Premier alleges abuse of office by former colleague
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin took his former political party colleague Arden McLean to task last week as tensions between the two men continue to increase. Winding up the budget debate on Wednesday evening, McLaughlin accused McLean of abusing his position by using his contribution to the debate to angrily attacked government regarding his nephew, who had been refused a job with the RCIPS as a trainee helicopter pilot. McLaughlin said the independent member for East End had done the House a disservice when he had “chosen to air his family’s laundry” on the floor of the Legislative Assembly.
“I have never heard anyone use their position as an elected member of this House to seek to further a member of his own family. It is an abuse of office,” the premier said, adding that had the Standards in Public Life Bill been in effect, McLean would have fallen foul of that law.
During his contribution last week, McLean had become exceptionally emotional and angry when he related the story of his nephew, who had dreamed of becoming a helicopter pilot ever since he was a young boy, and having gone overseas to study and train, he had applied to the RCIPS to join the air support unit.
However, McLean said he was disregarded as he was told he did not qualify and was given a list of companies to apply to from the ministry. McLean said it was an appalling state of an affairs when a young Caymanian had studied long and hard to follow that dream and qualify in his chosen profession to be turned away by his own country. McLean said that in the end his family member had gone to Jamaica, where the Defence Force there was helping the young pilot with further training and more flying hours.
Talking about the wider problem of young Caymanians being marginalized, McLean spoke of and the need for government to address the issue of those returning from college and training overseas not being able to find opportunities and the vicious circle of employers wanting them to have experience when no employer was prepared to give them a chance to gain experience.
McLean said he hoped his family was not being discriminated against but when he began trying to secure work at home he was rejected. McLean described what happened to his nephew as an abomination. Aware that he is not yet a qualified pilot, Mclean said he could not believe that the RCIPS could not offer him an entry level job where he helped on maintaining the chopper and support work and flew with the pilots to increase his flying time.
The East End member said the budget meant nothing if “our own people are not a part of it”, pointed to the mounting disillusionment of young Caymanians and the pressing need to remove the stumbling blocks placed in front of them.
As he wrapped up the debate, McLaughlin said he had to address the member’s allegations as he said that his nephew was assisted to look at numerous other possibilities, from training with the military in the UK or helping him find a commercial placement. The premier said the vacancy for the helicopter pilot with the RCIPS was for a fully qualified helicopter pilot and McLean’s nephew did not yet have anything close to the flying time required.
McLaughlin read from a lengthy memo which outlined all that the ministry of home affairs had done to try and assist McLean’s young nephew to find a place where he could increase his flying time and work towards joining the air support unit with the RCIPS.
He said that the ministry was also trying to find funding to help Darren McLean increase his flying hours or find training. The premier also said he had been invited by the Unit to join come along and fly as an observer but the RCIPS cannot take him on until his flying hours have increased.
The premier was also clearly angry that McLean had made such a public issue alleging that nothing had been done to help the young McLean in his dream. McLaughlin said the member knew full well that he was not involved in any kind of conspiracy to keep his nephew from his lifelong dream of becoming a helicopter pilot.
“Nothing could be further from truth and he knows in his heart of hearts that it would never cross my mind. He knows my advocacy for young people in this country; he was part of same party and administration as me for years … What he did … was wrong by any measure,” the premier said, adding that government was continuing to assist and he needed to set the record straight as the country was not being told the truth about what had happened.
Category: Politics
5 words:
"Only God can stop me…"
I heard one the talk show that no other caymanians are qualified for this job, we'll guess what you are wrong. Prince William (our future king) Is qualified, oh and guess what he didn't just get his private license, he joined the army and got the hours .
He is part German, part Greek.
Technically incorrect, he is 100% British according to nationality. Heritage you might be right on…
The last time I checked he was English, or taking it back a couple of generations, as the poster below says, part German part Greek.
MLA McLean is just a waste of time , with all of his nancy stories and pretense of being such an upstanding citizen. Mama look a bonobo de shut ya mouth go away, you ate embarrassing sah! Really embarrassing. It's time you were told so.
Arden do not let this distract you from building a solar facility to provide cheap power for The People of The Cayman Islands.
eye on the ball action man.
Does anyne kow what sort of chopper he was trained on?
Does he have a commecial pilots license?
How many hours has he flown?
From what i have read and heard from his uncle on the talk show and of course marl rd.
1) Robbinson R22 most likely (crop duster)
2) NO!!!! Private license
3) around100hrs, if that
You and Your uncle expect to fly our chopper DON'T THINK SO BO BO!!!! TELL YOUR UNCLE DAT!!! (Una must be eastenders)
NOW GO GET SOME MORE HOURS (OK 2000 MORE) THEN WE CAN CHAT!!!
2). Wrong. Commercial licence.
Try not to be so parochial in your thinking: "una must be eastenders".
ok so only 200hrs then, still doesnt qualify him to fly our chopper!!!!! or any other chopper on the island!!!!!
I listened to Mclean on the talk show this morning, what a joke!!! he swore that he didnt know that his nephew didnt have a scholorship from Mac, mmmmm Yeh right i put money on it that Mclean new his nephew got a Gov scholorship!!! I will now be applying to the Government for my son to get his chopper license..
Now otoths story:ok this young Caymanian went overseas and got a helicopter license, on CI Gov$ or should i say my tax dollar, good for him. Mind you I do want to know who approved this?
Surely before he started this journey, he knew he would have to either joined a military/law enforcement service and have a minimum number of hours to be able to fly the RCIPs chopper. Or did his uncle tell him not to worry? just askig, also saying you are Caymanian you have the job!!
Now, Let's look how to get this young Caymanian in the chopper, this is my advice. One option is to join an armed force, Say British Airforce, Two (which i would do) Join the RCIPs (thats if he can pass their training), Once a Constable, put a proposal to take an enforcement training in UK and or any other suitable country completing his hours.
Back to McLean, he also today accused Mr Eric Bush of not assisting and also not wanting to help Caymanians to succeed.. How dare McLean say this, how unproffesional can you be. In fact I now believe he is using his position to put pressure on the Civil Service to get his family member a job, in my humble opinion this is coruption at its highes!!!
Careful now or Arden will bite you; said so on Rooster.
The question this all raises is how did the guy get over $50,000 for a training course that others have to pay for. This was allocated to him during the last Government at a time money was tight, and it is clear that the end result would be only the start of an individuals training and gathering experience. On these courses in Florida, you train and qualify on a small single engine.
FOI request to see where this money came from, and how much other people go to futher their ambitions.
Why is Ardens nephew getting a scholarship anyway – shouldn't it be going to someone with academic skills who's family cannot afford the fees?
That question aso needs to be answered
What grounds do you having for making assumptions on his family's financial circumstances?? Simply because his uncle is a politician? Is his uncle meant to pay for the schooling of everyone in his family? What a bizarre comment.
His uncle's legal pay is public record. I'm guessing its waaaaaaaaay more than most folks.
The question should be why did he get this to become aprivate helicopter Pilot, when none are needed in Cayman!!!!! Oh forgot uncle was going to get him on the RCIPS chopper!!! Surely some research was done as to what qualifications are needed to work for the tourist chopper and enforcement chopper. OH say 3,000 flying hrs…. shoot forgot he Caymanian and doesnt need to be qualified as uncle is an MLA!!!! From a Caymanian so show the thimbs down!!!
Rather ironically the nephew is now an expat taking the place of a young Jamaican wanting to get a job flying helicopters. The irony is the constant barrage that expats are stealling Caymanians jobs yet they have no qualms about doing the same.
Nor do some have any qualms about moving to the UK, not working and claiming benefits. Have no problem with anyone going up there and getting a job but I've haerd of many who go up there with umpteen kids, get a big house and don't work. while some of the elderly and mentally and physically handicapped are struggling to survive.
So true, they hit the airport and the first question is either, "Where is the nearest hospital?" so they can have pre-existing conditions treated for free or, "Where do I sign on?" because they don't have a job.
A lot of Mac's status grant dependants are now enjoying the handouts they became entitled to in the UK…when before status they would not qualify to go to Britain. That';s why the Brits are giving us a hard time with passports as they don't need any more parasites from our neighboring island.
sounds like Alden hit a funny bone lol!
You either pay for flight school yourself or you join the military. That's how you get to be a helicopter pilot. Even if they created a job so he could ride along in the police helicopter it wouldn't count as training or flying hours. What kid needs is to go get a commercial license.
But he has a Cayman passport and a dream. That is surely enough.
But he would have to earn that over a number of years working his butt off, and in a foreign land too – he is the only Caymanian helicopter pilot, so he should get one of the two pilot jobs on the island currently held by expats, even if he doesnt have the right amount of hours. All this rubbish about having to have extensive flying hours before flying low level and at night are made up stories to deny him the right to fly a helicopter in Cayman. Sure they would apply in the US or UK, but he doesnt want to fly there, he wants to fly here. Dont you understand – the job requirements have to bend to the qualification held , not the other way around.
Cutting corners for Caymanians that puts us all in harms way, so disgusting.
Cutting corners with a helicopter = tent pegged or making a big hole in the ground. Seen it too many times, the last was about four months ago.
You are an idiot. That is what is wrong with the whole country. Bend the rules to get the job. Absolute rubbish.
Entitled and uninformed. The combination of disaster.
I can think of a field in which qualfications don't matter and only citizenship does… maybe his uncle could take him on as a trainee?
He has already been to flight school and has a commercial licence. The extra flying hours is an added requirement for this particular job.
Could the nephew have chosen a less cliched choice of "employment for life by reason of passport" than helicopter pilot? I know of at least four other kids whose parents have steered them in that direction.
Good day to everyone who has responded to this story, both negatively and positively. This is the first time I am using this forum, one of only a few times I have read anything on this site, as I think it the most unfair way of discussing anything, because people can hide behind 'anonymous'
I am not going to use this forum to respond to any of the comments. My son will be doing that, in order to set the record straight and to let people know his side of the story as, in most cases, Caymanians seem hell bent on condemning their own.
I just want to clear something up though. My son is not one of those Caymanians who thinks he is entitled to ANYTHING just because he is a Caymanian. I have taught my children that, wherever they worked, they need to go in with the right attitude, and not to think that any job was beneath them. If they were asked to clean the toilets or sweep the floor, they must do it, but with the right attitude. I am proud to say that both of my children can go back to any job they have held while they were still in school, because they had the right attitude. Something that the majority of young Caymanians
God bless everyone.
Gwenda McLean
It is nice to read your post this morning. I wish your son the best of luck. In no way did I get the impression from the story that he felt a sense of entitlement. His uncle on the other hand….
What is Alden really saying – any politician in the Cayman islands cannot represent their family or a releative as an MLA? Well that saves us 20-30 million in the Brac alone. We are all rich Thank God. Thank you Alden most brilliant leader we ever had. One question, West Bay included?
Looking forward to your son publicly distancing himself from his uncle's comments then.
Arden has had a hard on for RCIPS ever since the disgraceful episode when he went for Derek Haines. As a minister he wasn't even exactly enthusiastic about the introduction of the helicopter – remember all the government interference and delays – so why all this nonsense now? It does make you wonder who's pulling hisstrings sometimes.
So what everyone is saying: A young caymanian goes off to school gets a degree in a field they enjoy, comes back home and is told we can not help you gain experience here go elsewhere take another mans job away from him in his home country, come back with the experience you gained elsewhere then we can work with you? Does this apply to someone who has studied medicine? Accounting? Teaching? Or does this only apply to becoming a helicopter pilot in Cayman?
We'll there are a hella lot more jobs in education, acvounting and medicine
First off they are not printing all the facts on this one. As far as I'm aware no help has been done in regards to helping the young man further his career. He applied to UK on his own. He is trying to get training in Jamaica on his own. The point is if they knew this was the case BEFORE he went to get his training (on scholarship) then why not advise him then? He can not get his hours anywhere unless he pays to do so. It is not a sense of entitlement but the fact that the gold post to reaching there keeps moving. For the longest while the excuse was the insurance was a problem then after a long debate on that it became there was only one seat. The young man is not asking to fly the police helicopter he would is just trying to relay on his country to provide the opportunity for him to just gain the minimum hours so then he can go elsewhere, train properly then return with the experience since he can not do so here. If a student studied accounting comes back with their credentials they would obviously not be given a partner position but an entry level to then in turn work their way up it may in fact take years but there is a plan in place. More than likely they can't go elsewhere in the world to get their experience. Just know the whole story is not completely out there so please do not judge the situation on one article.
There are helicopter pilot jobs all over the world that pay a salary whilst you build your experience. You just have to go out and get them.
Well I must admit to struggling to get past the "excuse" that there is only one pilot seat, which must make training a little difficult. As for your point that its not entitlement to expect that the government should intervene to help individuals obtain jobs, or training, or pay for them to obtain post basic qualification flying hours when as you say, any young man in any other country would have to do exactly that. How is that NOT entitlement, exactly?
So an entitled Caymanian gone to Jamaica to get training that a well deserving Jamaican could get. Every time the poor Jamaican gets left behind for the Caymanian
20:32 Are you deaf, blind or what. Look around and see how many Jamaicans are taking over our Paradise. He is paying his way I am sure, it is not a gift. Thank You.
Is he paying his way? I thought from Rooster this morning that the Jamaicans had given him it for free. If that is right I am not sure what else you could call it.
Chill out
I've got a driving licence so I can whizz about in a formula 1 car. My Uncle is in government and says I am entitled to do so, so it must be true. Who needs all this experience and time to learn? I want it all NOW!!!!!!
Arden did PPM a favor when he resigned. Sooner or later they would have had to kick him out anyway
Arden I know you was going to get kicked in the ass from these people. Remember how you sucked up to them against McKeva Bush. Carma is a Bitch.
1. Pilots do not do maintenance, qualified engineers do. Unless the pilot is also a qualified engineer, which is clearly not the case here.
2. From what I have seen all police helcopters have one pilot, with a police officer sat alongside him, who works radios and cameras. Join the police seems to be that answer.
3. If he wants to be a helicopter pilot in Cayman, what about the tour helicopter? That has not been mentioned.
So, tell me if I understand this correctly:
1) there is no position open for which this young man qualifies by normal standards.
2) his Uncle would like a position invented for him so he can learn while getting paid.
3) this is not the norm for how people become police helicopter pilots in the rest of the world.
And entitlement doesn't exist in this country?
And we wonder why government budgets are out of whack?
I feel for this guy. I love flying too but it costs a fortune these days to get training enough to be employable. That's a fact. That he hasn't got enough training to be employable yet by the RCIPS doesn't seem like an "abomination" to me. It seems like a simple fact of the labour market.
Did the present pilot have all the experience and flying time when he was employed or it was based on his country of origin? Simile, God loves you.
I think you will find he was highly qualified. The original job ad (strangely enough no mention of country of origin):
The successful candidate must possess:-
Applicants MUST have an EC135 rating or your application cannot be considered.
between both pilots they have over 8,000hrs
It is actually more than 12,000 hours, and both very experienced in all aspects of the below job description
Would the Ministry have gone to such lengths to assist this young man if he had not been the nephew of a MLA?
Agreed, misuse of his position!!!!!
Two egomaniacs barking at each other instead of helping Caymanians. A bunch of hypocrites
well said.
If McLean abused his office by improperly advocating for his nephew, then McLaughlin surely abused his higher office by indulging the debate and squandering the LA time by researching and reading the lengthy memo in retort. Quite obviously there was no functional Speaker awake or on duty to reign in these egotistical antics. Par for the course in our "Value for Money" LA.
If McLean cannot see how his stance is actually going to be detrimental to his nephew's progress then he doesn't have the brains he was born with.
Who in their right mind in the RCIPS will want to hire him now with his troublesome uncle stood in the background screaming about the entitlement of his Caymanian nephew.
To say that his speech in the Legislative Assembly is damaging to the reputation of the Cayman Islands is an understatement.
The former Premier is awaiting trial for an abuse of trust / power and a member of the MLA is openly advocating nepotism in the Legislative Assembly.
It seems to me that the longer he spends in George Town the longer the East End is missing their village idiot!
Arden been speding far too much time with his Eastern neighbour.
I thought the police helicopter did not have dual controls – if that is the case, then why is there any suggestion tha he could fly it to gain the experience? If it does have dual, and the current pilot is qualified to instruct, then Mr McLean has a point. If it doesnt, he should apologise.
Rcips is not public funded so that it can give free flying lessons to anybody!
The problem is that there are people there that refuse to give a Caymanian a chance. The more you keep someone out the less of a threat. Why not allow him to get the experience to take over the job? That would be only fair. The buddies protect themselves too much.
Well I see from another poster that the helicopter does only have single controls. So to answer your question – you cannot give him the experience HERE without him flying the helicopter, but because there is only one set of controls it would be very dangerous to allow him to fly the helicopter without the ability of a more experienced pilot to take over the controls if something went wrong or he made a mistake. Would you be happy with a newly qualified pilot who trained on a light aircraft flying you to Miami on the Cayman Airways 737 if no one else was allowed in the cockpit? He could of course obtain the xperience by flying with more experienced pilots on dual control helicopters, but that would have to be somewhere else where they have one. Does that make it clearer?
We done Alden, show the general public what an idiot McLean is 🙂 His nephew needs firstly to become a police officer, pass the training, then work as a uniformed officer on the streets for a few years. after this he should apply to work in that unit. yes he can fly a helicopper but would have to go away for training for a further 1 to 2 years, you just dont get your pilots license and fly a jumbojet, especially any police helicopter, McLean look up what the USA and UK lawenforcement require.. I agree with Alden,this was acomplete misuse of his seat in the LA.
The funny thing about life long dreams. They take even longer to materialize. Be paitent and work very hard while being patient.
Another story of entitlement.
Alden, just give the job to an expat. It seems to be the norm these days
Plain and simple if the guy doesnt have the eperience then he cant fly with the RCIP as yet. I am sick and tired of hearing caymanian aviatiors come back from school and think they havethe god given right for a job. EXPERIENCE is the first thing needed and no company shall lower there requirements to help anyone. As aviators (i am one too btw), We all WELL KNOW that the experience level that companies require are way higher than what we have come back to school with. On the airplane side, Cayman Airways Express has done a pretty good job on hiring Caymanians directly out of school because of the type of aircraft it operates doesnt require alot of experience as a co pilot.
The eurocopter is a very complex chopper. Way more bells and whistles than the training choppers the young man was taught on. One thing i do agree with mr mclean was that the RCIP should have atleast gave him an entry level position in maintenance or been able to ride with them to atleast see how the whole operation is put together.
The young man is lucky that government is looking into ways for him to gain more experience and Arden should be thankful for that.
So may this be an example to all who plan to go off to any flight school. Take a look at the minimum requirents for the company you would like to work for and make a plan of action. It has been way too long that when we dont get it our way we go crying to government.
EXPERIENCE makes the operation more SAFE. So lets remember that before we start bashing PPM. Would you like a man with under 200hours flight time hovering 50 feet over your head on a friday night?
Well said.
This morning I overheard someone saying this:
"You dont want to get involved in a fight between two East Enders:…
Yeah, they might knock each other's brains out…….oh wait.
No do you want to know why because in a blink of an eye they will be buddies and turn on you
That's Ol East End Arden for ya. Always on the rag about something. Doesn't matter who else he fools up and affects their lives so long as it isn't someone in his Framily.
Those who create bad Karma should expect it in return as Ziggy Marley said, "What goes around comes around". That's life. Deal with it.
Mr. McLean needs to take a good long look at the many young men and women from East End that came to him looking for assistance in finding a way to pursue their dreams. The several young people from the district who have been lucky enough to obtain employment was mainly due to the assistance of the "UNELECTED" Mr. Johnnie McLean helping them to acquire employment NOT in the field they wish to make a career but a job nonetheless. Mr. Arden McLean seems to choose to forget that these same young men and women are the ones who might put him back in for another term . At this point in time I do not see much hope in that happening as he has forgotten his people in East End.
I am the one whom gave east enders work
Darren seems to have missed out on a fantastic opportunity to train with the UK military!! His uncle seems to be the stumbling block here. What a diservice to the guy.
Maybe Darren doesnt want to get shot at in Afganistan whilst learningto fly a helicopter on operational duty (tho it may come in handy in West Bay)
It is not safe to fly helicopers over Westghanistan.
There is probably a very good reason you need a lot of experience for this job, but there again when did that makea difference here.
Oh how funny! When it hits home they all of the sudden get emotional, yet for the last few years, each of them sat on their hands doing nothing despite it being well documented that the whole immigration process is in shambles.
I am not in possession of all the facts surrounding this case however, I am not about to stick my neck out for anyone when it comes to the intense and high-risk job of a "police / emergency / search & rescue helicopter pilot" – be the person a Caymanian or not.
There are many, many variables and issues that apply to such a position.
Unless the indiivdual is fully trained, with the required amount of experience and flying hours for the position, then he or she has no business hovering over my head or house. Lastly, it may be more useful and feasible for the individual to seek opportunities elsewhere rather than hanging around and pinning all hopes on piloting the one helicopter as in this case.
You wont find many more pro-Caymanian people than Whodatis, but even I have to throw a flag on this one.
Sorry bo-bo.
(If I am proven wrong by way of certified qualifications then I shall gladly stand corrected. But until then …)
Arggh! I actually agree with Whodatis! Damn damn damn……..
Quick – identity theft alert….that can't have been posted by Whodatis…it is reasonable balanced and….easy to agree with. HELP!
And people wonder how young Caymanians get a sense of entitlement?!
You cannot have it both ways. You can't have a well functioning and cost effective civil service AND have one that employs every Caymanian that sends them a resume, regardless whether they have the necessary skills or even whether there is an existing vacancy.
No MLA should be endorsing the view of young people that they have a right to employment, regardless of whether their skills are in demand in the public or private sector.
Young Caymanians need to find their own place in the workforce. They should not expect the entire economy to reorganise around their specific employment needs. That is just not how it works… in any country.
Talk about bringing the mountain to Mohammad!
Good God Almighty. This shows precisely what is wrong with most of Cayman.