No UK OK as debate starts
(CNS): As the Legislative Assembly debate on the government’s much delayed 2012/13 budget began on Monday, the premier insisted that there was nothing unlawful about its presentation, despite the fact that the FCO has still not given it the OK. When pressed by East End Independent MLA Arden McLean, Premier McKeeva Bush evaded the direct question about whether or not he had received “the nod” from the British Overseas Territories minister, Henry Bellingham. Bush said that the budget had been approved by Cabinet and was within the parameters agreed with the FCO. However, McLean accused the premier of playing Russian roulette with the UK.
Before the opposition leader rose to give his reply to the premier’s budget address, McLean asked, “in light of all the uncertainty”, if there had been an official response from the OT minister about the budget that the members were about to debate. Bush insisted that the budget was in compliance but avoided the issue of Bellingham’s approval.
“I said on Monday where we stood. We have reached the point where the FCO wanted us to meet as far as our expenditure is concerned,” Bush told the MLA. “It is compliant with what we have agreed. It is legal. It has been approved by the Governor in Cabinet. It is in keeping with the Cayman Islands Constitution and with all the things the UK wanted us to do.”
When McLean pressed the premier on the issue of whether the UK minister had signed off and given the budget “the nod”, Bush railed at the East End member but still declined to admit there had been no official assent from Bellingham himself on the budget that was now being presented.
“The member well knows the process and I’ve explained all that,” the premier said, adding that the UK had asked the Cayman government to cut core spending down to $528 million and they had got it down to $531 million. This, he said, had been agreed with the people his government had been working with at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He added that the FCO officials had said they could not comment further until they had spoken with the minister, and Bush claimed that the governor was also in agreement with the budget as it now was.
In light of the premier’s comments, McLean said he wanted to register his objections.
“The premier is playing Russian roulette with the UK and the only people who are going to suffer are the Cayman people,” McLean said before he was cut off by the House Speaker, who refused to allow the member to continue making his point that the budget may never make it to the statute books if the UK does not approve it.
When Opposition Leader Alden McLaughlin rose to speak, he also pointed to the problem, noting that legislators may well get through the entire legislative process surrounding the government’s spending plans for 2012-13 only to find the governor won’t sign the bill.
He said he and the PPM members had thought hard about whether or not to actually respond to the premier’s budget given the circumstances, but as leader of the opposition it was his duty to address the government’s budget. However, until there was an official nod, the opposition members would abstain from the vote.
CNS understands that the UK has still not offered a formal approval on the budget and had suggested to the premier that he add one more month to the interim emergency spending plan approved in June to give the government more time, an option the premier has reportedly refused to entertain.
Category: Politics
Oh God, grant me whatever I need to believe that this man has any sense.
Twenty-four (24) years of stupidonamous ramblings, dabblings, bubbish, ignoramousity, glutttenonomus, is all I handle.
I'd like to see the opposition prepare an alternative budget without the increased costs to the private sector and unnecessary spending. I truly believe the country doesn't need to spend more than $400m if they do it properly, and could create a healthy suplus without any cost increases (in fact, if they consider the Laffer Curve, they may get more revenue by reducing the costs of doing business).
Yep! Still Caymankind. Bush is right and EVEYRYONE else is wrong. Its not a law its more like guidelines. And the Pirate code is the only code we follow here.
except don't call it a 'pirate's code', call it 'heritage days code'
As I undersand it the FCO is particularly concerned about the cost of the planned 'Topping Out Ceremony" at the dump next month as the Government's quantity surveyor has now confirmed it is 100 feet above sea level. The Honourable Premier said he was indeed proud that such a height had been achieved largely during his regime as Minister of All Tings and that he would be watching the continued growth of Mount Trashmore at least up and until May next year. The cost includes the hiring of bands both locally and overseas who have recently been practising with the Cayman choir as cruise ship passengers have been hearing the song Ring of Fire as well as smelling the dump's fragences's on Seven Mile Beach. Food and beverages are being supplied by a major hotel where the good minister once had a condominium. Apparently the fire department will be on standby but seating is limited. Ladies are invited to wear flat heels but to bring parasoles.Gentlemen are invited to wear green and bring a sense of humour with them.
Sources say that invitations have been extended to Prince Harry who will be especially dressed for the occasion, the FCO and the Auditor General who will not doubt come with sharpened pencil.
Cut off by Speaker …on what basis? For what purpose? WHY??
Because the speaker has been a disgrace since she took the job. The list of her pro-Mac rulings which defy belief is growing longer and longer. Remember she gave that very very odd ruling about not reading out letters without the writers consent JUST BEFORE Mac’s bill to Stan Thomas came to light.
for 'blows against the empire'
Why not take the one month extension and get this done right?
Am I missing something? The premier said, "aUK had asked the Cayman government to cut core spending down to $528million and they had got it down to $531million. This, he said had been agreed with the people his government had been working with in the FCO."
What part of 528 million doesn't Bush understand. If you agreed to 528 million, and you give a budet of 531 million, and although my math isn't the strongest, I learned in first grade how to add/subtract. Seems to me that if you put something OVER (531 million) it ISN'T what you AGREED to (by the order of $3 million) which ironically is Bush's slush fund.
Mac, as usual, likes to have the last say. He gets some perverse pleasure in NOT doing what he is told to do, so whatever the number the FCO gave him he was determined to come back with a higher figure. Inside his head he has chalked up another victory for himself.
Given the fact that most of the people employed by the FCO actually finished high school, they are probably laughing their a$$e$ off at McKeeva knowing that their real target was probably $540 million for spending. They might also be getting some perverse pleasure from watching the sugar-head boy from Old Bush running around in circles.
Unfortunately, it's the rest of us caught in the middle who suffer.
You've got to hand it to Mac really. He's taken the nation to the cleaners, failed to even prepare his budget on time, failed to get it approved, failed to make the necessary amendment, failed to get it approved again, presented it illegally without approval thereby revealing that it contains nothing but plans for another year of vote buying and wastefulness and yet there he is still defiantly claiming "remarkable stewardship" and throwing the blame on anyone who gets in his way.
He should setup his own lawfirm, MacFailed and Associates.
And the voters still belive in him. What does that tell you?
How can he withhold official confirmation of that fact? GHe is the Premier and Finance Minister and he will not even tell the legislative assembly whether the budget has been approved or not? He stands there and just refuses to say yes or no to his own legislative assembly? It's unbelievable.
The phrase, " A drowning man will clutch at a straw," comes to mind here.
It's not surprising that the questions from Mr McLean were avoided.
In the UK next Monday is the Summer Bank Holiday and traditionally these two weeks signify both the last real break before Christmas/New Year and the preparation for the new school or college year.
I can't see that this issue is important enough for either Governor Duncan Taylor to break his leave or for Henry Bellingham to return to his desk in London so it is very hard to believe that anyone is going to agree to anything, or probably even bother to discuss any of this, until well into next week.
Fair is fair. Tit for Tat.
Mr. Bellingham and the Governor set working time aside last spring to review the budget which never came.
However, instead of working on it, McKeeva spent time partying in Panama and Jamaica.
I bet a lot of businesses in Cayman are actively updating their "PLAN Bs". i.e. compare the cost of staying in Cayman versus the cost of moving. The work permit fee increases have significantly changed the calculations.
I moved from Cayman a number of years ago, the cost of the move was cheaper than staying. Also, income tax turned out to be cheaper than the cost of living in Cayman.
Cayman is not an attractive place in which to invest at this time. Why?
– the low value of the US dollar
– the high cost of living
– the high cost of doing business
– the uncertainty surrounding potential taxation
These issues indicate that foreign money can probably find a friendlier home.
The flip-flopping carnival in the LA, of course, does not help. Business hates uncertainty.
Cayman has a lovely culture and life style. Too bad that the numbers don't work.
Add to the growing list of badly needed amendments to the Constitution that the speaker of the house must be an independent and qualified individual, duly appointed by the Governor. It is just wrong to have the speaker, who presides over the house, appointed by one of the parties over whom she must govern proceedings. There is something inherently wrong with that picture. It is bad enough that Ministers of government can evade questioning on such matters of national importance, but for the speaker to protect the Premier from debate is an egregious failing on her part.
Maybe they should also add a provision that disqualifies persons who tried to get elected more than three times to no avail as well…
Mac is trying to show how "strong" he is. If the FCO approves the budget (which I doubt) then we will claim he stared them down and won. If they disapprove (let us hope), then the FCO and UK is just an interfering, overbearing influence on his policies.
His avoidance of the subject of FCO approval last night, was not about that at all. It was about avoidance and lack of morals, scruples, decency and honesty. What kind of person knows and even signed for the rules, and then does all he can to avoid, deflect, cheat, steal not just the UK, but the people he alleges he represents.
He is only fit to represent himself before Satan, and as with all his other battles, he will delude himself into thinking he won.
Is there a psychologist out there (or similar) who could advise us all on Mac's mental state from his current behaviour?? I am serious..
Mr Bush you need to stop telling them everything. Only tell them what they need to know. They have no respect for you so let them swet. Cayman people need to stop letting outside work permit people ditictate to them, and Immigration you better think hard and long before you give out any more residence and status. I do not know what is wrong with you all, cant you see what these people is doing to this country.
and I just heard that status was on sale for $1200.00
"… the premier insisted that there was nothing unlawful about…"
Interesting comment from an "honourable" individual who is supposedly the target of three police investigations.
If I were in his shoes, I would be setting the stage for independence as soon as possible. It would be good insurance for staying out of jail.
As a bonus, after independence, McKeeva gets to define what is lawful and what is unlawful. He obviously knows best.