letting the country know of its economic position, it was PPM that was trying to censor him. I am not a genius in math, but I expect common-sense to tell you that if the US and other major economic powers were experiencing a financial crisis- an Island that is highly dependant on these monies would be affected by it. Therefore, one should cut costs, but the genius Kurt went to sign a contract that locked the government in building unnecessary schools. The funny thing is, it is not the building that educate the kids but the teachers, but I guess raising the teaching standard was not a priority to the PPM party.

    Policies like that just shows that PPM was and still is just in the aesthetics or superficial image. Having fancy buildings do not increase government department efficiency, it causes them to be more inefficient. Anyone who has ever gone to any government department for anything will know that we do not need to have those civil servants any more comfortable because the job will never get done. But yet PPM was willing to construct a government building that is to house the whole civil service yet it does not do the same thing it is set out for. This exemplifies PPM, poor management and rely on image when there is really no substance.

    So before people start bashing Mac, take a look at the other option the country has and I am sure you all would be willing to deal with the lesser of two evils.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Dear Mr. Premier

    The people of Cayman want a referendum to say who should go.

    We say you should go and Mr. Dan should stay.

  7. PPM TIME 2013 says:

    TO  A Louse In Wonderland

    i truly believe PPM did all they did for the country because they truly had sincere love for the country and ppl.  If the recession had not met us the schools would’ve been finished and we would be saying wow, lookat IT this way UDP left no money and they did nothing, PPM didn’t left money (so they say)  but we got things done to the country..can’t have your cake and eat it too.

     

    Charles Clifford had a genuine passion for his Tourism Ministry, he seen the neglect that CAL had gone thru and he made a positive change

    Just as Alden had a sincere passion for education reform., he seen the need and he did it! even though Rollie getting the credit now we must always remember who put it in the hard work, that’s not the point I’m positive that even though Alden is not in the ministry now his heart is and he is truly happy for the education reform! Unlike the UDP who have no regard for education Mac believes education is not necessary and we can teach our kids under a mango tree…

  8. PPM TIME says:

    I’m so proud that my Leader Mr D Kurt Tibbetts don’t act like this wowowowowowwo..I sure hang my head low if I was a UDP supporter

    • Dred says:

      Actually to be honest neither party is worth anything today. So I wouldn’t be too happy sitting on Kurt’s side either.

      The low down is this….

      Big Mac does XXXXXXX. His team is made up primarily of YES MEN and the ones that speak up get shut up really quick. He quickly and decisively removes any OBSTICLES (ie Dan Duguay soon) that creates problems XXXXX. But his strong suit is that he makes decisions quickly. Very good after Ivan. I respect that.

      Kurt on the otherhand is quite different. He’s not viewed as underhanded but his downfall is generally slow to make decisions and now we can see why. When he makes them he basically out thinks himself. The schools while fundamentally not a bad idea and in fact well needed was ill-timed. The whole world was saying we were steering down the barrel of a recession and yet he still went ahead with the schools. Not wise. A classical example of his not making decisions is the BT Elections fiasco which he sat on and wouldn’t do something about until it was too late. He wanted someone to do the work he should have done. Big Mac would NEVER have done that. NEVER!!!

      The fallout of that will hurt us for many years to come. Right now we are seeing unprecidented increases in taxes. Unprecidented numbers of foreign companies packing up and leaving. Our global view tainted. These while not completely Kurt’sfault was assisted by him.

      The problem we have today is too much of the same old. We need what the US preached but never delievered on. We need CHANGE. We need both Kurt and McKeeva out. No more crappy politics.

      I am hoping that in 2013 we see some young blood coming out. I am calling all Caymanians to stay away from both UDP and PPM. Let those two powerhouses die. We need new young blood with vision. People who are technologically savvy. People who know markets and new ways of doing things. We need a new path. I want to see more green technology. I want to see us using more of our natural self replenishing resources to drive our economy.

      Wheer are these people? Stand up and be counted!!

    • Born Free says:

      To: "PPM TIME"……… I agree with you, PPM are about "love for country," & not love for thyself!

      The udp can only criticize the PPM for:

      1. building new schools (thanks Al) which have been needed & talked about for decades

      2. building new roads (thanks ‘action man’ Arden) which we have needed & has been talked about for decades

      3. the start of renovations to our airport & new CAL offices (thanks Chuckie) which has been needed for decades

      4. a crack down on corruption (thanks PPM)

      5. a new, modern government building (thanks PPM) which is needed to replace the delapidated Glass House, & will pay for itself MANY TIMES OVER!

      As you quite rightly said, at least with the PPM we knew where our money was going. With the PPM we had an HONEST, OPEN & TRANSPARENT government. I am proud of Kurt, Arden, Al, Tony, Moses, & all of the PPM, especially the members of the PPM government from 2005 to 2009, they did us all proud.  

      • Anonymous says:

        you forgot about bankrupting the country!

        • BORN FREE says:

          What really bankrupted the island was the $78 million the UDP wasted on Boatswain Beach (the proposed cost was to be about 36 million, where did the rest go?), & all the other special interest projects that they & their friends were involved in, including awarding a multi million contract to friends for consulting that was never fulfilled, millions paid to family for inflated land value, construction contracts to friends for twice the value, & so on & so forth. You want me to give to more million $ examples of what really bankrupted this country? We never recovered from the hundreds of millions that the udp wasted, that is when we really went into debt & NEVER recovered!

          • John smth says:

            Obama bailed out Wallstreet and the banks, eg. JP Morgan, and also AIG insurance and GM & Chrysler.

            Two weeks ago he publicly told Wallstreet, that he the president a tax payer also and the people of the United States of America wanted their money back. The money financed by American Taxpayers was not used honestly it was paid out in huge bonuses to the executives of these giant corporations. President Obama a tax payer as well. told these dishonest unscrupulous leaches, " We want our money back !".

            It is time for the men and women of the Cayman Islands to stop allowing the premiere to dictate to them what happens to their money and where to spend it.  It is our money, not the premiere’s. Mr.McKeeva Bush had no business running for office in 2009.Statistics show that he was not elected by the majority of Caymanians. Based on the above account of what took place with Boatswain Beach $78 million XXXXX during the time the UDP was last in power, it is not financially safe to have this man overseeing our monetary affairs.

            XXXX and the people were left to scuffle. This put the country in a predicament. Kurt is getting the blame just like President  Obama is getting the blame for the mess Bush leftthe country in ‘BROKE"  (however neither of these two men Kurt nor McKeeva should be leading the  Cayman Islandsy)

            McKeeva Bush

            WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK

  9. John Evans says:

    Comments that just serve to confirm the opinion held in many parts of the world that Cayman is just another corrupt little third world country scared stiff that people will learn the truth about what goes on there.

    This latest outburst only serves to inflict even more damage to Cayman’s reputation.

    • Wow! says:

      For the first time ever I feel myself agreeing with John Evans.

      Mac’s mouth is as big a problem as Kurt’s free-spending.

      • Anonymous says:

        PPM spent on the island, I know where my money went, schools roads, housing,govt buildings, post offices, CAL upgrades… Truth is Macburger is the father of the house he’s been there for 25 years why only when PPM was in, was any of this done?

        We were in dire needs for all the above..

        • A Louse In Wonderland says:

          Yes but they spent money like confetti to try to win the election and left the nation’s finances in a terrible mess.  The nation nearly went the way of a certain office supply company. . . .

          • Anonymous says:

            Hey Wonderland, PPM did not spend money to win the Election, they spend the money on the Roads, Schools, CAL, and the new Goverment Building because they needed to be done after the failing UDP left the office in a mess in 2005 along with the other past Goverments before them that sat on their xxxx and did nothing while these Projects was sitting in their lockers cover with dust, must be for over 15 years or more, waiting for a Goverment that could put them out so the Caymanians can enjoy the Projects that was put in place for these  beauiful Islands, thanks to PPM. Any projects sitting in their lockers for over a decade and more, being full of dust, suppose to cost double than what it could have originally cost 15 to 20 years before the time of PPM.

            The Projects was well needed and PPM usher them in, even though they cost more. rather than waiting another decade and more in which they will cost trible what PPM spend on getting them started. PPM told you not to stop the progress because the projects are not complete, for there are more in the lockers that needed to be done, now UDP stop the progress" guess what now? When a Goverment like PPM get in to power it gonna cost trible to start the other projects and also to finish the existing ones, so you stop whinning about PPM spend Money like confetti, whatever you mean by that? And face the facts that things has gotten rediculously expensive over the past two decades than to say PPM over spend when they were in power.

        • Live Free... says:

          I 100% agree with you that PPM spent on the Island, which at that time the Island needed attention not unlike UDP using our money for unnecessary things, especailly travelling all over the world instead of trying help get Cayman out of the financial problems cause by the recession and crime rate that going out of control, PPM would have done something about those above mention and it almost a year and UDP done nothing but increase the cost of living.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Julie had a blue Christmas in Cayman Brac and I understand the UDP is going to have Blue Valentine’s party in Cayman.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      cns: why do you still ignore the heroes day colour controversy?

      CNS: It’s certainly a talking point, which is why it keeps popping up in the comments, but Wendy’s working on about 6 stories and it’s not a priority. You can always start a forum topic.

  11. Anonymous says:

    “He has done too many wrong things, made too many mistakes and got away with too much, then go on the radio and blabber, and carry on like he knows it all. He is not a god"

    Doesn’t this sound very familiar? Is the Nonerable Primeir talking about himself again?

  12. Anonymous says:

    While we are on the subject of Mac. I just need to know what colors will be allowed on valentine’s day. Hero’s day in green, offical openings no longer allowed to use a red carpet. In Cayman Brac the offical Christmas party was in blue, silver and white NO red allowed. How far will this childishness go?

    • Anonymous says:

      I want to know where was the so called "Protocol" office in all of the planning for the Hero’s day affair. Black carpet? I agree with 01/29/2010 – 15:24, this is disgusting childish behaviour and I hope that someone will take a stand and try to re-introduce some little amount of class and dignity in our public ceremonies. Between the childishness, long idiotic speeches and the general behaviour of some at the "top" (wherever that is!) it is not very encouraging to attend.

      • Anonymous says:

        It is widely known in the civil service that the Protocol Office is an emarrassing waste of time and taxpayer money and only exists to give jobs to useless civil servants who couldn’t be employed in other departments. The Heros’ Day organisation was a fiasco but of course although people talked about it noone will be held accountable.

        • Anonymous says:

          Heard hundreds if not thousands of programes for heros day were reprinted in blue and green…anybody know about this?

          • Anonymous says:

            Don’t know about the programs but the order of seating (or non seating) of our important people was a total shambles and many commented on it angrily among themselves. Definitely an office to close down and save money but it wont happen of course.

          • Anonymous says:

            yes everybody know about it… but cns for some ‘strange’ reason will not run a story on it……..

            CNS: As said elsewhereIt’s certainly a talking point, which is why it keeps popping up in the comments, but Wendy’s working on about 6 stories and it’s not a priority. You can always start a forum topic.

        • Anonymous says:

          Hold up there buddy. Some may consider the Protocol Office inadequate, but the hired staff has sufficient qualifications to warrant their positions respectfully. If we as Caymanians disagree with the practices of the office, fine, but do not slander the reputation of qualified civil servants performing their jobs. I wonder sometimes the depth of stupidly my own people exert

          • Lower Valley Resident says:

            Let me ask my fellow Caymanians one question?  Everyone gets outraged when our Premier has, what some may consider extreme privileges (car, butler etc…) when the governor is extended the same types of courtesy, yet no one dares question that.  Would someone care to explain this?  Is this b/c our leader is Caymanian?  Or could it be the malicious mentality of keeping fellow Caymanians down, which so rampantly plagues the working industry.

             

            In truth, the answer is quite simple.  Caymanian people have yet to move away from this colonial mentality of restraint.  The scaremongering tactics incorporated by the elite are used effectively to deter the capacity of society to belief in its own people.   We can complain about other Caribbean nations being poor, lacking proper infrastructural development etc…nevertheless, at the end of the day, their society maintains the choice of self-determination. 

            I am not advocating independence at all, rather simply highlighting the lack of understanding that exists in relation to understanding the privileges associated with the Premier title. 

  13. Anonymous says:

    Caymanians tell Bush to go back to school.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Hello fellow Caymanians and non Caymanian residents……why are some you so surprised at McKeeva’s behaviour ??? 

    Mr. Charles Clifford warned you all about this man in 2004/2005 and you all rejected him at the polls and ousted his government ushering in a new era of openness and transparency with the PPM Government.

    McKeeva begged for forgiveness and said he was "born again" and too many of you all bought that BS and now you are surprised that he sees his return to the helm of government as a licence to do as he pleases.

    Please don’t wonder why he would like this Auditor General to go. Let me remind you all that it was this same Auditor General that published the following reports against McKeeva Bush :

    * Royal Watler Cruise Terminal Project ($4M in over expenditure on this project that was unaccounted for) – Where did the money go. You know the answer Cayman !!!

    * The Boatswain’s Beach project ($1.6M in unnecessary financing fees paid to two of McKeeva’s business associates) Why did this happen ? You know the answer Cayman !!!

    * The UDP Government’s 2005 bailout of Cayman National Insurance (the government waived approximately $50M in claims) Who benefitted from that deal. You know the answer Cayman !!!

    You were warned Cayman.

    Mr. Governor where are you when the country needs you. This is your test…….if you give Mac an inch he will take a mile !!!!

    AND YES CNS YOU CAN PUBLISH THIS POSTING BECAUSE THEAG’s REPORTS ARE A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD !

  15. Lobsta Hunta says:

    Can anyone say "straight-jacket"?

  16. The Brain says:

    No, Mac. Never use two drops of the formula! It causes a reaction on the molecular level that is completely unpredictable.

     

  17. Jack Hough says:

    And so the file for direct rule get thicker . . . .

  18. Anonymous says:

    Sorry, who’s big mouth is blabbing on radio shows? 

    Politics in Cayman is like a Punch & Judy show.  The “professional” politicians  act like petulant children. It’s government by bad-mouthing and bullying. Only when the people of Cayman become brave enough to break the McKeeva Bush/Kurt Tibbetts party political merry-go-round will things really change in this country. But, at the next election they’ll be a chicken or bread handout and the cycle with go around again.  Stale bread should be thrown in the trash and a fresh loaf taken out of the oven.  What’s to lose?  Things can’t get any worse:  rising crime, financial institutions leaving in droves, a flat real estate market (no matter how the real estate agents try to talk it up, as they always do!), tourism at an all time low, massive rises in tax and duties, ad hoc and ill-conceived immigration policies. When will people realize that this island is too small for the knock-around party politics that goes on here; that both leaders are less than adequately equipped to manage Cayman Islands, PLC?  Only Caymanians can vote and only Caymanians can take up political office. The fate or fortune of this country is totally in Caymanian hands.  You get what you vote for, and perhaps at the next election Cayman will be breave enough to vote for to bring the Bush/Tibbetts era of playground politics to a close.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are so right, and I hope that anyone who voted for the current government is hanging their head in shame! As much as Caymanians are putting a lot of the blame on expats (and in a lot of cases rightfully so), this one, they can’t blame anyone else for but their own.

  19. Anonymous says:

    on reading the comments here          it seems that some people is surprise that mac wants the A G to go. have you all forgot that this is the same a.g. that made the country know about the land deal in west bay. where he paid a family member so much more money piece of landthan what it was valued. was this not our money,  who exposet the deal at the boatswain beach.was not that our money. Maybe he wants to run up a huge bill at cayman airways again and he is afraid that this will be expose. however i want you all to remember that it was his minister buddy that allowed that to happen. if me and you want to change our reservation we have to pay up front. but he that can pay would not.what a shame.  i hope that the governor steep in here and shut up this XXXX..   i will make it my business to XXXXXX.  in that pass when a g expose ppm wrong doing that was a good gob for big mac  but once he is willing to expose U D P corruption he needs to go .if this is not the sign of a proper dictator you tell me

  20. Anonymous says:

    So where is all this efficiency of the auditor general when it comes to signing off on Gov’t accounts?

    This should be his top priority but he has ventured no pro-active solutions and has only done his usual round in the press to make an issue out of it.

    Duguay is as responsible as the CFOs in failing to bring accountability to Gov’t.

    • Chris Johnson says:

      THe AG is there to report on the accounts given to him by the Government Departments. As he has explained on numerous occasions many of the departments are year behind in preparing accounts.Morover he is not permitted to prepae accounts himself as this would impair his impartiality.                                             There is nothing new here. It has been going on long before even the PPM came to power. Without accounts the AG cannot do his work. I hope this explains the situation. If not give me a call. I am in the yellow pages.

      • Anonymous says:

        Dude, as I understand, the accounts have fallen behind because of failure to complete 2005audit, creating a backlog. Most Ministries submitted 2005 but because of the burdens of the PMFL reporting, just cannot seem to get completed.

        Has Duguay identified the contentious issues and suggested ways of resolving them? This is a routine part of auditing- working with the client (not against) toward resolving issues.

        • Anonymous says:

          Despite the burdens in the PMFL, this certainly has not stopped some Govt. depts and statutory autorities from having their accounts up to date. If some can meet the deadlines, why can’t others?? This is unacceptable. Some CFO’s are simply not doing their job, have not beeing doing their jobs for years, and have simply gotten away with it, no repercussions. It’s just not right.  How can accounts not be done for 5 years??? How does Govt. even remotely have an idea as to where the country stands economically?? Amazing…This has to become priority immediately.

          • Anonymous says:

            Spot on Fri 10:25! It all comes down to civil servants not being held accountable and it has been going on for many many years.

    • Anonymous says:

       I don’t think he has an "enforcement" powers.  It is my understanding he can only analyze and identify where things were done poorly… or illegally.  I seem to remember him challenging those who do have the power and responsibility to make changes to DO THEIR JOBS.

    • Anonymous says:

      When (if) the government finally get their accounts in order and submit them to the auditor then he can do his job – he cannot sign off what is not provided to him, and last news item I read on here about the governments (in)action on this issue inidicated it could be years before they come up with these accounts: http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2009/12/22/no-sign-public-accounts

      He cannot "sign-off" fresh air, which is all he has received to date.

      Note in particular from the above link this:

      The issue was first brought to light by the auditor general, Dan Duguay in his report The State of Financial Accountability Reporting, published in April 2008. Duguay pointed out the massive delays by some government departments and agencies. He wrote in the report that government had "lost control of the public purse" and the situation had to be dealt with immediately.

      However, more than 18 months after the AG’s report was released government appears to be no closer to completeing the 2005/06 set of accounts than it was when Duguay first revealed the issue to the wider public.

      How can you say "Duguay is as responsible as the CFOs in failing to bring accountability to Gov’t."  The only ones responsible are your elected government.

      If you fully understood the offical role of an Auditor General you would realise what we have here is a damn good one.

  21. Anonymous says:

    Mr. Governor, The peopleof the Cayman Islands resoundingly endorse the work of the Auditor General Mr. Duguay.

    Right now he is only allowed to expose the corruption, of which there is plenty.

    To complete his job, the Auditor General’s report findigs need to be acted upon and those found breaking the laws of these islands must be held accountable.

    We may be better off if this "Cowboy AG" had powers of prosecution as well.

  22. M Ployer says:

    As an employer, one consistent problem I come across with young Caymanian staff, most of whom are fantastic, is the way they react to negative feedback – in one word "badly".  You can tell them 9 good things, but one negative comment and they often answer back, justify or sulk. 

    The scary thing is that this apparently endemic problem is reflected in the behaviour of the two recent LoGBs.  First Big Kurt rants against the OCC and now Surgically Less Big Mac’s horrific and banal rant at theAuditor General. 

    What example do these men set?  Not a good one.

    • Anonymous says:

      I found the first part of your post interesting, and it was warrants further in depth discussion.

      You are absolutely right on the second part.  The PPM essentially forced the former Complaints Commissioner out of office because of the problems he caused that government.  But they did it behind the scenes and by frustrating him.  The new Premier on the other, apparently prefers "straight talk"  and often publicly says exactly how he feels.

      How refreshing!  and it is infinitely more open and transparent dont you think?

      • BORN FREE says:

        If you think Mckeeva Bush is "refreshing" your name must be Cline Glidden! What part of any of Mckeeva Bush’s speeches, going back 20 years, has been refreshing? It would be interesting to know, but I cannot recall anything about Mckeeva Bush that is refreshing. More like disgusting, if you want the truth.

  23. Lachlan MacTavish says:

     Check out the     thumbs up/thumbs down    maybe time to go to one man one vote  and get rid of district system…….

  24. Searching For Truth says:

    Has anyone stopped to wonder what went wrong in Turks & Caicos Islands, and just how close the UDP and the then Premier of the TCI are linked.

    I do hope that we are not following on the same path, and that if we are, someone has the good sence to bring it to a halt before it progresses any further.

    The saying in Turks was "we have the best government money can buy" hope this does not transend to us.

    • Joe Bananas says:

      To see just where the T&Cs are in relation to Cayman just check out the T&C net news.  I just did and WOW!! Same problems as Cayman but much much worse.  Cayman please don’t get there!

  25. Never Heard of Tact? says:

    Mckeeva,

    You always remind us that we’re replaceable and working at your pleasure.

    Yes, it’s your legendary bluntness. Your tenure shields you from scrutiny.

    Sadly, your lack of self-awareness results in everyone—superiors and reports—maligning or marginalizing you.

    Tenure can take you only so far; eventually, you’ll need to build and nurture relationships, if you want to continue in this thing called politics.

    And that requires people skills: listening, charming, understanding, and compromising, not being ignorant. Do you think you’re up for that?

    Anyway keep it up, you remember the man that pushed you into power after the no-confidence vote against Kirk, he’s the same one that will take you down before the end of 2010.

    Do we have one person on the government bench that will do us all a favor and shut you up once and for all.

    Regards,

    Waiting for your rightfull departure from Caymanian politics.

     

     

  26. how I see things says:

    How funny is it that when the AG criticised the PPM on their spending on the schools and Boatswains Beach spending issues Mack was prasing him for bringing this to light. Now the second that the AG speaks out against the UDP projects Mack claims that the AG doesen’t know what he is doing. Mack has commented on the AG having a big mouth and blabbing to the media  but can anyone say what Mack did during the elections yelling to anyone that would listen "THE ISLAND IS BROKE" is any diffrent. Matter of fact isin’t that worse than the AG stating "from his point of view that a project might be more harmful than good to the Cayman Islands" which one do you think will scare away investers. People please stop being fooled by some one who is only out to bully others in to submission to get what they want. We also need to remind these politians that they are only in their positions because of us the people who voted to put you there.

  27. Anonymous says:

    One thing about a controlling abusive person is the need to belittle others to make themselves look better.  Only in their own mind that is because we the people see what you are doing MacKeeva.

    Accents aside, slang and street lingo aside, you sound stupid because of what you say not how you say it. 

    You contradict yourself to suit your needs and pollitcal agenda at the time and because you don’t remember your own dillusional  rants doesn’t mean the public forgets them as well.

    You and a few other blowholes on the Island (unfortunately it seems to be those in positions of control) might want to seek treatment for what I consider to be a serious case of megalomania!!!

    Megalomania –

    1. A psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence.

    2. An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions.

    It also seems that you would praise Duguay if his reports suited your agenda but the fact that you reacted the way you did, and sunk to the level you did in the article makes the world see you must be afraid.  Have a few skeletons in your closet?

    There is corruption in Cayman in many levels and some day the good people will pay for those who are at the root of the evil.

  28. Anonymous says:

     mac you is a disgrace. you are making me sick the way you are going on. you should drop out  give me your position seeing as though a juvenile could do a better job than you. In fact i think if you put  a baby as the leader of government business he would not have made as big of a mess as you

  29. Anonymous says:

    Mac is an extreme embarrassment to Cayman and needs to go. His rant on Radio Cayman was right up there with "weez broke" and I suspect it is already circulating in the business centres of the world. Can’t somebody in the UDP put a muzzle on him and lock him in a closet for the next 3 years? This is my request as a now former UDP supporter.

    Actually I still support what the UDP said it was about before the election – what I can not support is the ill-informed Mac Fan Club Party which seems to have no relationship with what the UDP claimed about. How did we end up with a one (out of control) man government?

    • Anonymous says:

      "Actually I still support what the UDP said it was about before the election – what I can not support is the ill-informed Mac Fan Club Party which seems to have no relationship with what the UDP claimed about. How did we end up with aone (out of control) man government?’

      I think you still don’t get it…Mac is their Puppet-Master. They fed you lies during their campaign and now Mac is carrying out his agenda and they are helping him. Silence equates to consent.

  30. Anonymous says:

    4 years ago, the Govt. and its leader were a laughing stock in Europe and the UK.   You can only imagine what they think of them (and us for reelecting them) now that they are back in again.  We need to keep the Auditor General.  He is one of the few Government Officials with enough guts to stand up for whatr is right.  If only the rest of the govt. was like him, Cayman would be in a much better position.   

  31. Anonymous says:

    Having an AG that is unfettered and free to investigate and inform the public immediately of his findingsis crucial to keeping politicians and government honest.  Honesty is a value my mom taught me as I grew up and it is something I hold dear to my heart. Us older Caymanians were known to keep our honour and seal a deal with just a hand shake.  Those are values I don’t believe in letting any politician erode.  I do not believe that any AG should be a political appointee and I’d like to see the AG continue to pounce on Gov’t departments and Ministries and publish his findings immediately.  Thank God for Mr. Duguay who has not been afraid to go public and it makes me nervous when politicians are gunning for him.  If there was nothing untoward and everyone followed the rules, the AGs reports would reflect that.  I also beg the Governor to let the politicians know that he will be watching them to see that they play by the rules and if they don’t, he aught to pull their socks up or sack them.  Let’s keep Cayman’s governemt, politics and business clean, honest and transparent.  No shinanigans.

  32. bushy says:

    I wish my premier were George W.Bush instead of mckeeva bush from west bay

  33. Anonymous says:

    I just think that everyone should just leave Mr. Duguay alone because he is the only one that uncovers the truth in this bias island.

  34. Anonymous says:

    How embarassing!!!  I didnt even get through reading your article and I came upon a quote by the "Premier" with incorrect grammar.  I think that everyone of my country men and womem should feel shame that we are represented by such a truly ignorant and uneducated individual.  What a joke.  We send this person to other countries to convince them that Cayman is such wonderful place to invest.  Hah!!!  I can just see them laughing at him under their breath. 

    XXXXXXXX

    I have so much to say, but just let me broach the subject raised by another comment.  How in the world could the "Premier" of Cayman use such language while addressing H.E. the Governor upon his arrival to Cayman as a representative of HRH Queen Elizabeth???  He may as well have told the Governor to just stay on the beach and leave things to the ruling "Premier"!!  I for one did not vote for the UDP becasue I felt that a vote for them was a vote for McKeeva.  He is the worst thing that has ever happened to this island other than hurricanes!!!!  Step down now McKeeva!!!  We dont need to be renamed the Bush Islands any time soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      You are so right.  His lack of grammar and eloquence reflects very badly on Cayman.   At least the PPM leaders sounded intelligent and well educated when dealing with some of the most highly educated people in the world.  This man is making Cayman look realy bad.  The rest of the world will be thinking if this is their leader what are the rest of them like!!!

  35. ackee and codfish says:

    who made any BIGGER mistake than mckeeva in 2005 with status grants,what is he doing in office?

  36. Anonymous says:

    I just think that everyone should just leave Mr. Duguay alone because he is the only one that uncovers the truth in this bias island.

  37. Caymanian dumpling 4 Dan says:

    Dan Yes,Dan Yes, Bush No,Bush No….The UK really needs to anchor in the Harbour and run this Country XXXXXX.  This is not good governance Mr Taylor please step in!

    I’m a native of this Island and i love the Europeans/Americans they actually invest in this country buy expensive homes/cars not like the poorer nationalities that live 10 ppl to 1 room and send all the money back home, yes we need them but how much of them we need? Mac and Sherri have this island popping with poor ppl.

     

     

    • Fallen Angel says:

      To Caymanian dumpling:

      It seems to me sir that you are either green with envy or  yellow with jealousy (whichever color you prefer is fine with me) of  the 10 ppl living in one room because if they can send ‘all the money back home’  –  then they must be living in a free house, with free utilities,  they must know of a supermarket that supplies them with free food, and a gas station that gives away gas – so they can send ALL their money back home. Wohoo!  How lucky can they be?  These people might be living like sardines in a tin can,  but have you heard them whine and complain?  and bitch about life? 

      Why do you seem to begrudge them the little money that is left – from their 4/5 per hour  salary  – sent to their family after spending 60-80% of their income here as cost of living in Cayman? They did not steal the money – they WORKED for it – so their family in their poor country can survive!

      You know why you are either green or yellow?  Let me enlighten you –  because here you are – having the house all to yourself,  paying the rent and utilities,  buying your food and gas, and on top of that,  you have mortgages to pay, and no one to talk to. If you are rich, so why are you so bitter and unhappy?  Would you rather be the 11th person in that house?

       

  38. Don't 4get Me! says:

    I strongly agree with Mr. Chris Johnson’s post.  History has proven to us time after time that ethical, unbiased representation is necessary to keep curruptionand greed at bay. This could not be more true where public officials are concerned. 

    Mr. Bush needs to understand he is no longer working with farmers, fishermen and rope makers just trying to get by, but intelligent individuals who are finally demanding more accountability of our leaders. 

    It’s absurd that Bush would publicly condemn the AG for doing his job. I’m just releived he has no authority to manipulate or hinder the person in that position. It’s clear this man (Bush) sees this as a nation under his rule and wishes to expel those who question his actions.  I’m not sure the terms of his contract but I do hope Mr. Duguay can and will continue his work (at least until Bush is no longer in office). If not, someone of equal callibre shoud be sought.

    It’s offensive that someone who obtained his position through nothing but the popular vote, calls the AG "just an accountant".  All the while responding to his country’s pleas for solutions by telling them to go to church.

    You’re the Premier Mr. Bush, but what are your qualifications?

    It’s just unfortunate we all suffer the reign of this menace.

  39. ooodle noodle says:

    I’m all for a qualified Caymian getting this post, however we all know that if a Caymanian does get this post it will be to slip XXXXXX.  I’m a born Caymanian and would like to see a Caymanian in this post, but I’m all for Dan he is open and transparent and Mac can’t take that.  He’s there to put Mac/UDP straight he’s the watch dog for our coffers.

    Really Mac who r you to be saying all those things? who made any bigger mistakes than you, who don’t know what they’re doing more than you?  if we had to advertise your post trust me Mac you would’nt get it because your’re not educated your in their by luck and an influx of new Caymanians. So sit down and make educated ppl run this country… and yes Mcburger education is a must!

    Mac don’t really like Europeans/Canadians/Americans the only nationality he like is Jamacians, ppl who are below him.  Why don’t Mac speak about the Attorney General now he is one that is not doing his job he let XXXXXX in the LA without even being qualified to serve.. shame shame

    But i hope Mr Duncan steps in and don’t make that hog mouth of Mcburger take away Dan’s job.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ken Jefferson is a qualified Caymanian auditor and he doesn’t really have any job now so put him there…………………

  40. Someone help us says:

    So the Auditor has a big mouth?

    Hmm.  Who said that?

    And the Auditor also shouldn’t go on radio?

    Hmmm.  Where did I hear that?

    And the Auditor shouldn’t make public the public’s accounts?

    Excellent idea.

    This is complete lunacy.  Haven’t had this much anxiety for democracy since reading Orwell’s 1984.

    They say- a country gets the leaders it deserves.  But no country deserves this. XXXX

  41. Anonymous says:

    I hope McKeeva terrorize this place like a Tazmanian Devil!!

    And the only people that feel it are the ones that put him in…

     

    (only the Devil likes things kept in secret)!!

  42. Anonymous says:

    Open question

    Is Mr Bush a Freemason?

  43. Anonymous says:

    save us duncan taylor… you are our only hope….

  44. Anonymous says:

    Dan is perfect for the job

    As a measure of his unmitigated success, not only did he manage to annoy both political parties, but also the previous Governor!…

    No other head of department allows his receptionist to give his cell phone number to a casual caller!…

    He will also return calls promptly, unlike the majority of civil servants down to the lowest level…

    His next job should be to recommend how to cut the Civil Service down to the bone and make Civil Servants pay their half of pension and health contribution: there alone some $120 million could be saved, as Cayman has the highest ratio of civil servants per capita in the world: 13 in Cayman against 120 in California…

     

     

     

     

  45. Anonymous says:

    Is this the same Premier that said Caymanians need to go back to Church? Well Mr. Premier, if we have to follow by your example, we sure aint going any further. The bottom line is… Playing Christian is not a good thing and Christians should never conduct themselves in the way you did on the Talk Show today, it is a total shame to Christianity. Next time Premier, don’t tell us to go to Church, we rather hear that from the Opposition Leader than from you. 

  46. whodatis says:

    Wow!

    It is times like these when I feel it most for Rollie and CG.

    I am not a UDP supporter (nor PPM for that matter) but I admire the intellect, class and overall professional and competent approach that those two Caymanian politicians possess.

    McKeeva is like the brutish, wayward older brother who’s only role in life is to tarnish the good family name.

    Fellas – perhaps its time to initiate the inevitable?

    whodatis

  47. Chris Johnson says:

    As the former managing partner of a major audit firm for over thirty years I have the following remarks to make.

    An auditor by nature is a sceptic and takes little at face value. He does not seek popularity and as noted by the Governor is likely to irritate everyone. That is certainly true ; it is almost his duty to do so. In the private arena there have been many failures and I will name but a few and the circumstances. The first was International Bank where Coopers and Lybrand qualified the audit report , were immediately fired by none other than Mr John Doucet who later became of guest of Her Majesty the Queen and within two years the bank went into liquidation. Later the same firm quailified the report of Bank Intercontinental and were promptly fired.The owner also enjoyed the Queen’s hospitality and the bank went ito liquidation. A decade or so later the same audit firm quailified the accounts of First Cayman Bank and Gulf Union Bank. They were promptly fired, a new audit firm was appointed and before they started work the bank went into liquidation.There are other examples but these are some examples of my own experience. I can assure all that my firm did not win any popularity contests but nor did we experience many lawsuits unlike several of the firms today.

    Auditors in the profession on the whole are not outgoing and rarely seek the public eye other than penning many articles in the press and being invited to speak at seminars. Auditors are not just accountants they are highly quailified and it takes several years to achieve their examinations and start the climb to the top as the likes of Dan and Jude Scott will tell you. Each year they risk being fired if they issue a report that is not clean or otherwise upset their clients and their work is frequently high risk as the auditors of Madoff Funds will inform you.

    I have met Mr Duguay just briefly but I have read several of his reports which certainly gives rise for concern. I will not comment on his press or radio interviews save to say that transparency is a subject of the day.Cayman needs much more transparency but that is not a subject to dwell on at the moment.

    It is important that Cayman retains him because of the vaste amount of knowledge that he has accumulated over the past three or more years. I have read the advertisement for his position and before anyone thinks about applying for it you need quaifications over and above that of a CPA or Chartered Acccountant. Government auditing is a highly specialized matter and we have been blessed with a series of good strong Auditor Generals over the years including Nigel Eisdale, Mr Duguay’s predecessor. He also took no prisioners.

    In conclusion I feel it essential that our Government treat the Auditor General’s postion with the greatest respect and not use it as a political football.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Hey, Chris – so how come no-one went to jail after the First Cayman Bank fiasco, and who were the directors who arranged for the auditors to be fired for uncovering the truth?

      • Chris Johnson says:

        Good question. There were a lot of funny things about this bank and we only acted for one year. It became apparent very soon that the assets were overvalued and unrealizeable as in the case of Bank Intercontinental and Interbank where other auditors took over and gace clean audit reports when they should not have. At First Cayman Bank I personally met with a gentleman from the middle-east, who I believe was the managing director, with my partner who was in charge of the audit. The director tried bullying tactics which was never going to work and we parted company. I can only assume the board of directors knew of the change of auditors and made their own enquiries as to the reasons. What I can add is that I met with persons from the Inspector of Banks at the time who showed little interest! I also met with a senior member of the political party in power at the time [ not Mr Bush] who assured me that all was well at the bank.I feel my firm did its job.

        As to jail time well I understand that fraud did take place but I am unaware of any police activities or investigations. That question can be asked of the liquidators at Deloitte or under the Freedom of Information Act.

        Finally as to the directors. I do not recall the names of all the board but one of the quirks of Cayman Law is that you cannot ascertain under the law the names and particulars of directors. This shows the lack of transparency which blights the financial industry in the Cayman Islands and needs to be fixed.

      • Anonymous says:

        Check out who were the Liquidators of that Bank and just check if now a days that Mac and the boss of the liquidating company are "close buddies"!

    • Anonymous says:

      Well said Chris. We can only hope now that the Premier will not continue to be "pig headed" and will take this sound advice. He preaches transparency on one hand but when it is he who must be transparent then he squeals. Oh well another day in PARADISE

    • Anonymous says:

      For much of my adult life I have supported McKeva Bush & whichever politicians that run with him. I supported him during the 1980’s, & I supported him during what became known as the coup in 2001, I supported him & the UDP in 2005, & I definitely supported him & the UDP in May 2009. I have come to realize that I have been supporting him for what I can get for myself, not for what I can get for my country. I was concerned about myself and not my beloved country. Since May 2009 I have become disillusioned & scared. I am very worried about the direction in which this admin is talking my country, I am scared for Cayman. I see a repeat of what happened in Jamaica a couple decades ago. I am scared because of some of the things that McKeeva Bush has proposed since becoming our first Premier (& BTW I was at the ceremony celebrating our first Premier, that was before I became scared), but his recent shocking remarks about the Auditor General ismore scary than most issues. Many of my friends & fellow McKeeva supporters have voiced their concern & disillusionment with some of the things that are happening, but none more so than his wish to see the AG "go"! I have to ask "why?"?? I can no longer support what is not in the best interests of Cayman, & I fear that this young new crew under McKeeva is not what is best for Cayman. I believe I made a dreadful mistake last May, & I am very very worried & scared.
      Thank you for listening to me,
      I am a frightened Caymanian.

      • Knowledge is Power says:

        Congratulations, if you really mean what you wrote it must have took a lot of courage.  When you are ready, together, we the people can do something about it — legally, morally, ethically and without violence.  Are you ready?

    • Anonymous says:

      Mr Johnson:

      The "auditor-general’s position" is a separate entity from the post holder. Leave Mac Bush aside, many of us have been dismayed at Mr Duguay’s use of talkshows and other media; it seems self-serving rather than "transparent". Nigel Esdaile as you say took no prisoners but most people had no idea what he looked like; a very desirable situation in Cayman.

       There are terrific rumblings about the way Mr Duguay runs his office (in HR terms) so he is controversial even without Bush getting in on the act.

      Ironically, Bush’s stupid outburst will probably ensure Duguay’s re-employment as the Governor will likely want to make it clear he is not influenced by politicians when making these appointments!

      • contraversial says:

        You are saying Duguay is contraversial! Can auditors not be contraversial whilst the Premier is allowed to be so?

        Perhaps Duguay should have been allowed to run ‘Heroes Day’. Most of us attending thought we were in church the way it was run. More time ought to have been dedicated to heroes of these islands and to a few that were not church members! It certainly appeared on Monday that only church leaderss are heroes.Now that is what is contraversional!

      • Anonymous says:

        Thu 19:37:

        You are so right! Duguay is in line to be a National Hero if you go by the posts here! All Mac has to do is say something and Cayman erupts against him-as it should with this stupid attack on DD which will simply ensure the opposite of what Mac wanted.

        Amazing to see that DD and the gay issues bring out the bloggers in force. Is that all that faces us?

    • Lachlan MacTavish says:

       CJ….great post…..time will tell if politrics will prevail….I hope not in this case.

    • Anonymous says:

      I am a many generations Caymanian and very proud to be so, but I can state quite emphatically that I am not proud to say that McKeeva Bush is my Countrys leader.

      As I am not from West Bay I can proudly say I have never voted for McKeeva Bush and therefore I am not responsible for him being the Premier of The Cayman Islands.

      I will take it a little deeper and state that outside of West Bay and not including the Status Grant recepients, the vast majority of the population are embarrassed of who is "our" Premier.

      Since the May 2009 elections, McKeeva has continued to divide Cayman and has made statements that have not been in the best interest of these Islands and when he stated from Miami after our 5.9 earthquake that the local media should not be making statements to the outside world, and now he is threatening the AG, Mr Dan Duguay, that he has to leave, I have no other way to read into this other than Censorship with the end result of Dictator rule of an independent country.

      Well Mac, THAT WONT HAPPEN, trust me and I know that you feel that we only spout off our mouths on CNS but nothing is done and you just continue to do as you feel, well you continue to push the VERY disgruntled majority and you will see how much we can take – it wont be pretty as we are truly FED UP NOW!

       

       

       

      • Anonymous says:

        I like you am a many generations Caymanian and fully endorse the following comments you made "… continue to push the VERY disgruntled majority and you will see how much we can take – it wont be pretty as we are truly FED UP NOW!" Yes we are and, no, it won’t be pretty but it coming.

    • Anonymous says:

      I can understand the woman member from Cayman Brac as she knows no better and Mark Scotland as he cant do better, but Mike Adam and Rolston Anglin! What are these people thinking. This is Cayman that we are dealing with and it dont belong to none of them to destroy. Can you imagine all the good people that have gone ahead of us and the good they did for our Country, now to have some money-hungry, selfish people come along and destroy our Beloved Isles Cayman.

      Why does McKeeva want the AG to leave unless it is so nothing can be investigated and uncovered, and I can guarantee that Mr Duguay was his best friend when any investigations were being done to anyone in opposition to Mac.

      For the good of their Island, the other members of the UDP have to grow some serious cohonies and challenge McKeeva and replace him as Premier, but we all know this wont happen and we all know why.

    • Born Free says:

      It just gets more embarrassing by the day. Every time Mac Bush opens his mouth it becomes more apparent that his attitude towards life is getting more & more like that of a dictator. I know, I know, Mac Bush has told us publicly that he does not like us to call him a dictator, but if he acts like one & talks like one, what else does he expect? I would like to encourage the AG Dugay to continue to do his work as thoroughly as he has been doing, & I would like to encourage Mac Bush at the same time to stop with the threats, to the new Governor, to the AG, to the opposition, & to people in general. It is beginning to smell an awful lot like dictatorial rule!

    • Anonymous says:

      Chris, thank you so very much for taking the time to share such clear and concise comments. Hopefully the professionalism you have portrayed will be understood and appreciatd by those who need it most.

      By the way fellow posters, I am a Caymanian … "born ya", of good ole Caymanian stock and I am certain there are many of us out there who still have the good manners and good sense instilled in us by our strict Caymanian upbringing!

  48. Anonymous says:

    These are the rantings of an ill educated ignorant "Bully Boy" who cannot even speak basic English properly – and he represents The Cayman Islands…………………!! Has he any concept of how these public outbursts are perceived by the elite international professionals he constantly tells us he wants to attract to the island, plus the appearance of not wanting a truly independent watchdog to monitor the standards of financial governance in Cayman.

  49. Anonymous says:

    I know it is not on topic but why can’t we post anymore on the "Rollover Gap To Shrink" thread?  Has Mac censored that one too? (just joking re the Mac fatwah).

    CNS: When to get to 4 pages of comments it’s just too time consuming to moderate. You can start a new topic in the public forum if you like or wait until rollover pops up in the news again – or have a go at a viewpoint even.

  50. Dear Governor says:

    Dear Governor,

    Please protect the Auditor General and give him some extra staff.  He has obviously touched a nerve – why is that?

    Concerned citizen

  51. slowpoke says:

    It is outbursts like these that make the best argument against independence, at least while the current crew is there.

    • Anonymous says:

      Absolutely!! The problem is that we have had in the past and are likely to have in the future only a similar crew, not better I am afraid. This is definately one Caymanian who will vote AGAINST independence at this point in our development. Sadly, this country is just not ready.

      I met His Excellency the Governor recently and he seems a wise and strong man and he certainly will need to be so in order to deal with the likes of who we have placed in certain office for him to deal with.

  52. Anonymous says:

    Oh My! Sometimes my heart goes out to our Premier (rolling on the floor with laughter) … he just can’t seem to get it right. Although I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I remember one day I was thinking that if there is ever a day that he has time to read some of these posts that he can’t help but laugh. But today I tried empathizing with him. I wonder how he would feel after reading some of these? Poor soul. Sometimes I feel bad to think that there are people overseas that are reading this and are amazed. But oh what the heck- I guess the people need to vent! Thanks CNS- you’ve brightened up my days many a times.

    PS. I love the comment at 12:52:)

  53. Anonymous says:

    First of all to those persons who like to shoot you down because they have a sling shot, I would like to let them know I am not a politician, have no political connection and dont even understand the job of the AG.  However I have discussed at length with a former resident of these islands who has lived in other territories and who was shock at the behaviour of the AG.  Put Mr. Bush aside, he said he has never heard of an AG giving interviews to the media and as far as he knows the AG works for the government and reports only to the government.  My friend is of the opinion that the Cayman Islands failed to nip it in the bud when the AG started making public comments and now it is too late to try and stop him.

    Like I said I dont know the facts, so please hold your negative comments, just enligthen me if the info I got was wrong.

    • Anonymous says:

      I am a current resident of these islands and have lived in other territories (and other countries) as well.

      I’m not sure where your "friend" is coming from, but it is very normal for an AG to make his/her reports public at the same time that it goes to the government.

      What Bush wants is a return to the old system, where the "internal discussions" and "approvals" were used to keep evidence of poor management of public funds away from the public for years, sometimes decades.  If done "correctly" by the persons in power, proof of mismanagement can be kept away from the public until those persons are no longer in government.

      Just like every other government position, the AG is not responsible to the Government (or the Premier, or the Governor, or any one person) – he (or she) is responsible to the PEOPLE.  I say ruffle some feathers – and tell me what’s going on.  Of course the government can reply at the same time (apparently by going on talk radio!)

    • Anonymous says:

      Give it a break Elio, why don’t you just let Big Mac defend himself? I bet you can’t tell us the name of your friend! Come on Elio, does he/she even really exist or is he/she just one of your play-play friends? (the udp are definitely in need of as many play-play friends they can get at the moment.) And oh yes Elio, the info you got from your play-play friend is wrong for sure!

    • Anonymous2 says:

      Your "friend" is blind like all the other UDP followers. 

      Mac needs to go away and stay away or go back to school.  Leave Dan alone.  Dan isclose to something.  You know the game where you move around the room trying to find something and the other person tells you how close you are by yelling "warm" "hot" "cold".  Well, Dan has hit "hot".

    • Anonymous says:

      Hope this helps you understand the AG’s actions:

      The government is a public body.  They are funded by the public purse.   Therefore any audit of a public body has to be made available to the public as they are the ones who pay for it and to whom the government is (meant to be) accountable.  This is standard practice elsewhere… but not here. 

  54. Joe Bananas says:

    And if CNS ran a poll to see how many think  the "Premiere" should go for the same reason he "says" Dan should go what do you think the overwhelming answer to that question would be?

    How about it CNS?  He has puplicly stated his opinion.

    CNS: There’s a significant poll in about three years time, I believe.

    • Joe Bananas says:

      I was thinking more of the people who work and live on  Cayman in general. Most or all of them are impacted by his whims often times more that those who actually voted for him. But I don’t want to get CNS into trouble so please desregard my last post.

  55. Anonymous says:

    There needs to be checks and balances without political interference and the AG is there to ‘mind the till’

    XXXXX

    Then of course the bank fiasco.

    Caymanians don’t like to remember the bad things. Only the good things. This will get this island in a MESS of trouble soon. That and Mac’s uneducated patter. He sounds so fool. Why doesn’t anyone tell him!?

    You probably shouldn’t post this but I needed to get it off of my chest.

    • Anonymous says:

      If I recall there were a little over 2,000 West Bayers that voted for Mac to put him into office.  That was even a lesser number of votes than the now Leader of the Opposition got.  This is insane!  Our country is going down the tubes and we have Mac as our leader?   How about a recall petition?  Is there something in the new constitution to help us get rid of him?

  56. Anonymous says:

    Dan yes. Bush no.

  57. Gg says:

    Some bodeeeeeee wants the checks and balances put in place gone ask yourself Why is that? You better not steal my good friend because the government hates competition.

  58. Anonymous says:

    CNS, did McKeeva threaten you because of the 17 comments that WERE posted and now removed? Please don’t let him stifle CNS as he is trying to do with all media.

    CNS: No threats from anyone – a slight technical hitch. Everything should be back now.

    • Lachlan MacTavish says:

      This is all very sad. Yet again someone "doing the job", which happens to taint some decisions made by politico’s is being pressed out.

      The LOGB could be more objective and neutral and think about "the people".

      I was under the impression that we had "other elected leaders". Where are you? The CIG is not supposed to be a "one man show". 

    • Anonymous says:

      Folks, people, my fellow Caymanians, let us be honest here. Does this surprise anyone?
      As far as I see it, Mr. Duguay has only criticized people in his reports when it needs to be done, regardless of who it is. Mr. Duguay has not been pro or anti one party or the other, because both sides have felt the wrath of his pen when necessary.

      For Mckeeva Bush to make these comments about Mr. Duguay shows signs of fear & weakness. There is no better way to muzzle the message than to get rid of the messenger. Why is it that Mr. Bush has been so anxious for Mr. Duguay to go? Why is Mr. Bush so anxious for Mr. Duguay to be silenced? Is Mr. Bush fearful that Mr. Duguay will expose certain things in the future? If Mr. Bush is not fearful of Mr. Duguay why is he acting as if he is? If there is nothing to hide then surely Mr. Bush should leave Mr. Duguay to do his work without making these threatening & intimidating remarks.

      As an outsider looking in, I can honestly say that by reading what Mr. Bush has to say about Mr. Duguay I can only draw one conclusion. If I am to judge by Mr. Bush’s actions & words I can only jump to the conclusion that there is some sort of guilt present, & the possibility of being exposed. Mr. Duguay has done hundreds of reports about different people, why is he being so personally attacked by one? It surely makes me wonder! 

  59. Anonymous says:

    "….and he is just an accountant who has got a big mouth."

    Well Mac – at least Dan is an accountant – qualified and all; what you got to offer other than a big mouth?! Yes, that’s what I thought – nothing!

  60. Anonymous says:

     

    "he does not know how to do his job and has made too many mistakes."
     
    “He has got such a big mouth talking about what he don’t know,”
     
    “He has done too many wrong things, made too many mistakes and got away with too much, then go on the radio and blabber, and carry on like he knows it all. He is not a god…"
     
    Bush also accused Duguay of damaging good people’s lives.
     
    Well, aint this hilarious if I didn’t know this was a news report about Duguay, I’d swear Bush was looking in the mirror and commenting about himself.
     
    I used to be all for Bush, now I’m all for saying BUSH SHOULD GO! He is nothing but a shame and scandal to this country. If someone doesn’t muzzle him soon he’ll be the downfall of Cayman at this rate.
  61. Anonymous says:

    Who does Mac think he is?  Seriously, where does this man who ran a Cayman Bank into the ground and was thrown out of office by his own people, get off talking like he is "King"!

    I really hope that all Caymanians see where your country is going, and you better do it quickly before Mac takes over like Castro or the UK is called in to deal with this stupidness.

    Mac probably will repeal FOI as well.

  62. Anonymous9 says:

    AAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     

    You people are NUTS for voting him back in!!!!!

     

    You will never learn, eh!

    • Anonymous says:

      NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its Mac that has to go. What is he afraid of? The Truth?

  63. Anonymous says:

    As much as I hate to agree with Mr. Bush; the Auditor General needs to go. When the AG speaks, I am not sure if he is speaking for his office or as a politician wannabe.

    Either way, the AG has lost the confidence of many people and he needs to go before he damages the Office of AG any further.

    • Anonymous says:

      What planet are you living on?  Duguay isn’t shaping himself as a politician he is merely doing what an efficient Auditor General should do.  Other than Bush (who it seems never did like him) who’s confidence has he lost?  And before responding, perhaps you should check the CNS online poll.  Last time I looked there wasn’t one vote against Duguay.  If you do not understand the official role of the Auditor General, then perhaps its better to say nothing at all – a policy I wish Bush would take up too.

    • Anonymous says:

       Do you really think an ex-pat has any delusions that they would even be eligible for public office?  What a crock!

      The only confidence the AG has lost is the confidence of tricksters that he can be bought.  Which leads one to wonder why the Premier is so adamantly against the AG?

    • Macman says:

      Mr. Bush you written English is certainly more correct than your spoken English.   Oooops were we not supposed to know it was you writing this drivel?

  64. Anonymous says:

    Tell him Mac!

    Now slowly sweep excess spending underneath the rug…ahhhh there we go…everything is back to normal.

  65. Anonymous says:

    It’s quite clear who in this scenario is trying to move away from accountability – and it’s not the AG.  Anyone who says it’s OK – let alone preferred – for public accounts audits to remain private for 6 years after the fact doesn’t want the public, AG or anyone else interfering in his affairs.  Don’t be fooled by mini-mac’s political savvy… he’s trying to remove the previous government’s decided obligation to transparency so he can get away with his whimsical fantasies and he points fingers to create a diversion!

  66. Anonymous says:

    Pot? Kettle!

  67. anon says:

    Someone should mention to Bush that in the real world, the heads of government to not rant on call-in radio shows.

  68. Anonymous says:

    Mac – Are you effing insane? You have an opportunity to do great things to move the Islands forward, make terrific advances for our people, and actually have a term in office that does not result in outcries of corruption, and then you do that?

    I truly fear from us. Dan, don’t you go anywhere. Mac says we should welcome Expats, well Dan, you are the most welcome of them all.

     

  69. stew chicken says:

     mckeeva just compare the way how mr dan speaks compared to yourself,useing all these dumb stupid slangs from west bay and sound so uneducated,your problem is you dont want a smart educated person there,you want a dumb person so you can handle him.and i havent heard anyone that thinks that he is god anymore than yourself,you made slangs to the new govenor as well if you were only smart and intelligent as both of them,you just got where you are by some dumb caymanians and status holders.that need stoves,fridges,and grocery money.

  70. Anonymous says:

    The position of Auditor General clearly needs security of tenure in the same way that it is needed for senior members of the judiciary. The public at large (except for the most rabid political supporters of Mr. Bush) believe that the Auditor General has done a fine job. Mr. Bush clearly depreciates the importance of his role as one level of accountability for the government and wishes to compromise the independence of that office because he is stepping on his toes. He has now made it clear that he is against the re-appointment of Mr. Duguay and has therefore prejudiced his application for the position. Unless this is addressed, any successor to the office who wishes to keep his job will toe the line with Mr. Bush and the value of the office will be accordingly reduced. This is not healthy sign for good governance of these Islands. Caymanians, these are the words and attitudes of a dictator who believes that all dissent must be eliminated. If we allow this to continue we will soon see a Turks & Caicos style UK takeover.     

  71. Dred says:

    Hold on. What ever happened to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? Are you saying you would like to be fired? Do you not go to church often? Doesn’t the good book say to forgive? How about turning the other cheek? Show a brother some love.

    This is what I can’t take with him. He’s so hard to make up his mind.

    On a serious note.

    The man is doing his job. If you was not b’ing and moaning about the man in public he wouldn’t have to jump on the radio or in front of any media to defend his actions. He gave Kurt the same amount of grief but you never saw Kurt threatening the man’s job.

    Big Mac the question is this. Which stool pigeon do you want to be in that job to greenlight all your new projects such as the New Hospital (even though it is said CIG is doing nothing but I am sure they will do something) or is something else on the horizon that you are planning on surprising us with? I smell something really really bad happening here.

    I think we need to make a STAND for DAN.

    CNS can you post a poll with regards to the quality of job that Dan is doing so that Big Mac can see where the public stands on how we feel Dan is doing his job? Not sure if you did it before and if so a fresh one might be a good thing.

    CNS: No, we haven’t done it before. Good idea. The poll has been created.

  72. Is this the same McKeeva Bush who disclosed in the Register of Members’ Interests for the Cayman Legislative Assembly that he was a director within the First Cayman Bank/Gulf Union group and, after the group collapsed amid allegations of criminal activity, his disclosure in the Register of Members’ Interests was torn out.

    Indeed it is.

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Is a file recommending prosecution still on the other AG’s desk?

    • Anonymous says:

      Good to hear from you David Marchant. Let us hear more from you because you were always a man that was able to expose all the corruption & wrong doings of politicians in different terrorities. Please let us hear more. Cayman needs you at this time

  73. Anonymous says:

    Amazing that everything he said could be said of him.

  74. The Conscious Party says:

     wait for it… 

    *make sure to strap on your insult-proof vest… dey ga be zinging by at any minute now…

  75. westbayer says:

    who has any bigger mouth than mckeeva and he is the last one to talk about speaking proper on the radio mckeeva can speak proper at all he needed to finish high school,just cant belive we have someone like him leading our country,gosh caymanians are stupid for voting for him,the foreingers like that he is in charge because they know they can just go to him and get pr or status and then he passes them on to sherri to get the business.

  76. heavy cake says:

    i know it wasnt going to be long before i hear this mackeeva wants him out because he is the only to stand up to him and check up on his bad deals,he give someone the job that can hide things for him.

  77. A REALIST says:

    I will fight criticise McKeeva as much as anyone but he is right. Mr. Duguay has never seen a microphone or camera he didn’t feel the need to court. Any other civil servant who criticised gov’t as a whole, as he does continuously, would have been gone a LONG time ago. He simply needs to do his job. And many of his  statements are self serving.

    His insinuation that because, after 6 years, his position is being advertised, as called for under the relevant laws he should be well acquainted with, is a result of political victimisation is comical. He knew the deal when he signed his first contract. It was for set terms and did not have to automatically rolled over. So what is his problem now? Has he fallen in love with Cayman. XXXX To accept terms to come into Cayman and then  seek to vary the terms to suit himself. My only wish is that rather than being at the discretion of the various departments, ministries etc. each position had to be AUTOMATICALLY advertised.

    There have been positions advertised asking for qualifications far and above what many Caymanians would have.Based on that Caymanians don’t apply and then the position is given to a foreigner without the skills sought. This was done in the past year for an "accounting" position in a particular gov’t entity. He will sit in that position for 7 years when he didn’t deserve it.

  78. Anonymous says:

    So much for his Christian charade! I knew it would not be long before his "my way or no way" attitude surfaced again. I feel that Mr. Duguay is like Ezzard, one of the few that will stand up for what they believe in for this country. Mac sees him as another obstacle in the way. I wonder just how long from now that Dan will have his job… because we all know that it’s what McKeewa says goes!

    "If I had my way I would choose a much better person"- yeah right… he would chosse a family member. lol

    • Anonymous says:

      He might choose Steve McField.  Oh, wait.  He’s already given Steve McField the job of deciding whether or not the government should give sizeable wads of cash to Steve McField.