Mac denies LA rules violation

| 26/03/2011

(CNS): The disagreement betweenthe country’s leader and the independent representative for North Side escalated further this weekend when the Premier’s Office issued a statement Friday from McKeeva Bush denying that he was in breach of Standing Orders over Finance Committee, as stated by Ezzard Miller on Monday. In response to an article posted on CNS and a statement released by the North Side MLA, who had pointed out that Finance Committee, of which the premier is chair, was one of several Legislative Assembly committees that had failed to meet in accordance with the House rules since the UDP came to office. Bush “categorically” stated that Finance Committee was not in violation of Standing Orders or the Constitution.

He said Miller was misquoting the provisions of the constitution and said the Finance
Committee had met three times since he became the chairman — on the 21st, 22nd and 24th of June 2010. These sittings related to appropriations for government’s budgets since taking office.

“Beyond a shadow of a doubt, since my chairmanship of Finance Committee began, the committee has satisfied the requirement of Standing Order 81 and of Section 83(2) of the Constitution and there has therefore been no violation of the Standing Orders or the Constitution by the Finance Committee," he said.

However, the committee has not met so far outside of the budget process. During recent PAC meetings staff from the Auditor General’s Office and senior staff from the treasury department, as well as Miller, have pointed to the need for Finance Committee to meet to reconcile extra executive spending among other things in the financial years since the UDP government came to office.

The premier said in his statement that he would be bringing the Appropriation (July2011 to June 2012) Bill — the government’s budget for the next financial year — along with the detailed budget documents to the Legislative Assembly in May. He said a Finance Committee meeting would automatically follow the debate and he would then seek approval for the emergency expenditure items that the Cabinet approved under Section 11(5) of the Public Management & Finance Law (2010 Revision).

“It is clear that Finance Committee meets when necessary and it deals with all business referred to the committee by the House or by the governor,” Bush claimed. “Sadly, it is obvious that the elected member for North Side is being mischievous and disingenuous when he says that Finance Committee is in violation of the Legislative Assembly’s Standing Orders and the constitution.”

The premier’s statement comes in the wake of comments made by Miller this week regarding his resignation from the PAC because of the failure of the members to turn up and do the work, preventing him from having a quorum. Miller also revealed that a number of other committees, including the committee which oversees the register of MLAs’ business interests and the committee that is supposed to examine the work of Office of the Complaints Commissioner, had not met in almost two years.

See premier’s full statement below.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    bored bored bored bored bored bored. Get rid of him.

  2. Anonymous says:

    This is a place where there are no consequences for egregious behavior at every level. There are 3 types of people on the island: (1) The Thugs (2) The people who have agreed to look away while the egregious behavior is in process; (3) The people who try helplessly to take out the trash. You”ll note that there is no (4) ; The people who are able to do anything about the egregious behavior.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Where there is no law, there is no wrong doing. It seems this present party believes no laws apply, or should apply to them, so they are free to do as they please. If the law doesn’t apply, it isn’t wrong. Get the drift?

  4. Loren says:

    Time longer than rope

  5. The Cayman Revolution says:

    Adversity & Denial at its Worst!!!

    I would like to state my firm opinion that McKeeva Bush is the single-most dangerous man to our Country and MUST BE REMOVED from his role as Premier. As we should all know by now, McKeeva has pretty much always been an abusive politician and will ALWAYS deny his wrong-doings.

    Unfortunately many people fail to realize who McKeeava truly is. McKeeva is quite simply put, the most inappropriate and abusive politician we have ever had in control of our country, and if allowed to have any MORE power than he ALREADY does, he would certainly be the most dangerous politician we could ever have.

    The People of the Cayman Islands must truly understand WHO this man is and what he is all about. The People must truly understand the implications of not only the unruly behaviour and disasterous projects he brings forward, but to understand the true implications for our country if we do not put the center of our focus on the man/source these proposals comes from… to understand the true implications if he is not SOON REMOVED FROM POWER and is left to give us MORE controversy, abuse and proposals to oppose and fight against. If not shown that HE will not be in control of our island nation and to do as he does, this political dragon will no boubt serve up much more havoc for the Cayman Islands.

    In saying all the above, I am suggesting that we cannot continue to ‘FIGHT THE FIRES’ caused by this ‘ARSONIST’ on the rampage and that WE as the people of this country, must see beyond the controversies and to come to an understanding that we must make every effort to eliminate the root source of what is creating this UNNECESSARY TURMOIL and POLITICAL RUIN for our very YOUNG nation.

    That root source is in the opinion of many, William McKeeva Bush.

    People, let us UNITE for the cause.

  6. FED UP says:

    Mac and his puppets are real drag lines on the country. It is just now that people are seeing the truth. Mac is too yesterday. His puppets have to be let go as well. They just can not be trusted on anything.

  7. Anonymous says:

    The unfortunate thing is that no one seems to challenge the Premier’s rebuttals, which are merely smoke and mirrors. Read what he says carefully.

    • Anonymous says:

      Enough you people! Why can’t you all scrape together a pair of balls between you and follow the example of your middle eastern and arab cousins and take to the streets to over throw this government? For the benefit of legal, I have to be on island to be guilty of inciting riot… and I’m not, just making a suggestion…

      Follow the examples of Libya, Egypt, Syria, etc and take to the streets. Be peaceful,dignified and strong. What will happen? England will take over and put it right. Is that really worse than what you have?

       

      Peace

       

  8. UDP Supporter says:

    Why can’t you people and the press leave our Premier alone? Christian people let the Government do what it has to do to help ordinary Caymanians. Let’s support the Premier and stop this hateful behaviour! Go McKeeva!

    • Anonymous says:

      Where in the Bible does it say we should unconditionally support politicians?

      • Bobo says:

        Humility.  Humility is fairly central to the teachings of Jesus Christ.  On a scale of 1 to 10 how much humility does Mac have?

        • IRON CLAD says:

          On a scale of 1 – 10, remove the 1’s and what do you get?

          That’s right… A BIG FAT ZERO.

          Thank you very much.

    • Q says:

      What on earth are you smoking and why aren’t you sharing it with the rest of us?

    • Anonymous says:

      What you don’t seem to understand is that, as an elected official, McKeeva Bush works (or at least SHOULD be working) for the people of the Cayman Islands.

      We are his boss and it’s our responsibility as citizens to make sure he is doing the best job possible.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      Funny that’s what everyone here is saying

      Go McKeeva!

    • Anonymous says:

      What rock have you been living under??

  9. Anonymous9 says:

    Bush, why do you always have to snap back with something to get ‘back at’ anyone who disagrees with you?? It makes sound so immature and childish. And this is one of the ways that you lose respect with the grownups.
    This is an example of the unnecessary snipe; “Sadly, it is obvious that the elected member for North Side is being mischievous and disingenuous …”

    Just state the facts.
    You only waste time with your blustering and pettiness. Be the bigger man. Didn’t anyone teach you that when you were a boy!!??

  10. McCarron McLaughlin says:

    Did you expect him to admit to any wrongdoing? The circus continues!

  11. Anonymous says:

    Liar, Liar pants on fire.

    Who is being truthful and who is lying? Or are they both putting self serving political spin on the issue? The average voter will never really know.

    Democracy is messy and a rotten way to govern.

    However, crowning McKeeva as King of Kayman would be far worse.

    Take comfort that there will be an election in the near future.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Why didn’t the Premier address the issue of the other Standing Committees that have never me?

    Oh wait, I see that he is picking up his papers and is about to leave.

  13. Playground Monitor says:

    "IF" another party were to come into power next term – they already "KNOW" that they will have to do the same type of things that the current party is trying to do now, in order to kick start progress and save the economy. They may give projects and policies different names or locations… they may use different friends (investors) but the real true ground work to progress, whatever it may be, is being done now!!! SINCE opposition can’t completely refute the current ideas and then come back and do the same thing themselves without egg on their face, they instead decide to create havoc by muddying the pie. (ex: You didn’t hold a meeting – nah nah nah nahhhhh nah!!!!) Old childhood distraction technique to try and keep us focused on what they think is NOT being done instead of what is actually being done NOW! I wonder what it would be like if everyone actually worked together on making things better for all instead of tearing each other apart in order to be heard and want the glory ($) for themselves…….