Miller queries parliamentary questions delays
Ezzard Miller, North Side MLA (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
(CNS): The independent member for North Side has asked why it is taking so long for ministers to get the information they need to answer parliamentary questions when millions of taxpayers’ dollars are being invested in the civil service. Ezzard Miller said he has questions that are outstanding from as far back as two years ago that have not been answered, as he railed against the PPM for failing to call regular parliamentary meetings and for undermining the processes in the only place where government can be properly held to account.
A consistent critic of both the previous and the current administrations regarding what he sees as the abuse of the democratic process, Miller also pointed the finger at the senior civil servants whose responsibility it is to assist the ministers in securing the relevant information to answer questions from both opposition and backbench MLAs on behalf of their constituents.
Miller said that the vast majority of questions are fueled by queries and concerns raised by constituents, so it is the people that he represents who are being shortchanged by the failure of ministers, and by association their chief officers, to get the information requested into the public domain.
“I have questions which have remained outstanding for two years because of this disregard for parliamentary process,” he told CNS. “I must file questions ten days before a sitting to give the minister time to find the answer. What is it that is causing these delays regarding questions. We have all these people at the government building costing us millions dollars but yet they cannot get information relating to issues in their field of responsibility within that time period.”
Miller also highlighted the issue that the questions should be answered transparently in the chamber of the Legislative Assembly and not in writing months after the fact. However, not only does he have questions outstanding for years that have never made it to the order paper, he said he is still waiting for promised written answers that have never materialised.
Category: Politics
Keep up the good work Ezzard, we the people need tonbe informed of what is happening. Alden and his Ppm GOVT is useless.
Ezzard represents the smallest district in the country and wants the tail to wag the dog. Ezzard never met a microphone he didn’t like. North side should have been joined with East End into 1 district in the redistricting.
Whether or not one takes offence to Ezzard Miller’s style, tone and perhaps sometimes his rhetoric, he is one of the few MLA’s since the 1976 election who has consistently remained true to his role as a peoples’ representative!!
When Mr. Miller was an ExCo Member (Cabinet Minister) in the 1984-88 Government he was responsible for the Portfolio of Health. Under his knowledgeable leadership (he is a trained and qualified medical professional) the Cayman Islands came out of the dark ages in educating against and combating STD’s. His policies saved these islands from being ravaged by AIDS in the 1980’s and beyond!
His style may not be polished but he has always done the job he was elected to do, unlike many others in the House!!
Ezzard, if you’re reading this, keep it up. Wish I could vote for you!
A West Bay voter
But he has still not improved or helped north side….let’s be honest here….just colecting a good salary…
The answer to your question is Ignorance. The same reason you continue to ask the questions to which you know they have no answers for and keep expecting a different outcome.
Oh yawn yawn YAWN! Ezzard, you are such a blowhard! Everything you do is political. You are not the people’s champion. Parliament is not being disrespected. The government is concentrating on the people’s business. When it was elected with a majority of seats it was elected to run the country and that’s what it is doing. You just keep bleating on about parliamentary this and that and how you’ll attend the opening of a phone book any time and all this nonsense because the LA is your only forum to make noise and justify your salary (elected by 200 people) and because you love to be sanctimonious and get attention. In a small place such as Cayman yes we have procedures but it can hardly be said that failure to observe them to the letter in every instance is preventing you from representing your constituents, contributing to public discussion on issues and drawing attention to problems in society and government. Please, because I’m so BORED of this same song from you every day, put away your Erskine May and stick to your ARGUMENTS about issues, which on many occasions aren’t half bad! Thank you!
Wow! Somebody says that the
pM is doing the people’s business and therefore has no time to respond or have responses to Parliamentary questions. Hmm sounds like Dictatorship to me, who are you to ask me questions , well Sah Alden he is an elected representative.
But really to the people’s business comment; isn’t the livelihood of people
Especially those who are hungry today and living in cars isn’t this the people’s business, the rising crime isn’t that the people’s business too, isn’t the high cost of food and .iving in general which continues to rise , is t that. The people’s business, isn’t ambulatory services not the people’s business- no we ate a country who relies on charitable causes to do the things that Government is elected to do.
Well Help was on the way and still not here yet, don’t you wonder when the “help” will come. Poor Principle Mentality.