McLean demands $81m audit
(CNS): The district representative for East End has challenged the government to show the audited financial figures for the year ending June 2009 to demonstrate how the $81 million deficit emerged. Arden McLean said he still questions the claim by the premier that the previous government, of which he was a part, had left a deficit of $81 million.The PPM former Cabinet minister says he has evidence that on the eve of the election the financial secretary had told the Cabinet that the deficit was running at around$18 million at the end of the third quarter. McLean said he would produce the note even if he went to jail, as he called on the current government to prove the claims it was making against the PPM.
“I have in my possession a Cabinet note by the financial secretary … brought to Cabinet on 5 May 2009,” McLean told a public meeting in the district on Monday evening. He added that he was going to soon put a stop to the talk about the $81 million. McLean stated that the financial note to the then PPM cabinet stated that as of 31 March 2009 the country had a deficit of $18 million.
“The election was held 15 days later on 20 May,” he said. “On 25th day of May, five days after the election, McKeeva (Bush) announced … that we were $81 million in deficit … In fifteen days you couldn’t burn $52 million.”
The East End member said that whatever political damage the premier could have done to him had already been done as he called for the auditor figures. “Give it to me in black and white. He cannot bring it!” he exclaimed.
McLean pointed to the unlikely reality of the deficit and said it was unbelievable that in its first year in office the government was able to clear the deficit and bring a surplus of $5 million. He said if this had actually happened then he applauded the premier but he wanted to see the figures.
“He has to show it to me, put it in black and white so the people can see that Arden squandered $81 million. He already says so he might as well put that in writing,” the MLA told the people gathered in the heart of his district for the meeting.
McLean said it was clear government did not want the audited figures for that year to be released. He pointed to government’s attempt to include the 2008/09 financial year as one of the years to be excluded from proper audit when the Public Management and Finance Law was amended to allow government accountants to catch up on the mounting backlog of government accounts.
“We stopped them but it’s still languishing out there … so he can continue to tell people that we ran up the $81 million,” he said, as he asked the press if they wanted a copy of the note. He said he had had enough of being blamed when no one could show the proof.
“I know I’ll go to jail because it’s coming out of Cabinet,” he added as he spoke about the documentation that he believes would exonerate him and his previous Cabinet colleagues of blame for the now infamous government deficit.
Category: Politics
Arden McLean is right to call for an audit to clear up all of the speculation and political postering. Since the UDP government states at every opportunity that the PPM government is responsible for the country's economic woes due to over spending then we should see the supporting evidence! The figures are fluid and keep changing in every speech and allegation so produce the hard facts, we the Caymanian public need to know!
Nice photo of Arden by the way, was this when he was talking on Rooster radio? He is afraid of no man.
men ! i been up by the ppm mla in east end office for day now the sign say 6pm until 9pm but i dont see nobodys!
Sounds like you should try the UDP office.
Did you go on Thursday?
Poli-trick-tians are full of hot air and empty promises, they never talk about their plans for the country going forward, but always certainly dwell on issues from the pass. We need leaders that at the very least have a game plan for the people going forward.
McCarron, Arden wouldn't be talking about this issue if McKeeva wasn't using the supposed $81m deficit as a rope to hang him. You can't blame him for wanting to remove a noose from around his neck.
Hi Friend,
All I'm saying is they would better serve the public if they go about doing what they are paid to do, this matter is almost 3 years old and it should have been address a long time ago and not be brought as some type of campaign issue as he said, she said, UDP vs ppm, I'm right and his wrong.
Our elected reps need to look pass these petty issues as we have more pressing matters to address such as crime, the economy and the national debt.
I agree, McCarron. But the fact it is already continually being brought up by McKeeva and not just as a campaign issue but as a way to justify his demand that the Opposition should not question his actions and to persuade the public to support every deal he makes to 'rescue' us from the 'doom' we were placed in by the PPM. It is not just McLean's and his party's interests but also in the public interest that this be cleared up once and for all. Better late than never.
Show us who the leaders with the plan are McCarron. I ain't seeing them1
If I was Arden I would not bring up the word "auditing".
It was his government who left their records in such bad shape that even the Auditor General could not verify where the money went, and where the $69Million went to in Chuckie's ministry. We will never know how much went missing in Arden's ministry. Poor accounts and no accounts the AG said.
Arden better leave the "A" word alone or tell us where Chuckie's $69,000,000 went.
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/politics/2011/03/29/69m-unaccounted-after-failed-ministry-audit
I don't know who is suffering from dyslexia. One is saying its 18 million, the next is saying is 81 million. Arden, has on his PPM solar proof glasses, and Mckeeva, his natural eyes. Someone has to see the doctor!
I guess we'll find out when we see the FS's note.
I listened to Arden's closing comments on Wednesdays Rooster radio talk show and I was saddened and embarrassed by his rant. Arden talked about the Government being in an incestuous relationship. Now come on there is this guy mental? Talk about an innappropriate and inflammatory comment, it is outrageous on so many levels. Talk about a hot button statement, this guy Arden along with some others do not make things better in this country. They divide and separate hurting the country.
Later he bragged that his father would run Dart out of the country. This is a statement that crys out for term limits on the dinosaur MLAs that simply need to be replaced with young educated Caymanians. It is such destructive nonsense.
Please East End retire this man for God's sake.
"This is a statement that crys out for term limits on the dinosaur MLAs that simply need to be replaced with young educated Caymanians".
If that is your real concern then you should be calling for his constituents to retire a certain uneducated, dinosaur politician who has been in the House for 28 years.
28 years is enough, these politicians need to hold on to power it becomes a drug for them. Their egos won't allow them to get out of the lime light.
Thank You! We really gotta get rid of Mac.
"Later he bragged that his father would run Dart out of the country".
Arden's father been dead for years. Dart 'fraid duppies or wha'?
I don't know who Dart is afraid of.
I am afraid of dinosaur politicians preaching xenophobic rants planned to divide the country and split our community for reasons of their own.
Mclean knows too well that PPM has well failed to audit the accounts whislt they were in power for four years. So this is just to score political points. Two devils (UDP and PPM) at it again.
blah, blah, blah… LIke we're supposed to believe the PPM were prudent fiscal managers. Ha!
Don't go away mad, Arden, just go away.
Scare tactics is nothing new to politics.
Big Mac wanted a way to get all of us to LINE UP BEHIND HIM and HIS AGENDA. So in order for that to be accomplished he needed us to do two things:
1) Alienate PPM as the EVIL EMPIRE WHO SANG US.
2) GREENLITE anything he comes up with because HE WAS TRYING TO SAVE US.
You could hear him setting us up for both CHEC and SHETTY with his:
"We need to make things easier for investors to come to Cayman and get their business set up and get employees"
This was to allow:
1) Foreign workers with low to no work permit fees
2) Respect for 3rd World education system
The 81 Million was ONLY a scare tactic and Arden has a RIGHT to see proof of what he is being accused of. If someone said you did something or said something you would want proof also. It is his right to receive proof.
It's quite simple folks, without a "bankrupt country" story, there would have been no justification for the State assets they planned to divest under questionable circumstances (see Cohen link to GAB sale story). In my opinion, this was not coincidence or a case of numbers being read backwards, it was a grand scheme by the UDP to mislead the populace into supporting the raid on the State assets for special interest groups.
Don't worry Arden, it's going to happen to this Administration too and they'll see what you were talking about, just watch, time is the master.
All this is just a West Bay versus East End dust up, just like they used to do as kids! The Punch & Judy, knock-about party system has destroyed politics in Cayman. The UDP and PPM are exactly the same in one respect: They're both totally incapable of running the country's finances — period. So where does that leave us?
Why is he waiting until now, if this was fact he shoul dhave been fighting the number presented all along…
The number has been disputed all along. There was a well-reported war of words between the FS and the former PPM govt. following the 2009 elections. See e.g. http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2009/07/08/tibbetts-denies-deficit-deception
What is new is that McLean is now willing to disclose what may regarded as a confidential document to prove his point.
And so the 2013 Campaign begins to heat up….This is going to be ugly..
I like Arden, and believe he, and his PPM brothern had, what they thought, were the best interests of Cayman at heart. But, I disagree with many of their decisions. A bit too xenophobic for my tastes. They economically penalized those they should have cultivated as allies.
The challenge is to say the least a typical PPM cry cry baby move, trying to distract government dro it’s work and to what end.the Auditor General has already said that the accounting records/statements from before and after PPM were to say the least crappy. Why in the world would the Auditor General now go back or the Government for that matter just to prove that McLean is as he styled himself is still alive. Man get another job.
It's all just a load of politricks, you can't stand on a soap box and hang your hat on a number ($81mio deficit) if you also argue that the numbers themselves are unreliable, your comment basically reiterates McKeeva, 'the truth is what I say it is and everyone else should shut up'. Being bipartisan I am willing to beleive neither knows the truth but McKeeva picked a number and ran with it.
It's the same old thing about numbers 90 percent of the time if you use a number people will believe the statement!
MacKeeva know how to frighten people so he can get what is on his personal agenda done. He even have some of the private sector scaring people to force them to follow the UDP agenda.
He even tried scaring the powers that be and the Cayman public into selling the new Government Administration Building.
You said $18million, Mac says $81million…simple answer….. Mac is Dyslexic.
Go Arden.
Is it just me or is the maths going awry here????
As reported Arden's comments
"…..as of 31 March 2009 the country had a deficit of $18 million.
….On 25th day of May, five days after the election, McKeeva (Bush) announced … that we were $81 million in deficit … In fifteen days you couldn’t burn $52 million"
81 – 18 = 52….? No wonder none of the parties can balance the budget with that Maths!
The only person capable of balancing the budget is the 1/2 of the day scholar. He He He laugh out loud.
You mean the one who gave all that money we didn't have to his church and called it nation building?
In one way this is funny, in another it's completely sad and incredibly telling. I'm sure Arden could subtract 18 from 81 if he put his mind to it. The problem is: HE JUST DIDN'T PUT HIS MIND TO IT. Sloppy — the epitome of how politics is carried out in Cayman.
on rooster this morning arden just said 1992 was 30 years ago!
It just seems that long with the UDP 'running' the country.
I wouldn't put it past Mac to find a way to burn $52 million or even $63 million in 15 days.
You are trying to make Arden look stupid like he can’t add but you should have checked your math before commenting. The article did not give the deficit at 5 May 2009 which is the number you need to do your math with. You obviously overlooked the fact that there are not 15 days between 31 March and May 20 so why you chose those two numbers is mind-boggling.
You took the two numbers you saw in the article and ran with it, your math is off.
Read the article again.
"as of 31 March 2009 the country had a deficit of $18 million."
"“I have in my possession a Cabinet note by the financial secretary … brought to Cabinet on 5 May 2009,”
But note that in the second statement he doesn't say what the deficit was asat 5 May 2009.
The 18 million deficit was at 31 March 2009, not 5 May 2009.
"The election was held 15 days later on 20 May"
Obviously he is referring to the deficit at 5 May versus the deficit claimed by the Premier on 20 May (that is the fifteen days)
It is just you.
You didnt read the article properly.
Why are you subtracting 18 from 81?
The deficit was 18m at 31 march 2009
The deficit was supposedly 81m at 25 may 2009.
Are there 15 days between 31 march 2009 and 25 may 2009? No
Let me help you. May 20 – May 5 = 15 days.
The article does not state what the deficit was at 5 may 2009. I doubt it was 18m at 31 march 2009 and still 18m at 5 May 2009
Find out what the deficit was at 5 may 2009 and subtract this number from the 81m then you will understand that Arden can subtract and where he got the 52 million from.
So the joke is on you and all the commenters who agreed with you because obviously they can't read either.
You have misinterpreted his comments. The $52m refers to the difference between the $29m projected for the end of June 2009 financial year by the FS on 5 May (referenced here: http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2009/07/08/tibbetts-denies-deficit-deception) and the $81m which he declared after the UDP took office. 81-29=52.
Arden, go back to sleep…..
Wake up John Harren.
That is one thing you cannot say about Arden. He has never been asleep. He has been at the forefront of every issue every time.
$81m or $18m ? It does not take a rocket scientist to see that this was an error where they got the digits the wrong way round. Everyone makes errors so please do not make an issue of it. I am sure that the AG will confirm this simple arithmetical error and all will be well.
lol… this is so funny… the only reason why Mclean demands an audit from UDP, is because PPM failed to do it themselves. This is a back and forth thing with these worthless parties.
AAAAAAMEN! And that sums up the law, comments, and doomsday prophets on this CNS! If the end of the world does not come in December 2012, I will surely be voting for an Independent in 2013 for better representation of my community and district.
Maybe Arden should not have paved so many roads knowing there was no money there to do it- Arden's PS would know what he was asked to do when no money was left in the budget in that ministry…….I understand that some of the land Arden took from people still has not been paid for- total shame. That is even after they took education money and paved roads with it, leaving our children without photocopier ink and reading books!! Shame, shame…
He better be careful what he asks for instead of playing politrics and theatrics.
Due to the new accounting system brought in several years ago the Financial Secretary only knows what the Ministries tell him- that is all he can report. If the ministries spend and do not log it the FS may well think he has more money in treasury than is actually there. So it is easy for the FS to report he has money but all the bills have not been added up yet.
People know the truth, Arden..careful what you ask for, he may get it for real.
Maybe Arden should not have paved so many roads knowing there was no money there to do it- (Maybe McKeeva should not have taken so many entourages all over the world with nothing to show for it, or given away millions to his church, or collected double pensions for the past three years, or lost so many millions on law suits and settlements knowing there was no money there to do it, and the list goes on. At least we have roads and schools to show for Arden's and Aldens spending). Arden's PS would know what he was asked to do when no money was left in the budget in that ministry…….I understand that some of the land Arden took from people still has not been paid for- total shame. (Even after threeyears of UDP promises to put us 'back' on the road to prosperity) Shame? That is even after they took education money and paved roads with it, leaving our children without photocopier ink and reading books!! Shame, shame…(We understand that after three years of UDP gowerment and empty promises the poor school children are now attending classes outside). Shame shame?
He better be careful what he asks for instead of playing politrics and theatrics. (He very simply and obviously wants the truth, whatever it is, and whoever it hurts, to be made public. Compare THAT to the actions of the UDP gowerment over the past three years).
Due to the new accounting system brought in several years ago the Financial Secretary only knows what the Ministries tell him- that is all he can report. If the ministries spend and do not log it the FS may well think he has more money in treasury than is actually there. So it is easy for the FS to report he has money but all the bills have not been added up yet. (You are very obviously referring to the disgraceful situation the UDP gowerment has gotten us into over the past three years).
People know the truth, Arden..careful what you ask for, he may get it for real. (He obviously wouldn't be asking for it if he didn't want to get it "for real".
Arden is not a man to bluff. He is clearing his name from the smear you and the rest of the UDP have placed on it.
You don't appear to have read the article. The whole point of his statement is that he was relying upon figures produced by the FS which give a dramatically different picture. Obviously if you have a statement saying you have $50,000 in the bank your spending habits will be quite different than if you have one saying you are in overdraft. Only an idiot would suppose that it was a question of "paving so many roads knowing there was no money there to do it".
Way to go Arden, lets make them tell the truth at last!
comon – neither side will tell the truth, they will only say what benefits them
Well done Arden Mclean, the truth should come out finally, & all the false reports & untruths by the UDP since they were elected in 2009 will be exposed. If there is nothing to hide, Mckeeva Bush & the UDP should grant Mr. McLean's request & let the public see the truth once & for all. BUT do not expect it to happen, there is no way on earth that Mckeeva Bush is going to allow his stories to be exposed, NO WAY!
If he has been telling the people the truth all along then he should have no shame or embarrassment (or fear) in showing the audited financial figures for the year ending 2009 to the public. If he fails to allow this then we know the truth. We shall wait & see.
Our guess is as good as McKeeva's, when he said GLF settlement was not settled by governement, but it has recently been publicly stated that a cheque was cut by Treasuryto meet the payment. Just a twist of the tougue.
We must realize that to the uneducated $18million could look like $81million.
And there lies the mixup, so there was a deficit of $18million and not $81million.
OMG, we better check all the financial figures told to us after that mixup as we might be up the creek further than we know!
What else goes on in Cabinet that we should know about?
Arden I quite agree with you. I keep saying to audit the figures between 2004 – 2005, then audit them from 2005 – 2009 it will be a shocker to some, the results. I believe that McKeeva read the figures wrong. He saw $81 Millions and read it as $18 Millions. Pure dyslexia or misinformation. 2004 – 2005 would had been the year of Ivan and that was when the possible corruption and misuse of Government would had taken place. Show US the general public, the figures….Mr. Auditor.
its a pity he didn't demand audited accounts when he was in government!
I would also love to see an audited investigation into his road works…..
I am sure if there was a whiff of a need for an investigation into the road works McKeeva would have demanded it a long time ago. The Governor found that there was no cause for an investigation into building of the schools and yet McKeeva was demanding that.
Arden why not join us in 2012?
Crime is out of control and every day there is another armed robbery and you are ranting about 2008? Hello Arden wake up and smell the coffee. Is that the best that you can do?
Shouldn't you be telling the UDP gowernment about the crime situation? Instead of trying to discourage Arden's attempt at bringing some form of honesty and transparency to our Gowerment's affairs in all our interests?
Maybe because Mckeeva and the UDP are still harping on about 2008 as a justification for silencing the opposition which influences people's opinion of him and his party. Of course you would prefer that the charges remain unanswered so it can be the refrain for the 2013 campaign.
O You want to see Proof! You mean like…….records? Like things written down? On paper? Tell me what it is you want to see and I'll have someone type it up. Shouldn't take more than a month. If our asking for original records and expect to see them then your not very good at keeping up with whats been happening here in Cayman the past few years. The current regime demands that you show faith in the spoken words of the King and don't belive anything you see as fact. So far its working great.
For him.
it is really way past time for stuff like this. Both sides have been whining and bluffing for two years. Cards on the table, gentlemen!
Good luck. The historical books are completely and utterly useless.
The Auditor General is correct when he recommends forgetting about the past and concentrate on getting the books in better shape now and in the future.
With good financial records, the politicians of the future will be unable to play silly name calling games based on financial fiction.
Will the books get better in the future? I hope so but it will take time.
Sorry, both the UDP and PPM governments have contributed to this financial mess and irregularities. PPM had their chance and UDP is just like them. There has been no efforts made to improve on the auditing of our accounts. It is rediculous, and the reason why many people are talking about a coalition of Independent candidates for next election to better represent them.
No need to release the Cabinet doc ole boy, just do an FOI request on the actual financials as at 31 December 2008 and 31 March 2009, and projected financials for 30 June 2009 by the Budget and Management Unit. They are the ones that supply the Financial Secretary with his reports on the CIG's finances. Its only two and a half years ago so the records should still be there on somebody's desk or filing cabinet or computer.
Best practice dictates that companies keep records for at least 5 years, hopefully CIG is doing the same – if not they should be downgraded immediately.
errrr, get your facts straights, Budget and Management does not report results, the Treasury does – and you can't FOI Cabinet notes or Cabinet papers, they are exempt under the FOI law.
CNS: "The PPM former Cabinet minister says he has evidence that on the eve of the election the financial secretary had told the Cabinet that the deficit was running at around $18million at the end of the third quarter." Arden, I think it doesn't matter whether it was 18 million or 81 million. The fact is, is that there is no proper auditing, and you all had four years to change it, and did nothing about it – just like UDP.
What an idiot. Obviously if you think you have in money in the bank but really you have an overdraft it makes a huge difference.
According to McKeeva it doesn't make a difference at all.
That's right – put the propaganda to proof. Now that is a man with guts! Give 'em hell, Arden!
Why dont the UDP and PPM understand that they are fighting too much. You men have ablolute no shame. This is why we are disrespected by many, , But no surprise to me, that is the behavior of Caymanians Men and women, and I am a Caymanian to the bone. But I thank God I listened to the words of the wise people, and think differently.
A bunch of power hungry crabs. Caymanians, why you all hate each other so much.? Disgustging very disgusting,. I am tired of hearing the swearing and bickering.
This is about clearing up a critical matter for the reputation of the man and his party. I am sure if it were your reputation you would pursue it.
Oh geesh Arden…you wait until now to bring this up and with idle threats.. $18 or $81 does it make a difference??..There shouldn't have been any to begin with if you guys had listened to the people….What you did then is no difference that what McKeeva is doing now..all of you need to go..PPM, UDP and Ezzard.
East End Politics at its best…a complete waste of people time having to listen to all the careless political rhetoric…
Where's the new young blood?? Come on Cayman young men and women, Stand up and take our country back!!!
OK. Your 100% right.
But…what if the "new blood" is a status holder, i.e. not true born?
Under the Constitution you must be naturalised a BOTC and have Caymanian status and have no other citizenship. If you fit those criteria we are happy to consider you.
Be wasy on McKeeva, he can't tell an $81 from and $18….fuzzy math. Keep in mind too he was very successful in helping run bank 🙂
What does Kenneth Jefferson have to say about this?
Tell me the number you want, and I will find the papers to match.
Why doesn't McLean show us the audited statements for the period leading up to the election then? That would be just as good. Oh wait, they didn't do any proper accounts either. I'd put as much faith in the $18m figure as I would in the $81m million figure. In fact they're probably looking at the same bit of paper and one of them is reading it upside down. Until everything is audited and published I will continue to assume that every deficit/surplus claim is an outright and intentional lie.
"Why doesn't McLean show us the audited statements for the period leading up to the election then?"
Did you read the article? That is exactly the audited financials that McLean is asking Bush to produce. Obviously they would not have been audited while McLean was still in office and he would not have them.