Bush offered to go in 2011

| 30/04/2013

_DEW2462.jpg(CNS): The appearance of the full exchange of emails between the former premier and his Cabinet colleagues when McKeeva Bush rejected the GLF portbid shows that he offered to resign if his colleagues did not agree with him. In the correspondence from 14 April 2011, when Bush put a stop to the talks at the eleventh hour, the leader of the UDP said he would step down from the premiership and the Cabinet if his government colleagues wanted GLF to construct the cruise berthing facilities. Leaked correspondence among government reveals that when Cline Glidden asked for support to move to a main agreement and start the development, Bush objected but offered to leave if the caucus supported GLF over his desire to work with the Chinese. (Photo Dennie WarrenJr)

In the wake of revelations over the secret deal Bush signed with China Harbour Engineering Company without the benefit of legal advice, and reportedly without the knowledge of his Cabinet colleagues or the Port Authority board members other than the chair, John Henry, the release of the correspondence shows that,had the UDP Cabinet backed Glidden, the GLF deal might have gone ahead and Bush could have stepped down almost two years before he was ousted from office.

The minority government, which consists of five former UDP members who are now running in the May 2013 election as the new People’s National Alliance, have been defending their position regarding the port debacle. They all say they had no knowledge of the deal, which Bush signed behind closed doors and could still leave the country facing another whopping legal bill.

In the exchange of emails on 14 April, after Bush had already written to GLF telling them he was cancelling the talks, Health Minister Mark Scotland offered his support for the GLF proposal but a few minutes after that, Bush sent a very blunt email to his parliamentary party colleagues.

Bush told the UDP government members that they could listen to whoever they wanted but as leader of the project and the person responsible for tourism and development he would not be signing any contract with GLF Construction.

“Can we be so dumb to give them permission for the project without them providing binding agreement for financing? Hell no!!!” Bush states. “If any if you don't see the sense in the Chinese doing the project and the farm and Spotts then tomorrow you can have my resignation from the post as Premier and the cabinet and you can run it!! That is where I stand,” the leader told them.

Although no correspondence after that has been released, history indicates that the UDP team opted not to call Bush’s bluff and allowed him to move on with the Chinese talks, which were handed over to back-bench MLA Ellio Solomon.

At last Thursday’s press briefing the former UDP members claimed there was nothing they could have done about what was to happen later as they were simply unaware of Bush’s decision to sign. Had that agreement come before Cabinet they would not have supported it, Mark Scotland insisted, adding that any questions they asked about progress on the port were brushed aside.

“We regularly asked for updates on the progress of the negotiations and we would get reports saying that things were being worked on such, as the framework agreement and the business plan, but even to date we have never seen the business plan," Scotland said, as he described the answers to questions about the CHEC talks as “sketchy reports”.

They spoke about the autonomy of ministries and not “looking over each other’s shoulders”, regardless of collective Cabinet responsibility. The ministers said that when it comes to their individual areas of responsibility, they get on with their talks and discussions and it is not until concrete proposals are ready for discussion that the initiatives and projects they are working on are discussed by all Cabinet members.

“Cabinet did not approve or see the framework agreement signed by Mr Bush, and what we don't know about we can't reveal,” Deputy Premier Rolston Anglin stated last Thursday, as more questions were raised about the part  in the cruise port fiasco played by those who were in the previous UDP Cabinet and are now the PNA members.

Glidden reminded everyone that he was removed from the project, and although during his negotiations with DECCO and then GLF there had been regular briefings and public announcements, that stopped during the time when there was a “clear separation,” he said.

The ministers denied that Bush was running the Cabinet as a dictatorship as there was nothing before Cabinet regarding the port for the members to either agree or disagree with or for Bush to dictate. However, they agreed that Bush’s decision to sign the deal without discussing it with Cabinet amounted to “reckless and negligent behaviour”, as it should have been discussed with the members, not least with the attorney general.

The government members said that they were told that the final agreement would be better than any of those before it and that they could expect to see much better financing terms as CHEC had greater access to cash, and they would not need a bond, as was the case with GLF. However, the recently leaked agreement which the new Cabinet members saw for the first time when it was published in the press turned out to be far worse.

Since then, however, the former premier and UDP leader has denied that the agreement, which was signed by him on every page, was binding. Cabinet members have confirmed that they are continuing to seek legal advice on the deal and what appears to be a liability for the CIG of some $3.6 million.

See correspondence about GLF and CHEC between UDP members below.

Related articles on CNS:

CHEC port deal leaked

GLF got $2m settlement

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  1. Anonymous says:

    One day I hope we get a true explanation for why McKeeva was so adamant about handing the project to the Chinese.

    • SSM345 says:

      That will be the exact same day we all see a cow jump over the moon.

  2. Anonymous says:

    McCracker was very clearly telling them that he was indespensable and that that was the only choice they had if they did not follow his wishes. And as usual the poor dumb clowns fell for it, hook, line and sinker. What a horrific mess. Praise be to God this sick circus will all be forever behind us in less than a month.

  3. Anonymous says:

    More bullsh*t from the bullsh*t artist of the universe.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Is this man really serious? My 3 year old daughter could draft a better email than him and this is the person that was running this country and wants to do it again? My people My people My people MY CAYMAN PEOPLE!!!! Wake the hell up! Its time to wake up and smell the coffee, the flowers, mount trashmore dump and EVERYTHING that got a blasted scent to it.

    XXXXXX

    Then when he's ready for the small people who in other words less fortunate then him to support him and get on his side he wan throw them couple dollars here n there n say that he done soo much for the community! Bull!! Pure BULL!!!

    He has so many people brained washed it na funny and its very sad!

     

  5. Anonymous says:

    Just like when Roy and Gilbert were there; no one had the b*lls to stand up and be counted.  Now we are reaping the losses from this man's stupidity.  And I can't believe just how many West Bayers rever someone who has been so inept.  I wonder if certain people fear losing their social services allowance along the lines that Number 1 from the Brac was reminded about his?  A leader famous for losses and failures; losses at Turtle Farm; losses over Cohen financing; losses over contract for port dock; a man who would dig a hole/channel in the north sound for the Chinese to build an island; the losses regarding Ritz Carlton duties.  The failures go on and on. 

    If you guys can support someone like that, I have a canal lot on the moon that I'm selling shares in.

    For God sake, just think for your self for once.  Go read Dr. Frank's article in the Compass about the Stan Thomas fiasco and how he likened it to Anansie.  Is that the kind of representative you want?

  6. Big Whopper says:

    Is that offer still on the table sir?

  7. Anonymous says:

    BUSH, How much would it cost the Cayman Islands to PAY you to GO GO GO, leave the Cayman Islands and never return???

    • Anonymous says:

      We can give him the fifty million surplus that our beloved PNA just reported. He'll be long gone by the time the check bounces.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Maybe, just maybe,  mac had promised them things that could only be realized if he was in the position he was.  You know the old "If I leave with my football there is no more game" thing.

    I wonder what they were afraid of losing?

  9. Sam Putt Putt says:

    I really don't think the email reflects a genuine, serious offer of resignation. Aside from the painfully apparent, insipid understanding of the financial details of the situation by the former Premier, given the rather purile tone and structure of the emails, I would venture to guess that this was not his first (or last) correspondence punctuated with, "you can have my resignation…"

  10. Anonymous says:

    Are those really Mac's emails? Or was Richard Parchment typing Mac's emails again?

  11. Anonymous says:

    Oh my God McKeeva is completely illiterate. The man cannot even construct a sentence or use capitals. I think I'm more shocked by that than the alleged corruption. Can you imagine him emailing other world leaders? How can no-one have sat him down and taught him how to write?

    • Anonymous says:

      Still not bad for a 5th grade education.  Please tell me again how he got to be the "honorable for life Premeir" of the Cayman islands?  Please don't tell me its because he was the smartest!  O wait.   OOOOHHH!

    • St Peter says:

      Dont worry so much my Dear. Remember Mac has Richard Parchment and Mike Ryan who can do important correspondence for him…

    • Anonymous says:

      When Gov Taylor arrived and Mac gave his welcome speech, it became very apparent to me that he can't read either…

    • Anonymous says:

      Have your ever tried to teach someone how to do something they already thought they were very good at doing?

    • Anonymous says:

      What's worse he apparently doesn't understand business or finance either. It sounds like GLF had secured conditional financing for the project and just needed a signed contract. But McKeeva was hysterical because they didn't have the money in their pockets when they submitted their bid. He seems not to understand that projects of this since aren't funded that way. This is the minister of finance we are talking about here!

      • Anonymous says:

        Correction: this is the no financial expert we are talking about here.

      • Diogenes says:

        You assume he didnt understand it – the alterntiave is that he did, but had another reason for renouncing the GLF deal

  12. Anonymous says:

    All of these MLAs throwing their hands up and saying "it wasn't us" knew what was going on. They knew the country was being given a bum deal in order to pursue Mac's personal agendas in violation of the law. They were receiving huge salaries (and pensions) and free cars and rock-star travel and drivers etc etc in order to represent the people of the Cayman Islands. And they did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. They looked after their own backsides and let the country suffer.

    Not one of them was looking out for our interests. Now they expect us to re-elect them because they weren't actively involved in the deal? At least Mac was prepared to put his job on the line.Cline Glidden and the UDP cabinet should have resigned in protest and made the issue public. If they had done that, I would vote for them. Instead they kept their noses in the trough and their eyes closed.

    These people have proven that if they get into office they will NOT represent you. They will represent their own selfish interests and egos and allow shady deals to happen right under their noses.

    If you ask me they should be in the dock beside McKeeva for dereliction of duty, not on the campaign trail.

    • Anonymous says:

      08:47 Well said. I have agrued this for a long time. They look more dirty than Mack.

  13. Anonymous says:

     

    I like the spelling in the emails from Mac. "Because I have an email in my position that they said they want until june to get their financing!!! "  I believe it is spelled possession, not position.  Perhaps a high school education to run the country isn't enough, at the very least he could have used spell check. 🙂

    Personally, CG's email shows intelligence as compared to the ongoing rant from McKeeva with all the misspellings, etc.

    • Anonymous says:

      Who says he had a high school education? I keep hearing grade 6.

      • Anonymous says:

        The perfect storm, no education, no brains, no class (literally), and clean hands and a pure heart. 

    • Party Time!! says:

      He doesn't have a high school education, even!!!

       

  14. Anonymous says:

    Why are there elections for 18 seats when the power of a childish bully is absolute?

  15. Diogenes says:

    CNS:  my enjoyment of this article was quite spoilt by the flashing adverts in the margin, or more specifically by the unfortunate sequence of being asked to "make bedtime an occasion" by an scantily clad lady, only to then be greeted by a grinning politician.  Isn't that a (misplaced) inducement for my vote? 

  16. Anonymous says:

    The political campaign is strange and the voters that post on this site is even stranger. What they should be questioning is what made the CHEC deal so important to Mac that he was willing to threaten to resign his position if he didn’t get his way. It is obvious now that it wasn’t because it was a better deal for the country so what was it?

  17. Anonymous says:

    Wonder why Bush so so partial to theChinese? And are we really being expected to take anything his former minions say at face value? More fool us if we do. The audacity of these characters is staggering. Just how stupid do they think the Caymanian public is?

    • Anonymous says:

      "Just how stupid do they think the Caymanian public is?"

       

      They think the Caymanian public is really, really stooooopid.

       

      Sad.

      • Diogenes says:

        But just possibly true.  Lets wait for May 23, but I for one will not be surprised to see Mr Bush back in the LA – or for that matter, in control of it.  On the usual turn out it only takes about 700 people to vote for you to get a seat – this time aorund we have no shortage of well meaning people to share the honest vote, probably lowering that bar. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Extremely stupid. What more proof do you need than to know the voters put Bush back in four years ago? Lets see if extremely stupid becomes certified insanity on the 22nd. 

      • Anonymous says:

        Not all Caymanians are extremely stupid but there are enough "ducks" in West Bay to re-elct him as their "Papa Duck".

      • Anonymous says:

        Certified or uncertified!! We doing the same thing again on May 22, 2013 and there isn't one thing you can do to stop us!!!!! Isn't that great!!!!  TEK DAT!!! MEK IT BUN YU!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Because he got a nice line in Chinese style jackets out of it, as sported last year at the Underwater Film Festival.

  18. Voter 2013 says:

    This is how our politicians discuss counrty issues?  Really?  A teenager could put together better emails!  I urge the public to READ the attachments and then decide if we want this uneducated- unbusinesslike group (Call them UDP, PNA, XYZ?) running our country?!?

    Folks, it is time we stop this crony party madness and get on with running these islands and providing a better future for our children.

    Under the 2-party system we have seen education fail us so badly that now 80% of our children need literacy and numeracy intervention.  These are the Dept of Education's own statistics!  (yet both parties built monuments to themselves instead of better books and better teachers).

    We saw Gas Boy, Dock Deals, Chinese cronies, Shopping trips (cell phones in Spain) for Ju Ju, Global gluttony by our MLAs flying 1st Class on our dime.

    Under the past decade of party rule we saw rubber-stamped status grants for those who were undeserving and underqualified.  This plus the rollover brought 10% unemployment and now professional degreed Caymanians are just as bad off in the employment market as school leavers.

    People of Cayman WAKE UP and realize that although your career politicians are promising the world, you are worse off and under their rule, we will only quickly become an Eastern Caribbean wasted state.

    If you want poverty, then stay with your party.  If you want progress, then elect some people that are educated community leaders that will end this acceptance of corruption and cronyism.

    • Anonymous says:

      The Party system has not failed Cayman; the UDP Government failed us!  Call out the real culprits here and stop trying to suggest Party system is the problem.  The Party itself cannot do anything; it's the people making up the Party that make corrupt and criminal decisions – do you honestly think that if the same bunch of UDP croonies had gotten elected as independents and then went on to form a coalition government that they would have done anything differently than they did? I think not! THE PARTY SYSTEM IS NOT WHAT IS FAILING CAYMAN!

  19. Anonymous says:

    This is pure BS and a bully's threatening bluff as Bush's ego would never allow him to resign. It also shows us all that the PNA or UDP light were spineless and were not loking after our interests for they all knew what was going on as something of this magnitude can not be hidden.

    • The Rt. Hon. Anon. says:

      Too right. There is no way he would have resigned – he was merely bluffing. How spineless those fries are. Nor sure who stands to gain from this leaked email (other than PPM).

    • Anonymous says:

      I fine it ironic that we are discussing this while there is an Anti Bullying campaign going on.

  20. Anonymous says:

    Heard the most disgusting noise tonight. 3 political parties having a meeting echoing through the airwaves. All you could hear was hollering! (btw: UDP should be ashamed of what they did by moving their meeting next to ppm’s. Stupid move.) But continuing on, PNA sounded like a bunch of frightened souls blasting their purple rain cd. PPM sounding real pissed but saying sensible things. Then we heard UDP having what soundedlike an excorcism fit and singing redemption songs! Jeez, what a mess. This election is going get ugly real quick!

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, I am quite sure they have licensed the use of Prince's music. He will be thrilled when he finds out! 

  21. Anonymous says:

    Mr Bush has damaged this island's economy, its international reputation and its people, in ways that are unforgiveable. His  fry-cronies have had their wills sapped and weakened by their dictatorial leader, leaving them stripped of any credibility now that he's been removed from office. As they  try to rehabilitate themselves with their patchwork stories and lame excuses, presented with the furrowed brows of hypocritical sincerity, all they achieve is to sully those whohave chosen, incomprehensibly, to run with them for election. I suffer every time I drive past the UDP billboards, and see those arrogant faces looking down at me with the nauseating smirks of the morally bankrupt. 

     

    A mark of the damage done to the political culture of Cayman is the number of candidates who see nothing ridiculous or offensive in running for election, while unresolved criminal charges hang over them. Cayman can only recover if every candidate with the faintest whiff of corruption is swept out of office, and the moral conviction of the principled majoriity asserts itself without restraint at the upcoming elections. God help us if we hand the keys back to the cat burglers. This Island can't sustain another four years of this destructive, myopic and embarassing style of government. 

     

     

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Well said 23:23! I agree with every word. I want to drive my car through their smug faces on that billboard every morning.

      • Anonymous says:

        8.49: Thank you for you support. I must advise caution if you do decide to drive through a billboard. You will have to choose which smirk you can risk adhering to the front of your car, and then calculate the consequences.

      • Anonymous says:

        Maybe you should try it.  But might I suggest you hit it going no less than 80mph with no seat belt on!  At least we wouldn't have to question who drive through those SMUG FACES!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Which book you stole this piece from now ya say!!!!

  22. Anonymous says:

    Rolston talks about Mac always wanting to play dirty! Well PNA you were playing along with him from game 1. So as the saying goes, “you known by the company you keep”. You all played these same political tricks against others during your last 12 years, So I think that’s more than enough time to wake up and see the dirty rules at play.

    lesson: Backstabbing 101.

    You all are guilty as hell and you know it! So now you want to come out playing defense, but you enjoyed playing that offense position when you ALL were hob nobbing with the big players!

    Mackeeva set up what you ALL have, so I imagine it must be scary knowing this man who knows your secrets and entertained your lavish lifestyles, is now the enemy. Wow! Crashing dreams. Must hurt.

    Politics. Such a rabid game.

  23. Anonymous says:

    So we could have been rid of McKeeva, saved ourselves from a $2.5 million dollar law suit, saved another million on McKeeva's travel bills, and could have had a working cruise dock by now.

     

    What a missed opportunity. Sad.

    • Anonymous says:

      So sad, So true- and we could have been rid of him from 2011 if  the now renamed (PNA) had had the balls to call his bluff.  I can see them now , standing behind him on TV telling all of us how they have no intention of asking him for his resignation and letting all of us know how they were supporting him.  Expecially Anglin, he was always the spokes person for McKeeva with Ellio and Julianna chirping in.  I could see that Cline was a bit uncomfortable but that does not let him off the hook.  I read that one of the signs of knowing when someone is lying is to watch while they speak if they continually scratch their neck and tug at their collar – Cline had the sign.  I knew he was not being  truthful when trying to explain (in his long winded way) why he was no longer in charge of the negotiations with GLF.  If Alden Mclaughlin had not brought the final motion of no confidence to get rid of McKeeva we would still be shackled with him.  Please God, don't ever allow either one of them back in charge  or in any position of trust   in our Beloved Cayman.   We have drifted away from you but please God do not punish us like that again.  They are worse than Hurricane Ivan was.  AMEN

  24. mccarron mclaughlin says:

    This is typical Mac behavior when he cant get what he wants. I can vividly remember when I was on the work permit board he paid us a visit one day to discuss policy and I can hear him right now saying that the "the tail doesnt wag the dog" and certain members would have to fall in line. No need to expand any further. 

  25. Anonymous says:

    Is it just me or am I the only one who finds it worrying that a man who clearly has the communication skills of an illiterate 5 year old been allowed to represent the country on the world stage for so long?

    • Rorschach says:

      Nope, you're not the only one…outside of West Bay, we've been thinking the same thing for decades.

  26. Anonymous says:

    There’s more to it…..

  27. Tickle my pickle says:

    Is it just me or are Bush’s emails of a very poor quality compared to his colleagues?

  28. Just Sayin' says:

    I find it either amusing, or bemusing, I can’t decide which one, that three of these people are using personal email addresses (including the one supposedly responsible for the introduction of e-government) and yet another is using a business email adrdress, for matters of such significance.

    • Anonymous says:

      Its an interesting quirk that MLAs don't get gov.ky emails (though Ministers do). Should they? On the one hand it looks more professional and CIG can then archive the correspondences centrally for FOI, etc. On the other hand there is probably some cost to that service and should it be spent on 'mere' MLAs? Discuss.

       

      PS> I think its worth it. They might not, though, because of the FOI angle. Also there may be technical problems with accessing the emails on non-CIG smartphones. And note that the reason the MLAs were using private emails is because they don't get gov.ky emails, bringing us back to the question above. (Though why they don't use the UDP, etc., emails that they post up on their infrequently updated websites is another question.)

      • Anonymous says:

        Adding email addresses is a very simple 2 min IT setup once you have email hosting.  Couldn't be easier.    

      • Anonymous says:

        In most parliaments, the legislative administration has its own domain, and e-mail addresses are assigned to all members. It's considered a key aspect of access to elected officials in the information age. If you take up a government post, then you get a government address. Yes, this means you have two addresses. This is not a problem because you are likely to be getting different types of e-mails to each. This is not hard to implement. The LA has its own domain already.

    • Anonymous says:

      I find it astounding that they could even understand thebarely-literate statements from the Premier. Is there an app  for  "McKeeva-speak"?

      • SSM345 says:

        West Bay has their very own dictionary, its the only book Mac has ever owned or possibly read.

  29. Anonymous says:

    Oh hell, how did they miss that chance??? Muppets, every single one and the only one with balls is the bully who needs to be put out of our misery. Have you noticed the campaign going on now about bullying? They should this as prime example of how not to stand up to it.

    • Anonymous says:

      And they expect us to re-elect them? We could have been out of this misery 2 years ago but they chose instead to follow him blindly ! What kind of leadership is that? It speaks volumes as to why we are in the mess we are in. VOTE THEM ALL OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  30. Mr. T says:

    I pity the fool that didn’t take up his offer.

  31. Dred says:

    All UDP Supporters….take note….

    This is what YOUR leader stands for….

    While we suffer UNEMPLOYMENT he is making sure CHINA does not have any….

    While you are out of work, mostly due to his TAX packages, he is giving away our country and giving people from other nations your work.

    Think carefully this elections if this is what you want. When you look at your children ask yourself what am I leaving behind for them. When you look at that plate of food in front of you ask yourself what your leader is doing to ensure there will be another plate of food for you tomorrow, next week, next month or nest year.

    It's time we demand our leaders look after OUR interest.

    Ask yourself this other question….

    If the port deal was ever as good as advertised why is it that it had to be kept so secret, so secret his own team could not see it.

    If the Dart deal is so good, why is it we can not see the evaluation done.

    If all these deals are so bad why are they being done? WHY???

    Don't be a mindless drone. Think. Ask LOGICAL questions. If you can not get an answer that makes sense to you then SOMETHING IS WRONG, SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG.

    I am not going to point you in any direction but to tell you. Don't go with the status quo because we don't have much more to give away.

  32. Anonymous says:

    woulda neva happened

  33. Anonymous says:

    Mac reminds of a bull in a China store or better yet a kid that wet his pants – A spoilt BRAT!

  34. Jacky Boatside from Oldbush says:

    Here it is folks a true test of character The Pee N/A had a great oppurtunity to do the right thing then. But only when it served their purpose to grab power did they act. When a politician wrestles with his conscience he usually wins. Time to go time to go???

  35. Anonymous says:

    Spineless excuses for men (and women) all of them.  This lack of back bone has cost all of Cayman dearly.  How anyone, with one functioning brain cell, could EVER support Mr. Bush or his cowardly yes men is astounding to me.  Is every that blind, or on the take?

  36. Anonymous says:

    All this does is make the PNA look even more incompetent as they didn't stand their grown and force him out in 2011

  37. Anonymous says:

    More very clear evidence once again that Mac and UDP / UDP lite (aka PNA) are NOT to be trusted! 

    Even if they did not know (which I don't believe) that is no excuse! They are Cabinet Ministers and paid hansomely to know!

    And while I give Cline 5 marks for initially standing up to the premier….I have to take away 50 for his not blowing the whistle…by leaking the documents. And minus 100 for all the Cabinet members for not calling Mac on his bluff! Could have saved us millions financially….and unmeasurable amount in reputation as a sensible place to do business.

    Please people do NOT vote UDP or PNA. 

  38. Anonymous says:

    PNA there was your chance to get rid of your ruler two years earlier. I am sorry but you will pay the price at the polls

    • Anonymous says:

      Don't be sorry, just make it happen and don't make the same mistake again!!

  39. Anonymous says:

    So….. you now choose to admit that you could have removed us all from Bush Rule TWO years ago and you didn't! You instead left the whole country to be embarrassed internationally  by his arrestas a sitting premier. All of you, UDP and PNA should hang your heads in SHAME.

  40. Anonymous says:

    Well, if that doesn't show that the rest of the UDP/PNA doesn't have any b@ll$, I don't know what does.