Cabinet Secretary reveals existing policy analyst
(CNS): Over four months after the appointment, the cabinet secretary has revealed that Garfield Ellison is working in the Cabinet Office as a policy analyst. Ellison has the responsibility for researching and developing policy proposals, actions and strategies for Cabinet, as well as for coordinating policy between ministries, portfolios and other government agencies. Although the appointment was made in July, it was announced by Orrett Connor on Tuesday 30 November in the wake of the public revelation that former UDP candidate Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden had been appointed by the Cabinet as a political assistant to four of the five Cabinet ministers to review policies.
Connor said that Ellison, a long standing public servant, was appointed to the Cabinet post on 19 July. “With an increasingly complex range of national issues to be managed and administered, this addition to the Cabinet Office staff is timely as well as essential, and Mr Ellison is already proving to be a valuable resource,” Connor explained.
Subsequent to his 2009 graduation with a law degree from the University of Liverpool, he completed his legal professional practice course this year at the Cayman Islands Law School.
Ellison had initially embarked on a quite different career path in natural sciences, and having earned a public health qualification in 1994, he took an environmental science degree at the University of the West Indies. He then broadened his horizons by completing a post-graduate qualification in public policy and management at the University of London.
His work experience reflects the diversity of his studies; after some years with the Department of Environmental Health, he was seconded to the department’s parent ministry in 2007. Then, at a later date, he went on to serve as the head of Recreation Parks and Cemeteries Unit before transferring to the ministry.
"I have adopted the concepts of fixity of purpose and continuity of effort, which are fundamental in embracing challenges. Considering the competent Cabinet team, I am indeed happy to serve in this capacity and all my efforts will be geared ultimately to influence and contribute meaningfully to good governance and coordinate appropriate policy direction,” said Ellison about his Cabinet policy job.
Category: Local News
Just another political stooge set up to bleed money out of Gov't. the whole world knows what these appointments are and what they are about political patronage. Their so many young qualified people who need to be given a chance to change the face and to moderise government instead displaced by the old regime stalwarts to keep staus quo in place.
Come on Cayman lets give them some credit Pelina and Garfiled may make a difference go guys do a good job make Cayman proud, yeah we know Ellison has more degrees than the MLA’s that why he should be able to direct them in the right direction hopefully they take some advise Ellison has Cayman Papers and he is married to a Caymanian from West Bay he has been around for a decade and more with the Gov well someone has to do the job I am sure his family, friends colleagues is proud of him we need more Cayamnian to want a degree and to become more involved in the community
We know when it come to Gov lots of things is kept under the rugs Rollie maybe a good friend to Ellison but like you said Ellison is far more educated tthan Rollie maybe Ellison should be running the education department then will that make the people happy we can’t please the people no matter what we do this is about Cayman not UDP or PPM get over it people
Mr. Ellison is Rollie’s best friend. Gotcha !
Get over it Ellison and Rollie is good friends so what everyone has a good friend and Ellison is highly educated you can’t take that from him he know his thing and he will do a good job and he has been in gov for over a decade now
I don’t know the individual referred to in this story but the passing of Dr. Philip Pedley, Chief Policy Advisor to the government has left a huge void that will be difficult to fill. Not only was he blessed with a brilliant mind but he adopted these Islands as his home and truly cared. May his soul rest in peace.
I am most disturbed, here we have a private FOI request released on Ms. Perlina (whose is being personally ripped to streeds) because Mr. OC (the Cabinet Secretary) failed to release a news article on her yet on the other hand he chooses to do so on Mr. Ellison (no mal intented I do not know the man).
Does this not give you the willies. Why did he not release the same article on Perlina. After all he hired her. Why let the public think that it was all done in secrecy.
Perhaps because it was done in secrecy? Recall that the Pearlina article indicated attempts at an obvious cover-up. Whereas this guy was already a civil servant who go promoted up the ranks. He’s providing government with advice where Pearlina is provided her political party members with advice and getting paid for it – If you were OC would you have released that? Look at the fallout from that story? Who would want to take responsibility for that? I’m sure if it did not come out as an FOI request someone’s head would be rolling right about now.
In fact, I think this press release is just a counter attack on the story that was leaked about Pearlina! At the end of the day it seems to me OC is trying to save face and let the public know with a non so subtle press release what the true position is.
I wonder where Rolston is in all this mess?
Have you checked the Office?
Once again, another slap in the face by the UDP, guess R. Anglin had to call Caymanians ‘unemployable’ as an excuse to bypass procedure….not really, they don’t care!
By the way, this analyst has more paper qualifications than all the MLAs, maybe he should apply for their jobs. But why bother, this way he is able to ‘shape’ policy without the hassle of being a politician and they will trust his views because he has ‘more papers’ than them and comes from a foreign country. Yup, our MLAs are mere puppets, my friends and it’s not the local West Bayers who are the puppet masters!
XXX
What a mess.
I have never heard of Mr Ellison so can’t comment on his appointment but let us hope the Cabinet Office is improved by his presence because up to now it has not performed remotely like a Cabinet Office in the Westminster system is supposed to. Policy analysis, coordination of ministerial policy development to ensure joined up government/no duplication of effort/ministries going in opposite directions? Forget it. It doesn’t happen and most of the staff are involved in "busy work".
any comment from the governor?????????????
The only thing we have to fear is someone finding out!
I never saw any of these jobs advertised.
Should all Caymanians not get a fair crack of the whip?
What amazes me it that it seems like the public can never be satisfied why is that?They are your own (rren’t they both Caymanian), and their qualified for the positions why is that not enough? Not ALL Caymanians are up to the task. I mean let’s be realistic when it comes to assisting in making policies, research etc, this is not an enviornment for a layman to dabble in but qualified people with experience and expertise!
Is Ellison really Caymanian?
Ellison has papers he is married to a Caymanian she is from West Bay he has been with gov for years so what i
Ellison has papers he ismarried to a Caymanian she is from West Bay he has been with gov for years so what i
Transperancy my buth, Much goes on behind closed door and after dark, All suppesevly for the betterment of the country. I read with interest the many poster of many good will persons who honestly think that our Premier does all those wonderful things for the Good of the country. Sorry to disapoint you folks it comes at a high price and if the country was not fully broke it will be after we repay those loans, if we can! PPM I warned you start working in West Bay. There are many of us brainwashed here I do not believe we can take another 3 years of this. But no one as come forward with any real plan. Many say silence is Golden but I don’t beleive this applies here. It is becoming more and more difficult to keep a positive attitude here. I reminds me of a movie that I have seen before and did noy enjoy the ending. If this keeps up our only hope is the formation of an intelligent 3rd. party. Our premier is smarter then you think, he employs the losers of election from independants so they will be indebted to him. Mr. Ezzard you silence is becoming defffening,Mr Dart in the many countries you have lived prior to Cayman I would give a penny for your tought. You are definatly brave to make such a huge investment here or youmust know something we don’t,
There are others. The main reason for raiding the Legal Aid Fund was to provide cushy jobs for all those who failed in the last election!
So ummmm … why is Pearlina needed if we have this expert civil servant analyst?
Damn stop hatin so hard!
If more people had her skill set, then there could be a debate and hello this is not a new practice, I mean when some is a member of a party and they are not successful in their bid for election, they are utilized in the administration is some way, as senators, consultants etc.
well, well, well, what more would the udp like to tell us before it is exposed thru the back-door!!!!!!!
Tip of the iceberg.
True enough. For a government which is "broke" and has a "hiring freeze" on, there seem to be quite a few new faces in the civil service. Well-compensated faces at that. The next time the Premier is on the island, maybe someone in the "media" can ask him about that.