MLAs interests cause concern
(CNS): The mixing of politicians’ business interests with their role as public servants is becoming increasingly problematic, says the independent member for North Side. Ezzard Miller has called on elected government members to divest themselves of their private interests as they are paid salaries and do not need to run businesses while in office. Despite the not insufficient pay, he said, some government members have interests directly related to their public work, and even if that is not leading to actual issues of dishonesty, it is creating the perception of it. He also said he had concerns that not all MLAs are being completely open when it comes to declaring their interests in the register.
According to the Register of Interests, West Bay MLA Cline Glidden has some of the most declared businesses interests on the government benches. He has also publicly admitted that his companies, GMC Electric Supply and GMC Construction, are contracted by the Dart Group at Camana Bay, despite the fact that he has beeninvolved directly in the For Cayman Alliance negotiations — a deal proposed between Dart and government for long term development.
Miller said that this type of situation is unacceptable for any MLA, no matter their integrity, as it is an issue of perception. He questioned how anyone would ever know whether or not an individual’s business interests had influenced the negotiations, given such circumstances and temptations.
“I don’t think it is humanly possible to have a direct pecuniary interest, to have construction companies who work for developers while leading negotiations on behalf of government and not, at the very least, be tempted to look after your own interests,” he said. “In politics in a small society like ours perception is reality. There is no difference.”
Miller said that when he first entered politics in the 1980s, he divested all of his successful pharmaceutical businesses to his long term economic detriment but it would have been untenable to accept the Cabinet position as health minister in those circumstances. While he may have economic regrets about going into politics, he has no personal regrets and now manages to live on his MLA salary, he said.
As a long time advocate of proper salaries for MLAs, he explained that he had fought for politicians' pay to be on a level of senior civil servants so that people did not have to have outside interests when they went into politics that could lead to the perception of corruption, if not the reality of it. “People cannot be expected to give up business without a proper salary,” he said, adding that today the salaries of MLAs were sufficient to have a decent standard of living without having another business interest.
The level of pecuniary interests held by government members and their families, and those links that they retain with businesses even when they step down from directorships are of growing concern, given the strides that had been made to compensate members officially, Miller added.
He believed that not all members were declaring absolutely everything on the Register of Interests that they should and there was no pressure for them to do so.
The register is designed to allow the public to see exactly what their elected members are involved with while serving in office. This allows voters to judge if those interests held by government members are benefitting, either directly or indirectly, from their position or if the interests are influencing their role as minsters or public representatives.
The members are also required to declare any gifts or hospitality that they accept worth over $500 on the same register for the same reasons. The register is overseen by a parliamentary committee and Miller says there are no consequences if members fail to declare all their interests or any gifts they have received.
Although the Commission for Standards in Public Life is working on drafting new legislation to introduce sanctions for public officials who may fall foul of the register of interests law, the independent member said he was disappointed that after two years the committee had not looked into the current failures by members and publicly highlighted them to demonstrate the pressing need for the law.
“I am fairly certain that gifts and hospitality have been accepted which have been reported in the media but have not gone in the Register of Interests,” he said, adding that politicians had even been photographed in the media accepting expensive gifts at public events which never made it to the register.
Miller said he was concerned that a culture had emerged where the public, as a result of the picture painted by politicians, did not even see this as wrong. He said even when politicians were involved in questionable situations regarding their interests, there was little or no pressure from the media or the public at large for them to resign and even when pressure was being applied, politicians were not doing the right thing.
Business interests were also causing problems on government boards, Miller said, against the background of the recent arrest of an NHDT member. He added that this highlighted the dangers of political appointments to boards of people with related pecuniary interests “under the excuse of expertise and experience”, which was a dangerous situation.
Category: Politics
The perception is that a Caymanian can do no wrong while on Cayman no matter what it is. And if you don't like it you can leave "My" island. Makeing it a law or a rule or regulation has very little effect on what a Caymanian politician or civil servant thinks is right or wrong. Lots of examples out there starting with the Caymanian premeir all the way down to the lowest gas card user/abuser. If you or anyone else wants them to follow any rules to protect the public from "them" they will have to fight more than just the government. I hope I'm wrong but see how far this 'stop government corruption now" gets with this government.
As Mr. Miller said: Members of Parliament have been working on a system for them to watch out for conflicts of interest… by any of them. They have asked each other "have you got a problem with this?" And each one of them has said no.
So, as far as they are concerned, there is no problem.
All jokes aside …
If all you've gotten from my previous posts is that Whodatis "hates the USA and UK so much" – then that is quite unfortunate.
I assure you will find much more to the discussion if you suppress your obvious dislike for the individual poster and open your mind for 5 minutes.
However, if you refuse I guess there is always BBC or CNN for you to turn to.
Take care buddy,
– Whodatis
They say that politics is the second oldest profession……..however, it bears a striking resemblance to the first………XXXXX
Reminds me of the old saying, “I meant to do that.”
I wish they had an interest in my country!
Let's not forget those interest that are held by friends for the MLAs. Understand that a lot of that is going on as well.
We will never know which MLA really has an interest in a business as they operate behind others and get their share of the pie that way.
I always knew that Ezzard is one of the most honest, straight-talking person around. He is a little "rough" around the edges, but does not have a dishonest bone in his body. He is the kind of persons we need to represent us and I hope that Northsiders will vote him in as long as he is able to stand for election. There are also a few good men/ and women in Cayman who if teemed up with Ezzard could bring this country back to respectability and accountability. Arden is another honest and respectable politician. I know if he even showed a hint of dishonesty his family would set him straight ; that is what is necessary, families who will hold you accountable. We need to get the mindset and let the polliticians know that they are representing us (I am speaking to the honest among us). We need to tell them that when they behave badly they are showing disrespect to us who put them in the position and if they insist on bad behaviour then we will chastise them at the next election. However so many in the community are hangers-on, with their hands stretched out waiting for the crumbs from these shameless bandits. What has happened to integrity and hard work.? So many have become nothing more that prostitutes, and it is our little country that is being prostituted in broad daylight., from the board rooms to the back streets!! Let us start a movement and stop this madness.
Why only elected representatives?
How about the immigration officers, customs officers, police officers and just about everyone else on the public payroll who have private sector interests that conflict with their official duties?
Well said, absolutely true that they all should be included as its no secret to most of us what's going on.
You are correct!
Also may I add that members on boards who are in the same type of businessshould not be making decisions for the board, that might directly or indirectly, profit their business.
For instance contractors or building materials suppliers should not be on the planning board.
Individuals offering immigration services should not be on the immigration board.
Individuals who provide services to the port should not be on the port board.
Individuals who sell liquor should not be on the liquor licensing board.
I am not saying that there is corruption by any of those involved in this way – but it is a clear conflict of interest!
That's right. They wanted it all. Large Population. Lots of tax revenue. Have to start managing it they way it should. Care to turn back the clock now for simpler days? Maybe being in Government won't be the (part time) job of choice anymore. Too complicated , because you'll actually have to fly right and be held accountable.
If we are to have any trust and faith in politicians, they need to divest themselves of conflicts and act solely in the public interest. Of course this is normally part of the oath of office. That said, if this were truly enforced, there would only be a handful of politicans left on the planet and we probably couldn't name any of them.
This is very true! Not only do politicians having their own private businesses affect their integrity, but I would like to know how they have the time to concentrate on matters of country whilst running a business? These individuals are already claiming a perfectly good salary and almost every MLA has a business on the side, this can impact honest citiizens who wish to start or who already own businesses and genuinely need to run them to keep food on the table for thier families. This is another example of greed by our politicians, they intend to take and take and take from wherever. They can easily use their positions to influence business and clients for their own companies and sway away potential income from other small business owners. I believe that as a politician your mind should becontinuously focused and directed to the issues at hand and the people's needs that is why they were elected in the first place! If they have to sit around in the evenings pondering marketing strategies, employee salaries and inventory how much time does this really leave for them to handle what they are truly being paid for!
I say let's put the salary for MLA's to $1,000 a month and see how many people really want to run the country they "love"! Probably have about 10 people running through out all the districts then in 2013! Ezzard is right…..unna just collecting money and attending parties!
Ezzard. This is a step in the right direction!
Please dont worry about any personal attacks from any MLA who opposes this idea.
Remember as the saying goes – if you throw a rock in a pig pen, the one that squeals loudest is the one that got hit.
Just listen for the sound of squealing…
Am I the only one who remembers the last Auditor General? Do you really think this guy will last? Is what this guy is doing any different than what Dan did when Dan was accused of courting headlines and creating publicity for himself (when in fact he was simply reporting the misdeeds of government)? McKeeva Bush will not sit still for this sort of "grandstanding", nor will he put up (as we all know) with any sort of "bureaucratic harassment". Swarbrick seems a nice chap, but my money says he will be sent on his way just like Dugay was.
Unfortunately, you are probably right.
There are many times that I do not agree with Ezzard but here is one that I really do. I think it takes a big man to put his hands up and reflect upon how his own businesses might benefit from his government issue – and to publicly declare them in this way. I think that shows courage and integrity and I appreciate that.
Our politicians are corrupt? no, how darest you
Exactly. All you commenters get ready to be sued but good.
Cayman is growing up.
FOI and the Auditor General are helping the country to go through the somewhat painful transition from a small town where public works could be run by a few trusted individuals on a cash basis.
The current size of Cayman's government dictates that due process be put in place to manage the millions of dollars that are now required to govern the country. Many "old school" individuals are having trouble with the transition but we will get there; eventually, one step at a time and Ezzard's call for the politicians to be open in their commercial dealings is one of the required steps.
Mr. Miller is correct on this one.
Although it is very likely that what I am about to say will prove unpopular (once again), it must be forwarded.
What we are (allegedly) seeing take place in Cayman is nothing but the modern, 21st Century way of doing political business in this "democratic" western world.
For decades we were the land that time forgot, but with time we eventually integrated all of the spoils and conveniences that are commonplace in the greater western world.
We are modeled after these "great nations", therefore, it is only fitting that their forms of "government" would evenutally reach our shores.
Examine the U.S. or U.K. way of doing business today and one will find tons of lobby groups and special interest entities pulling the major strings – much is the same right here in Cayman.
Interestingly, most of the callous political corruption carried out by the U.S. and UK is regarding their international matters (trade, industry, military etc.), so much of it goes unnoticed or simply doesn't concern the average American or British citizen.
However, the nature and small size of our jurisdiction provides a better opportunity for the exposure of suspicious goings-ons'.
My point is that we have continually strived to become a player in this western world. We have worked hard to attract its styles of politics, capitalism, business, wealth, culture, standard of living – even its people – so was it not inevitable that we would eventually arrive at the point we find ourselves today?
Take a look around people. What we are discussing and complaining about in this very thread are the same issues being raised by the "Occupy Wall Street" and "Occupy LSX (London Stock Exchange)" movements – simply in a scaled down and localized format.
In no way do I support any of the alleged forms of corruption in the Cayman Islands however, I am not shocked or appalled by it either.
It is all a mere reflection of business as usual within the decisive players in this game we are playing. In effect, these forms of political corruption are actually "the rules".
Can one be a successful player while breaking all the rules?
* I hope that we will one day rid our country of all forms of political corruption, but that would be an achievement no other western nation has managed or even earnestly attempted for that matter.
Whodatis is wrong again, this method of doing business is not the product of the 21st century it is how business has always been done in the Cayman Islands.
Without the paper trail of direct taxation it is next to impossible to trace corruption. The dimmest bulb in the box understands this fact thus the Cayman style of business was developed and has been the way of the land ever since time was.
Re: "Without the paper trail of direct taxation it is next to impossible to trace corruption."
Ok, so how then do you explain the obscene levels of corruption in countries with such a paper trail (USA / UK)?
Re: " … thus the Cayman style of business … "
Did you even read my post?
You just answered your own question Whodatis. The explanation for the obsence amount of corruption in the US and UK is becasue they get caught – maybe becasue of the paper trail maybe not. In Cayman know one really knows how much corruption abounds because very rarely is anyone caught and charged.
Fair enough.
Although, I believe the explanation for the obscene amount of corruption in the USA and UK is primarily because a lot of their politicians are in fact corrupt and also due to the fact that the entire system seems to reek of legitimized corruption.
With every fibre of my being and without an ounce of exaggeration I know and believe that the "West" is by far the MOST corrupt and despicable force of political corruption of yesteryear to this very day.
Unfortunately, most of its people have been oblivious to the actual nature of this beast as said corruption is tucked away in its foreign policies and dealings.
As soon as one gains an accurate understanding of how this world works (not via CNN, Sky or NBC as has been the case for most adults of today) one cannot help but be cynical when it comes to these matters.
* E.g. It turns my stomach to witness these very same western leaders and politicians condemn and chastise foreign "dictators" and politicians today – knowing FULL WELL that the West, for its own selfish reasons, has supported, endorsed and equipped many of these "murderous" characters for decades.
Today is a prime example with the fresh assassination of Col. Moammar Gaddafi in Sirte, Libya.
Former British PM Tony Blair had something to say.
He (Blair) has photos shaking Gaddafi's hand at the time of his adminstration.
French President Sarkozy had something to say.
Col. Gaddafi DONATED MONEY TO HIS FRENCH ELECTION CAMPAIGN!!
So, as for the larger aforementioned countries, significant and blatant evidence of gross corruption is abound (at the very top as well!) but no one seems to really givea damn.
I guess the question then becomes – is there such a thing as selective corruption?
Whodatis you clearly hate the USA and UK so much you have to say so in every post you make. Did a Westerner hurt your feelings once? Man, that chip on your shoulder is the size of am oak tree!
Lol!
That is rich coming from you buddy!!
So, by your logic a Caymanian must have stolen your lover eh?
(Btw, I've never actually seen an oak tree … is it anything like a breadfruit tree?!)
The Sheriff turning up the Heat. Next group to focus on 'the bagmen'
It is the 2 party system that has allowed this "watch my back while I plunder" attitude on BOTH SIDES.
t USED to be politicians would fear that they would be found out not working 100% of the time for their people, but now with the political parties and cronyism, these "bagmen" have "PARTY" protection.
We are too small for these political parties. The two party system will be the end of decent politics. Bring back the "Custos" and "JPs" like my great grandfather had! These men simply managed the country and did not seek absolute power.
Politcal parties cause politcal cronyism and corruption, period.
You got that right, CB&P!
Being a politician in the Cayman Islands and having such a vast business interest's on the outside, will easily allow you to afford a $1,500 CI montly electrical bill which runs your central A/C 24 hours a day. Additionally, a full time maid working at home to wash your family's dirty underwear and iron them with starch afterwards; and also allow you to live very comfortably in a $800,000 CI home in an upscale neighbourhood. Have two fancy car's to drive; one for you and the other for the wife and send the kids to certain private schools whose monthly cost are around $1,000 CI per child. Don't you wish you had the STOMACH to be a Caymanian politician ???
Tell ya wa, mi na wan nutin to do wid beein on dem Fuc%^&* Government boards neither !!!!
Well said Ezzard and I hope the rest of the house is listening and reading your comments.This has been going on for way too long and has gotten far worse ever since the advent of the political party system.Some of the govt boards are a joke and only do one thing and I will leave that part for the public to decide on.As someone else said on here its not too late to bring in safeguards for the next election so that taking advantage of ones position will not happen again.Wasnt there a register or something some time back where all elected members of the house had to declare their outside interests?Who takes care of that these days or was it sent up to the shelving unit where so many good past plans hang out?
The mess we have will never be put right until we have a majority of elected politicians that are willing to pass laws and approve funding to put in place the mechanisms that will end corruption.
Exactly right Ezzard.
Where is big-mouth ellio?? He heads the Register of Interests Committee…has he managed to call a meeting yet? its only been 2 XXXXX years
lazy bum
To the poor people of this country. Please try to understand that the little $50.00 you get at election or the load of yard fill does not last you forever. Not when compaared to the vote you give some of these people, who turn around and abuse their position to gain wealth that you can only dream of.
Poor people, hasn't it gotten through your skull yet that they fill your head with sh%t to get your vote, then they evaporate for 3 years 7 months?!!! then they come back again to tell you what they will do for you once you put them back in there again. USE YOUR BRAIN, or, are we asking for too much?
Go easy on the poor man. As chief 'spin doctor' for the UDP his days are rather full (and may be so well into the future).
too busy getting slapped by old men
I wouldn't call him a fox guarding the chicken coop but it's like a foxes best friend doing it for him. Actually any UDP member heading this committee would be a travesty.
It was a huge mistake to bring in the new Constitution with the resulting increases in the power of the politicians without having all of the necessary safeguards in place long before. That much is obvious. I agree with Mr. Miller that we need to bring in the safeguards now. Better late than never.
Seriously, who would thumbs-down this comment?? Are people actually for corruption??
I find it confusing that not everyone is an advocate of anti-corruption laws. Do people WANT to end up like a third world nation – Haiti, numerous African nations?? If they do, they should take a visit to these places first, it's not a pleasant place to live. Because that's exactly the way we're headed with corruption on such an obviously huge scale for a small nation and independence whispering in the air..
If anyone thumbs-down this, explain please. My limited point of view is that if you are against anti-corruption, you are therefore pro-corruption to the detriment of the country.
The mechanisms are in place but they are not funded and they are not being used.
Some mechanisms are there but clearly they are not sufficient. Just consider that the committee responsible for monitoring the register of interests is not even meeting and there is no sanction for not meeting. Corruption is too narrowly defined in the present law and the penalties are farcical. Blatant conflicts of interests are permitted even when contrary to the public interest. I could go on. Basically the law needs to be tightened and extended.
We need to do 2 things:
1) Classify conflicts of interests for politicians as corruption,
2) Deduct $1 from the pay/pension of a politician for each dollar they earn from outside businesses.
The combination of those two things will go a long way to keeping the crooks and the wannabe crooks out of politics particularly the dumb ones.
It will all go undeclared then as most is now.
Agreed, we all saw the Bodden Town Duo get away with it so, as much as I would love to see this happen, it won't as long as they are allowed to ignore the Constitution. The problem also arises when family members have businesses and are given jobs XXXX
What about the flight back from the Bahamas? Would that be considered as a gift?
The fuel alone should have been over $50.00, and that's CI dollars.
Ezzard, I admire your stance on this. But lets be real, the only reason some of these "politicians" go into politics is to take advantage of the benifits that being in such a position offers.
This has always been the opinion of those in the public, that have a brain and can see the obvious.
Being a MLA in Cayman has proven to be a lucrative business.
We need more politicians like Ezzard, not well liked , but straight forward.Thats why we in north side voted him in and we will see to it that he goes back in. He has never embarrased us in such a manner and he is brutally honest. North Siders will be prepared for the independant again, no PPM, no UDP, the party system destroys family and country.
I am disturbed to see what is happening to Cayman all because of power and my fear today is that the UK will step in like the Turks & Caicos fiasco, then all hell will break out as God knows that they dont give a damn about us, they are happy to see & know that we are struggling with this corruption, so people lets make a change and make it fast vote all of the bums out, but keep Ezzard.
I think Ezzard does a good job too. However, he did state that he would vote with the UDP to form a government if he was elected.
I think he has changed his mind on that one!
At 11.56 .I think Ezzard. Yes he did say at that time that he would join the UDP over the PPM if needed to make the government. Poor choice to join either one as far as I'm concerned because I still do not think that the PPM is any better than the UDP, however I'm glad that Ezzard didn't join the UDP. As you can see the party system is damaging to this country, good honest people are failing their constituents by having to vote party line and that is a travisty.
We still think that we are better off with Ezzard than any of the party croonies.
This is one issue on which I am in agreement with Ezzard.
We should have $50,000 rewards for turning in corrupt politicians. It would be money well spent and would save a fortune in the long run.
Send me the $50,000. I will turn in a big one!
From what I have seen over the years, there was far less corruption in the years before we had professional politicians.The potential for corruption then got far worse once we had political parties because political parties increase the power of the leaders and as has been known from the dawn of time, power corrupts.
Political parties provide professional politicians with leverage to amplify both the good and the bad that people are capable of. We seem to have found mostly the bad in recent times because the politicians took the power without the safeguards that are necessary to eradicate corruption.
The only way that we can salvage our country is if we have absolute transparency in what our politicians are up to, public awareness of all aspects of corruption, and very very severe punishment for corruption backed up by a very aggressive auditing and enforcement process that hauls the corrupt to court and then to prison.
Thank you Mr. Miller for speaking up.
I know that some will try to find a way to run Ezzard down for these comments. But in this case he is 1000% correct. (That is not a typo I mean one thousand percent.)
To be ethical is one thing. But our politicians must also be perceived as being ethical, as he points out.
Because this is not demanded and legislated, it makes it easier and tempting to be otherwise.
We need to do everything possible to make it difficult for the ethical politicians to be otherwise, and for those that are not to benefit from it at the peoples expense.
If we had legislation to stop this I feel we would find less people running for office. It would be those that do it for personal gain, those would be better off without anyways
One of the problems that we face is how do you get politicians to pass such legislation. That is the challenge.
hose that are for it and fight for it are the ones we need to praise ,and those who find excuses why such a law is not workable are the ones we need ask, "what are you afraid of losing". And then make sure what they do lose is our vote.
Well said Ezzie. Perception is reality in a small community like Cayman and in order to be taken seriously the members need to divest of their personal interests in the private sector when they take office. If they are not willing to do so then that is their choice and they can forgo politics and someone surely can and should step up and run for office.
I guess Mr Millier does not know that this is no secret to the public. All of the PPM and UDP members before and now, have always had side business. They may try to hide it but people know. That is the reason why all Politicians are aline, only for themselves personal gain.
Why in the world is it that people must insist on going back to what may or may not have happened in the past to justify what is happening NOW? There is no future in the past, folks, NOW is what we have to deal with, so lets deal with what is happening NOW.
Hold on I don't recall him picking sides on this. He only stated about the current government because they are in and currently relevant. I agree that many former politicians had side businesses but it's never been more evident that it is today.
Having a side business is not really the issue unless it gives rise to a conflict of interest. E.g. if I am an MLA and own a gas station it is probably not in conflict with the exercise of my functions as an MLA, but if I own a company that is contractually bound to another company with which I am negotiating on behalf of the government that is a problem. Get it? Please don't try to confuse the issue.
And when legislators are called on to pass laws to ensure that gas stations are not cheating the public, then what?
Very simple. Then you pass those laws since presumably yours is not cheating the public and you have nothing to fear. Bear in mind you are only one of 15 or 18 legislators. If you feel there is a real conflict of interest then you abstain from voting. Of course one could invent a scenario for a conflict for anyone as an MLA but that is not really the issue here. Deliberately participating in a particular process where you have some executive power knowing that you have a conflict of interest is a different animal altogether.
To borrow from an earlier post on another story, the current motto seems to be:
Ask not what you can do for your country but rather how much you can get for doing your country.
I thought that the motto was ‘ He has founded it upon the fees ‘.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Shall we celebrate Cayman? See you at Pirates Week!
I don't always agree with Ezzard but on this he is absolutely right. I am not so foolish as to expect that the current government will do anything about cleaning things up, but I hope that the next one will ensure that laws will be changed to ensure that the corrupt and those motivated solely by the pursuit of private profit will be banished from politics.
no s##t, sherlock!
I agree Ezzard. Cline should have the decency to remove himself from those negotiaions. Infact the whoe Dart deal is bad for Cayman!
I am from West Bay, and truly, I don't know how Cline can expect us to beleive that he acted in our best interest when he negoiated with the Dart Group and gave away that part of the West Bay Road.
He should not be allowed to act further on our behalf with this deal as he will give the Dart Group whatever they want just so he can continue working for them on a personal level.
How can we expect him not to consider the interest of his electrical and construction company which is employed by the Dart Group when he sits down to negotiate.
All of these obvious conflicts of interest need to be investigated and now!
Try this…Stop voting UDP in in.
I will probably forget about McKeeva's ride on the Gulfstream G4 before he gets around to declaring it.
Which is exactly what he is hoping.