FOI reveals details of ministry’s new executive post
(CNS): A freedom of information request made by ‘Seldom Wright’ for the details of the ‘Executive Aide to the Deputy Premier’ has revealed that the post does not have any specific executive functions. According to the job description the position includes providing “direct services” to the deputy premier but it is primarily a security detail which includes driving the senior government official as well as travelling with her at home and abroad. The post reports directly to Juliana O’Connor-Connolly who is also the minister for district administration, planning, agriculture and public works.(photo Dennie WarrenJr)
The position is graded ‘N’ under the civil service pay scale which places the salary between $35-47,000 per annum.
The information was released in a matter of days following Wright’s request by the acting chief officer in the portfolio of the civil service which treated it as an administrative request.
The job description reveals that the holder must have a minimum of three years in the RCIPS or another reputable “police service, security service or armed forces” who can communicate security related concepts. The job involves a degree of privacy and the post holder is expected to work outside of normal business day hours.
Among the duties listed is the requirement to oversee the physical needs of the deputy premier, to manage the implementation of the security policy, resolve security issues as they occur and to offer security advice over proposed engagements. However, there are no duties listed that would normally be described as executive.
Although the post holder is required to liaise with the RCIPS it is not clear if the holder would be a member of the service. The current post holder, Paul Leonce, was a serving police officer when he took up the job but he no longer wears a uniform and it is unclear if he has been seconded or has now given up his position with the RCIPS.
This post and the security detail supporting the premier have raised controversy in the community as a result of the extra cost to the public purse. However, the premier has stated that the posts were part of the new constitutional requirements for the premier and deputy premier’s office. McKeeva Bush has noted on several occasions that he did not vote for the constitution which created the protocol requirements and trappings of office that now come with the role of the premier and the deputy.
None of the other members of the elected government or the deputy governor have personal drivers or security staff.
See job description below.
Category: FOI
I've heard of people paying for "PERSONAL SERVICE" before, but "THIS" takes the cake!
$47,000.00 a year plus all travel expenses? "LAWD HEP US".
I'm sure if they had looked really hard they could have found somebody who would have performed "THAT PARTICULAR SERVICE" for a lot less!
BUT THEN AGAIN! It has to be prettyHARD work?
What experience and qualifications does he have to afford him this executive position? Paul was very friendly and gave you a few laughs while he was a bartender at Sunset House & Morritts Tortuga. You could often see him in the Cayman 27 clips outside the courthouse ushering the prisoners to the van while talking on his cell phone simultaneously. But I’m not too sure how any of these job capacities has equipped him of such a demanding executive job as the post of Deputy Premiere Executive Aide.
I’m sure if the job was advertised we could find a qualified Caymanian with the necessary experience to take up the post.
Come on people can we finally follow PROTOCOL and do what’s right!
The rationale for importing labour is that it’s a job that a local is not willing to do….
My family always have a good laugh every time they see her “Executive Aide” checking out “threats” to her safety in the Brac. It’s hard to keep a straight face at high noon when these two come calling for lunch. About the only thing posing a threat to her safely are the disgruntled soldier crabs of the Brac who have lost their relations to the dinner pot!
la vida loca,
I find it funny that since the constitution came into effect, the Government has quickly inacted every policy within it that added additional comfort and luxury to the MLA’s posts, but funny enough all the provisions therein on behalf of the country’s people are either “incomplete”, “in revision” or “soon to take place” this is HILARIOUS!!! Why don’t we revise or take our times with placing fences around MLA homes, hiring assistants to attend their “physical needs” and purchasing overpriced, unnecessary vehicles for their lazy behinds to be chaufferred in and skip the weekly vacations and take your allotted 20 or so days like every other civil servant (oh and BUY YOUR OWN plane tickets, food, transportation etc. whilst on them!!!! Considering you are all obese I think you should spare the environment the automobile exaust and ride a bicycle or walk!!!
Can “Hinduists” apply for this job? What about satanists or voodooists?
Is art history a bonus qualification or would that be taking the Pissaco? Who is this Pissaco anyway?
CNS note: This comment has been deleted. It was not posted by anyone at Truly Nolen.
Well I do think there should be some perks to the positions of Premier and Deputy Premier. And Cayman is really not as safe as it use to be, so I can see the idea in her having someone to protect her safety.
My friend- the only people she needs protecting from are the one’s paying for all this pomp and circumstance from their money.
No need to besmirch Mr. Paul, in my opinion. He is a good man, and doing what is possibly a dull job.
Still, is it necessary? I think it is. I’m no friend of the UDP, but in these quirky and charged times, what if some group of whackamoles decided to try an kidnap the Deputy Premiere? What would that cost our already depleted coffers?
$40,000 a year? Seriously? Money well spent, and a job I wouldn’t want to do under any circumstances. You all have flown in the twin otter. Paul is a big man, and practically needs a shoehorn to get him into a seat. For once — and don’t expect me to extend this to the other oddball government practices — I think the man really earns his pay.
If you are lucky enough to get a rear seat in the Twin Otter, then you are politely asked to give it up for the DP and her PA. No hardship on their part.
Honestly, kidnap did you say? HA HA HA HA!!!
Stop it, you are too funny!
wouldn’t it not cost a lot of money if ANY of us as hard working .loyal
citisens get kidnapped? Is not our lives valuable as well as hardworking taxpayers who help pay the officials by way of our garbage fees. import fees, company annual fees, car and personal license, PoBox fees, trade and business licenses?
Could it not happen to any of us women?
Geez…I like how everybody seems to know what Ms. Julie need or don’t need. What a joke! We have many monkeys and gorillas on Cayman Brac bluff just waiting to attack her. She needs this extra security. We wouldn’t want her to get all tangled up in vines and banana peels, now would we? lol
The whole concept of Cayman having a written constitution seems to have confused both the Premier and the Deputy Premier. On the one hand, where scrutiny of the public purse or even accountability is involved the Premier cries foul!! Because of course it does not comply with his wishes or the way he wants to govern. Maybe he read it upside down.
On the other hand they have both stretched credibility to the breaking point because, as they say, they were forced to accept items as part of this constitutional process or more frequently, their personal interpretation of it.
Picture this the Deputy Premier may soon be wearing a crown and ermine robe and saying "we". In other words they live not in this land of Cayman, but in a land inhabited by fairy tale kings and queens. They are delusional, and tragically the people of Cayman have to live with (and pay for) their delusions.
God help us when the Premier returns from the Royal wedding. He notices all that stuff. He may then be inclined to order a coach and carriage complete with foot soldiers saying he had to in order to comply with the constitution.
These are people given too much power for the size of their craniums. No one has abused the constitution something Cayman was entitled to more than these two and tragically they are setting a very bad precedent.
LMFAO ROTFL!!!! COME ON!! Anonymous – Mon, 04/04/2011 – 15:39 !! You are comparing the US government leaders to the Cayman Islands!!?? It is you that needs to be reasonable and think before you write such ridiculous comments! You sound as full of yourself as the bigwigs.
And plenty HOT AIR!
I’d like to see where in the US Constitution that it says that there are required benefits! This is the most ridiculous comment posted here as yet!
I suppose we’ll have to pay for the security detail for the rest of their lives like they do in the states too, eh!!!!!
This is NOT written in the US constitution so I can’t imagine why on earth it should be written in the Cayman Islands Constitution.
And STOP comparing this spit of sand to the United Stated of America!!! You sound stupid!
Oh come on CNS!!
The description says “Oversee the physical safety and needs of the Deputy Premeir”.
Prior to Ms. Julie being appointed Deputy Premier, she was dragging her bags herself out of the airport. I mean, here we have a woman in a top ranking position in our country and it is causing so much up roar because she has security detail.!
Really?? Why is it bothering the public that a woman has security detail.?
Doesn’t Hillary Clinton have security detail? Didn’t Condeleezza Rice have security detail? Imagine, we would prefer to have a woman travel all around the world and not have security detail with her.
What a joke the people in Cayman have become. Tearing down the very fabric of our Society. Are we saying that we should have a woman in such a high level position but it shouldn’t offer her any protection? So when she leaves the Legislative Assembly at night she shouldn’t have protection either?
Funny how when Estella Scott-Roberts murder took place, the entire Cayman was up in arms about the lack of security at the establishment where she was abducted from!
You people should be ashamed of yourselves. But I’m sure that if it was your mother or aunt in Ms. Julie’s position you would know doubt expect them to have security detail, now wouldn’t you?
Be reasonable people. Think before you write such ridiculous comments.
"Think before you write such ridiculous comments."
Methinks you should take a page out of your own book…..
news flash (satire)……. Taliban and AlQuida target Deputy Premier of the Cayman Islands as a way of waging war against the Western World. "damn the US and Europe we are gong to hit the west where it hurts."
Get real 15:39. You cannot compare Clinton or Rice to our DP. Maybe you could compare the DP to the assistant Mayor of a town of 50,000 in the US. We need to not let them take themselves too seriously. Outside forces are not a threat. If they were looking after the peoples concerns and not their own then internal threats would be nonexistent also.
OMG How can you even have the nerve to compare Julianna to Hillary or Condeleeza??? I am totally speechless……
15:39 kindly get real. The only thing the deputy premier does is spend money. Protection from what? She isn’t a threat to anyone. She doesn’t need security. What a fantasy world these politico’s are in. We need people to be running the country not playing at being a politician.
Sorry, the rest of us white collar working women who are in our offices past 9PM at least twice a week disagree with you!
NO security is needed and it won’t kill any obese politician to unload their bags at the airport or to tip a skycap.
These people are civil servants who are have self promoted themselves and are greedily killing our little island. We do NOT need this three ring circus.
Instead of decolonization, I’d prefer to JOIN the UK as a county and get ride of our politicians.
If it was my mother or aunt I would encourage her to listen to the pleas of the people and present them to the LA like she is paid to do.
Stay within our country long enough to understand our plight and pay the same attention to our people now as she did during election time! Where are the motorcades and free t-shirts now?
They would not need security if they were confident that their jobs were being performed efficiently and that our countries people were satisfied that they were at least making an attempt to better this place we call “paradise”!
ROFLMAO!! You are comparing MacJuJu to Hillary Clinton and Condoleeza Rice? Seriously?!?
What these American ladies do/did is in a complete different class to MacJuJu.
I agree, she should have the same importance / protection as Clinton and Rice, on a pro-rata basis. Shall we use square miles, or population?
Once again, is this where my mother’s pension money is going???
Funny enough although every UDP member had their cell phone numbers posted on their website during election time http://www.udp.ky (remember this people?) I am sure those numbers won’t still be working now!!!
I intend to dig into this BS until it is necessary to have me assassinated!!!
I thought the politicians inacted the constitution to help the people of the country?
Isn’t this the same constitution McKeeva and his cronies were bashing the months before election and now to justify their ruthless, inconsiderate acts the tell us “the constitution that the PPM drew…”
What will it take for us, the people of these islands to draw up our picket signs and march until the situations with these blood-suckers is resolved!!!
“oversee the physical needs of the deputy premier”
Ooookkkk, this is utterly ridiculous!!!
That’s exactly what caught my attention when I first read the article- and what exactly are those special physical needs?
I don’t think CNS would print the details, but I’m having a "physical need" right now.
After considering all of his duties I feel that he is under paid
HiT iT He is a much better man than me ooooooh weeee the Fun, this place is truly lost.
Constitution doesn’t require elected officials have body guards, instead it appears only Miss Julie requires one – to meet her physical needs. Are we paying this extra $40,000+ per year because she is handicapped in some way or has some special needs? Was this job posted as Executive Aide because the government didn’t even have positions for personal body guards and chauffeurs?
To the rich, go the spoils.
It is so sad as we know she won’t get elected again but allowing her to live high and the hog and waste the people’s money while her people suffer and can’t even afford to put gas in there little piece of crap car much less have some one drive them around in it, is just horrifying.
We all know that she will retire good to her mansion on the bluff and her government pension. I only hope and trust that she leaves God out of her vocabulary and not use Him anymore to justify her extravagant and lavish lifestyle. What she does is just out of pure greed and to the detriment of all of us who deserve better.
Just don’t know how she can sleep at night. it sure would keep me awake!
Now this is good!
"oversee the physical needs of the deputy premier"
Is this just a fancy way of saying she wants a personal assistant?
Yes, a personal assistant providing "direct services"
Who hasn’t heard?
At least what’s good for the goose is good for the gander : )
I just threw up in my mouth a little… 🙁
What a job!!! How much does it pay??
Really now Julie, do you really need someone to protect you? You have lived here all your life, has anybody troubled you? I thought you believed in God and He was your Protector.
My, how belief in God and the spoils of the earth soon part ways.
Shame! Shame!
Presumablythere was a health and safety rule which prevented them just burning the money this cost?
Stop complaining ALL OF YOU…you voted them in, you had a chance!!!!! but nnnnnoooooooo…….and it will happen again. West Bay will put in the same crew, George Town, Cayman Brac all the same!!!!! I almost forgot who the fourth party was in West Bay, all he does is collect his cheque!!!
No offense to Paul Leonce but this is a foolish waste of the publics money.
Wait. I thought we were “broke”.
And if UDP didnt vote for constitution, why do they takeall the perks if they didnt feel these are necessary or good for the country/
is this really in the country’s CONSTITUTION??
DAYUM!
Shit, for all them perks – free travel to cell phone conferences an ting I would work for $30,000: how I can get this hook up?
Julie I’m a bracka too! why you couldnt give me this work??
This articles somewhat incomplete because it doesnt outline all the “perks” he is getting;
how much airfare, hotel and food costs for this as well?
And how do I apply?
I have frigging heard it all!
Having the public pay for Christmas lights, electricity and home improvements that a politician enjoys is one thing, but isn’t having the public pay for direct services a bit much?
“Among the duties listed is the requirement to OVERSEE THE PHYSICAL NEEDS OF THE DEPUTY PREMIER, tomanage the implementation of the security policy”
what are these other physical duties and needs??
carrying her purse?
lifting her luggage off the conveyor on these free international jaunts?
RIDICULOUS!
Get rid of him immediately
ahem…’physical needs’ blushes
“oversee the physical needs of the deputy premier” eeeeww
Its waaaaay too early for this.
If this wasn’t so serious a matter it would be funny. Does the Premier himself have an equivalent "Executive Aide" to deal with security issues ?
And where did all of these security concerns come from since the last election ? Perhaps the UDP needs to do some introspection to understand that any perceived concerns about security for Ministers are directly related to the harmful policies whichthey have imposed on our people.
Does the Deputy Premier really think that the people of Cayman don’t understand whats going on with her "Executive Aide" ?
More Sunday School clothes required fah sure !!!
There is absolutely nothing in the Constitution that provides for any new “post” for anyone to service or provide services to any politician.