McTaggart admits mistakes in ‘whistleblowing fiasco’

| 03/06/2014

(CNS): George Town MLA RoyMcTaggart has admitted that he made mistakes and had received a “political flogging” over what he described as the "whistleblowing fiasco" in connection with a report by the Office of the Complaints Commissioner (OCC). McTaggart was referring to a motion rejected by government during a Legislative Assembly meeting in Cayman Brac the last time parliamentarians met. He said he had proposed a motion in the OCC oversight committee requesting that the chair, Ezzard Miller, draft a motion for the LA but he misunderstood how that motion would have developed. Despite sitting on the government benches, the C4C member also said he didn’t know at the time that government was already working on legislation to protect whistleblowers.

Speaking during the budget debate in the LA on Monday, McTaggart claimed the impetus for the motion, which he had proposed, didn’t emanated from him but was at the direction of the committee's chair. McTaggart admitted that the minutes reflected that the members of the committee had invited Miller to draft a motion and he had proposed it but he said that he did not expect the North Side member to table the motion the way he had.

The government had rejected the motion that was brought by Miller to the LA asking government to adopt recommendations made by the complaints commissioner on how best to encourage and protect whistleblowers in public office. Despite showing his support for the motion in the committee meeting, once in the LA McTaggart voted ‘no’.

Speaking about the events and the subsequent revelaitons of the minutes on CNS, McTaggart said he was trying to be as truthful as possible but he was not aware that Miller had planned to move the motion when he laid the report as the C4C member said he had expected to see some notification and discussion about the proposed motion.

Claiming that he was unaware at the time that the government of which he is a member was in the “advanced stages of drawing up whistleblowing legislation” when the motion appeared before the House, McTaggart said it no longer made sense, which is why he voted against it though his individual vote would have made no difference to the outcome.

However, acknowledging that things had gone awry, McTaggart said, “I have learned from the experience and will do things different next time around,” adding that it was never his intention to lie.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Part of the problem here in Cayman is that all the folks that work for Govt work to protect the machine. Even the OCC  spreads word about their  workings as opposed to keeping matters private. I know this for a fact because the emails that are sent out include the names of people that the complaint is directed at. They are CC in the email. What people dont realise is that the OCC is there to protect those they work with versus the public making the complaint.

    That said when a complaint is logged I bet they inform the accused for their side before the investigation goes further. I am sure the accused then says that the person complaining is just a nutter and should be disregarded.

  2. Knot S Smart says:

    Ok Roy we will forgive you but as penance you have to write the following line 1000 times:

    "I am sorry Mr Miller for defeating my suggested motion, but whenever I talk to Alden I get cross-eyed and confused, and cant remember what my position really was at the start of the conversation"…

    Remember to write it 1000 times…

     

  3. Anonymous says:

    Bravo!  He made a mistake and admits it.  Not many politicians do this. 

  4. Anonymous says:

    Oh what tangled web we weave………….

  5. Disappointed says:

    He is such a disappointment, a total waste of time. Another 1 term politician, will they not learn that WE have the power to put them on, but also TAKE them out. He worst than Mike Adam.

  6. Anonymous says:

    He had so much promise..what a waste!

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes he had lots of promise, but thats the results of party system. We have to vote OMOV, people.

      Most of these guys mean good but their hands are tied by  the Hitlers and the Putins. We need to get back to the basics, vote for a man for what he's worth, and not with the crowd that drags him their way. 

  7. Anonymous says:

    i remember roy said on election campaign that he would not be in a govt with alden as premier. does he not value the truth?

  8. Peanuts says:

    ? Come 2017 will he be a Progressive or a???????

    • Anonymous says:

      Mostly all of them made promises but didn't kee…remember the independent parties "i am not going to run with a party system, I am running independent…" yet a little money, a higher position and a few left the independent party that we the caymanians voted for and went to PPM…..like i said same s…different day

  9. Cornbread says:

    Novice!   

  10. Anonymous says:

    Good Lord.  How naive.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Can anyone say "one term politician?"

    These guys haven't a clue…Rookies calling themselves experts to get people to vote for them..

    I got my tamarind switch already picked out.

    • Anonymous says:

      yeah I cut my broom too. I ready…sweep them out yes!!!

      • Anonymous says:

        My friend by the time you use that broom they will be set for life. Pensin and health paid for until they pass away. Partnership with few bsinesses. It's too late to then sweep them out. Why dont you protest like real people and let them step down?

    • Anonymous says:

      OMOV is our only chance.and if they gang afterwards then we remove them immidiatly.

    • Anonymous says:

      Caymanian voters, we have to stop voting for friends,stop voting for; I know who his dad is! I know him… he is so and so son, he got plenty money, he has a big house! him and my dad is friends! he is white! lets stop the BS..,.now!

      Use your brain and a little time to talk to candidates.

      Observe and  acknowledge who speaks to you in the supermarket, dontwait until you attend these soap box meetings to get a hand shake. Dont trust anyone who sets up the bar during campaign time. They are paying you for your X and when they are in office they own you nothing.

       

  12. Anonymous says:

    Other than flip flop on issues what has Roy McTaggart done in office because he hasn't helped any Caymanians. Roll on 2017 because he is another one that needs to go

  13. Jordanian says:

    It sad we elected such MLA.

     

  14. Blow to WHO? says:

    Okay, Roy so WHO can we whistle-blow to?

    When Govt Departments go sideways?  When our laws are ignored?  When Gas Boy pops up again?  When non-employee families use Cayman Airways, when customs allows a friend's shipment to go uncollected? When tourism turns a blind eye to a broken down rental unit? When double dipping vendor practices feed personal pockets?

    When wewatch HR use the local recruiters to outsource jobs that we are qualified for?  (I am so tired of seeing my friends who are ideal for white collar jobs passed over for expats.)  This is not entitlement, this is cronyism and corruption at it's finest.  I'm talking about university degreed professionals who have kept up in their field with certiifications, excellent references, and still get stopped by the glass ceiling every time!?

    WHO can we trust NOT to turn us in?  Who will be the honest man or woman we can turn to without losing our jobs?  I lost my job for being honest, I know the pain.

    Roy, shall we call YOU?  Whistleblowing needs to be as anonymous as the FOIs and taken seriously.  We CAN make a difference if we have an office that takes these infractions serioulsy.

    Sorry Guv, seems the buck stops with you.  The FCO should open the whistleblower office so we can clean our own house!

    • Anonymous says:

      It's really not that difficult. Set up an email address under an assumed name and get on with it. That's how I comment on the Compass website despite their no anonimity policy.

      • Anonymous says:

        With the way Caymanians gossip it shouldnt be hard to tell- tail ( whistleblowing)

        I have a cousin, as  the news reaches her she is reaching for her phone to spread it. Just pass these information on to these loose lips and believe me it will be in the public's domaine in a jiffy.

      • Anonymous says:

        I thought the Compass now also required a telephone number.

    • Thank You CNS says:

      I was loving your post until the last paragraph. The FCO? Have you lost your mind?

  15. Anonymous says:

    But thay ALL still get paid.

    You elected them……………Year after year after year after year after after year after year after year after year after year after year

  16. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard XXXX has much more experience in manipulating processes to benefit himself.  He knows the weaknesses of first time politicians and he will use it to his advantage.  he should use his experience to better the Cayman Islands  instead of causing problems. He will never be remembered as being forthright and having no ulterior motive, but he will also never be Premier so he should start getting used to that  fact. Scandalous is what it is!!

  17. Dred says:

    huh??

    "….addingthat it was never his intention to lie"

    Hold on here a cotton picking second. All "lies" are intentional. Not knowing something is false and claiming it as truth because you genuinely believe it true is not a lie. You are just wrong.

    Telling a lie means you know what you are saying is in fact not correct but you still say it is true.So….there MUST be intention.

     

  18. Anonymous says:

    He is useless

    • Anon says:

      Mckeiva, Alden or Ezzard?

    • Anonymous says:

      He's not a good politician if that's what you mean, and I mean that as a compliment.  I like the fact that he feels he needs to explain himself and admit mistakes, that should be the standard all politicians follow, make a mistake, own up to it and move on, maybe a bit too grown up for most.