Miller: Time to address campaign finance
North Side MLA Ezzard Miller
(CNS): North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, a longtime advocate for campaign finance reform, said government must now address the issue, claiming that Premier Alden McLaughlin crossed the line at a recent PPM fundraising dinner at the Ritz Carlton. Taking aim at the premier in particular, he said the PPM used its access to budget information as a draw to the $200 per plate dinner because they knew members of the business community would want to hear as much as they could as soon as possible about the forthcoming spending plans.
Although the premier did not reveal many details about the budget, which will be formally delivered this morning (Monday 30 May) in the Legislative Assembly, the independent member said the fact that it was used as the main attraction on the fundraising flyer to sell tickets was inappropriate.
Miller told CNS that it was time government addressed the problems related to financing election campaigns. He said the current legislation does not go far enough and the fact that it only covers the eight weeks between Nomination Day and the actual election allows abuse of the limits on finance and creates an unfair playing field.
The opportunity to reform this critical and risky political area had been missed, Miller said, adding that as far as he was aware, this area was not going to be address when government brings the election law amendments to the Legislative Assembly in the next few months to deal with the new election landscape of ‘one man, one vote’ in single member constituencies.
“The only reason for the dinner was electioneering but the funds raised won’t be reported or accounted for in the official campaign finance,” he said, pointing out that the fundraiser has taken place almost ten months before the period for declaring funds raised and spent begins.
The premier “knew the budget would be a draw and he misused his access to that information”, Miller said, as he urged government to do something about the potential abuse presented by the current regime for financing campaigns.
The MLA beleives that all sitting members of the LA should report how much money they raise throughout every year and not just election years, which he said would offer more transparency about where cash is going and would also shine a light on the interests influencing members.
Miller’s sentiments are shared by other members, including Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush and MLA Winston Connolly, both of whom have said it was inappropriate and an abuse of his position to use the budget to tempt people to the swanky dinner at the 5-star hotel.
The premier, however, has remained silent on the subject.
Well done, CNS, for yet once again selecting a most fitting photo. The shot captures dear Ezzard’s almost whimsical air of never ending despair – you just know the guy’s gonna go to his grave beefing about something or other..He knows it, we knows it! Wonderful. Thank you.
What happen mann??? The southeast corner crew of Harden & Hazzard don’t know what de H@!! is going on as usual. What a mess? Totally out of touch with our reality. They had better try and get in touch Election soon Ya.
I still prefer to know that a political party is raising funds in the open that taking back handers or making secret deals behind closed doors.
Well said Big, not enough people outraged by corruption , and it’s good to keep reminding everyone of the alternative to the PPM.
To ‘Anonymous 3.15’ (can’t you at least think of a pseudonym???)
In a parliamentary system political parties have many more members than those who are actually elected to be MPs or MLAs. The ‘Parliamentary Party’, i.e. those members of the party who sit in parliament (the L.A.), is expected to take account of the views of the party as a whole.
In the UK it is common for a party chairman not to be an MP; Mr Duckworth fits into that situation.
The whole point of a political party is to enable ordinary members of the public to have a say in government policy.
Where else are civil servants asked to present to political parties as part of routine duties? In Cayman and rest of the commonwealth they must have political neutrality.
Are you nuts? He couldn’t even spell that name, okay? I sure as heck can’t. Now let’s get back to more serious matters and cease wasting CNS editors’ time. Thank you.
$200.00 for a plate of food is indeed obnoxious bordering on mckeewa’s capabilities. Will our elected ‘officials’ ever understsand that the Cayman public is NEVER enthused in regards to their blatant squandering of our heard earned money? Will they ever understand that they are here to SERVE this country rather than exploit it. Will they ever understand that there are people in Cayman going to prison for the want of a $5 dollar meal? Will they ever WAKE UP????
It was a FUNDRAISER attended by people who were willing to make a contribution to the party coffers. The people’s money was not involved XXXXX
Ok I acknowledge I misread the article. My apologies. My revised comment is that Mr. Miller is using the perfectly reasonable actions of our Premier to hopefully gain whatever political leverage he may for himself, an act which the forever honerable clearly and most definitely has no problem whatsoever supporting. Would that these buffons would put their attention to doing their job of serving the country in some sensible manner.
$200? That’s nothing. Every time Mac yanked that handle down in Vegas that went out the window, and he was reportedly at it for17 hours straight during one session, so let’s keep some sense of proportion, I beg of you.
The Caucus must approve matters before they are finalised by the Cabinet. The unelected Mr Duckworth is a part of such caucus. When will someone challenge this? Civil servants are requested many times to give presentations to PPM members including the unelected Mr. Duckworth.
You said caucus, hee hee.
Many unelected advisers are used by political parties. PPM lucky to have an honest man of Duckworths intellect as opposed to the UDP’s what’s in this for me hangers on.
Recently I heard Kenneth Bryan say one of the few sensible things he has ever said i.e. that the Premier does not connect with the ordinary person. The Premier allows the Duckworths and others of that ilk to guide him along this path of pandering to the influential, many of whom are not original Caymanians or West indians. He and Mr. Panton in particular believe that only those types of expats know what is best for Cayman. Is dem a run tings. Why he believed that there would be no flak about this is beyond comprehension.
3.09 am Stop with the racist rantings., they are all part of the merchantThis all started with the UDP during the lead up to the One Man One Vote referendum, when UDP members started referring to Mr Panton and others as “the merchant class”. This was all done to divide us and not to unite us.Why is it being presented as something evil to be a business owner (merchant class). Isn’t it a good thing for more of us to try to become members of the merchant class, that is a business.The persons who are pushing this idea want to keep us down, they want us to be satisfied to be users of services ,but they do not want us to be providers of goods or services. We should distance ourselves from these people.Ask the UDP why they want us to be content to be poor and not strive to join those who have a little more. Remember Mac and the UDP leaders are not poor, in fact they are business owners or professionals making very good money (in addition to their MLA salaries). So next time that you hear them saying ‘Merchant class’ as if it is a bad thing ,ask them why they want to keep you down, whike they are moving on up.
Typical ppm double standards being practiced. Looks like they have become just like udp
If both Mac and Ezzard are against it…then I’m all for it.
A scary moment when you find yourself agreeing with both Mr Miller and Mckeeva Bush!
Hey Ezz. You believe you can do something about the weed aroma wafting across the road from the North Coast bar rather than trying to tek our Premier’s seat?
Leave the weed out of it nuh?
A wonda y.
Time to address the piss poor representation in North Side.