‘Brinkmanship failing’
(CNS): Both of the independent members of the Legislative Assembly have warned that the brinkmanship which the premier is engaging in with London over the budget delivery is dangerous and likely to further undermine the relationship between Cayman and the UK. Speaking in the wake of Friday’s last minute cancelation of the budget meeting at the country’s parliament, Ezzard Miller said the premier’s decision to keep calling meetings to present his budget without UK approval in the hope the FCO will blink is making matters worse. Miller said that McKeeva Bush had to get on with producing a credible and sustainable budget, which was not an unreasonable request.
"This brinkmanship with the UK, hoping the FCO will blink and allow him to bring a budget that is not credible or sustainable is dangerous,” the North Side member said. “The government needs to make the necessary cuts and get approval from the UK and then, and only then, make the announcement for the meeting.”
Miller said that what the UK was asking was not unreasonable nor was it unachievable, and it would not serve the people of Cayman for the OT minister to approve a budget that was not credible. He pointed out that the brinkmanship was unlikely to lead to the UK agreeing to something in shouldn’t when it came to the government’s spending plans.
Miller pointed out that the blame for the budget crisis should be laid firmly at the door of the UDP government, not the UK, the bureaucrats or anyone else. He said he suspected that Bush’s goal was to blame the UK for everything that had gone wrong with the UDP’s last year in administration in a hope that people would still vote for him in the next election, which, he said, did nothing to solve the current economic crisis.
“It seems the premier is happy to do wrong himself so long as he can point the finger at someone else,” he said. “But due to the incompetence of those involved in this budget process, even after the government had the benefit of the UK’s economic advisor, it still cannot produce a credible budget. The UK has asked for only two things – that the numbers must be credible and that the numbers must be sustainable.”
He pointed out that the only specific requirement the UK had made was, after three years of failing to contribute to the past service liability for civil servant’s pensions, that the Cayman government must pay in $15 million this financial year, but the rest of the spending plan was down to this current administration. “The government needs to put the right policies in place and get the job done,” Miller added.
The yo-yoing over this year’s budget was also undermining the local economy, Miller said, warning that Bush’s attempts at brinkmanship were helping no one, least of all local businesses, investors or ordinary Caymanians, and it was doing nothing to repair the increasingly fractured relationship with the UK.
Arden McLean, the member for East End who recently de-camped from the PPM, said he was very concerned and believed the wider community should also be concerned about how the premier’s behaviour was souring the relationship with Britain. “I am not going to stand by and let this happened without speaking out against it. He needs to be more respectful of the process and stop being a tyrant,” McLean declared.
The LA is currently scheduled to meet at 2:30 Monday afternoon but there has been no word yet about UK approval. Check back to CNS later this morning for more details on the budget crisis.
Category: Politics
'Brinkmanship failing'
Mac shouted "All aboard the Fail Boat," and all his co-conspirators and followers jumped on.
Lets hope it sinks with only them aboard so the country can be spared.
Is there no one who will lead this country away from the UDP. Do we want independence? Can't we finally tell that this "honorable" uneducated fool is not fooling anyone. What will it take before we shut down this overspending , credit card crushing gov't from going any further. Stop this carnival!
Any minute now they will announce… "Gambling will be legalized because they had no choice".
Standby Khemosabi.
Well that ok – that will work
He's gambling away our money now – so whats the difference??
I predict that someone will soon be forced to walk the plank!
We can expect a lot of screaming and squealing and braying from him, and the churches will be praying that he be allowed to give them some more taxpayer money before he is pushed off the edge…
11:35 You Got that wrong about someone will soon be forced to walk the plank. My predictions are always correct. And my predictions is that many will walk the plank and jump over the drop off or British airways will be making many trips overseas. Read my lips. Screaming and squaling, dont want to go and leave the sea and sun. Do you really think that Cayman is not forming a fourth Party. " Bannana Boat Crew"
It is time for the Uk to stop the UDP carnival and just remove and replace the Minister of Finance as Charles Clifford suggested in his viewpoint article!
To replace with who? At least we know this devil well.
Someone who is educated and have an MBA in finance or economics would be a good start…
My friends it's not only the Premier to be called out on this subject, I was so shocked and upset listening to Elio and Rolston and Cline on Rooster Friday morning it was disgraceful and to believe and hear how Gilbert and Austin's reactions to them, was unbelievable. Elio especially cried down the UK and FCO as if they were the ones to blame for all our woes, and you could hear the hatred in his voice and words coming from Rolston about the UK. Let me tell you all something if you ever see the UK let us go, dog eat ya suppa. But boy these three men/boys really was putting it to the UK and FCO. This is the news that travels fast and Rolston, Elio and Cline better watch their words they may yet have to eat them. The only answer to all our problems now is to get rid of the whole UDP and put people in the LA with sensible ideas and good proven track records.
Yes, I heard it – it was disgraceful. No respect whatsoever.
um. .whether independence or uk intervention, dog will still be eating our supper
Perhaps someone should forward a copy of the radio show to Mr Bellingham, see whether knowing what our so-called government really thinks of them, and what we really have to put up with here. Strikes me, the UK only has a small proportion of the picture, and if they knew the full one they'd be a lot more willing to help us deal with the shameful behaviour of our so-called politricians.
hear, hear. These professional politicians are to blame for our woes, not the UK. I am a loyal BTOC and do NOT want independence and these fat fools in charge. Get rid of the bums and send over a Custos….I'm tired of greedy politicians!
I believe the Premier need to do less talking with people, whether they are Independent or PPm or Civil. All these people are doing is hindering progress. Stop telling them anything.
…..and the reason why our Premier is doing this is……………..independance perhaps? Its what he has wanted from the beginning – he is just very sly and cunning in his tactics. Perhaps he is hoping that if he annoys the UK enough, they will want to "wash their hands" of Cayman and bob's your uncle!
In my opinion the advisors of the Premier is on a quest for independence and will stop at no expense to gain what they want, their every move is calculated and scripted. Just look around and see that the stage is already set and the actors are in place. Caymaninas are being given a bag of worthless metal for a land of gold. Caymanians need to stop blaming the Premier or UK on this we really need to start peeling back the layers to see the real truth. All that glitters is not gold and if it seems to be too good to be true it usually is. My fellow Caymanians we have been forewarned.
You hit the nail straight on the head 08/20/2012 – 11:29. We all know the man's lack of education and shortcomings but those to be feared even more than he are some of his advisors! He is being used by them for their purposes. Not that he is any better than they are mind you.
As painful as it might be the members of parliament that do not agree with where this country is heading need to take this to a higher authority or go beg for an audience with the Premier and try to talk him down from this foolishness. The country is heading for major trouble, are we so afraid to do the right thing? Come on Caymanians let us lift up our voices again this and realise that the world is in a recession soon to be a depression for love of country take some cut backs half of a loaf is better than none. The banks need to help us out and reduce the payments on our loans if the government is forced to give us less hours of work. Instead of massive layoff government could reduced the hours for all it's employees thus the pay. Instead of being without a job we should take any jobs that gives us an honest days salary now that we have a minimum wage of $5.00 per hour instead of living off the Government on welfare. We need to work and save while we can. Think about what will happen to us if a depression hits the world .