Panton asks Bush to vacate speaker’s chair
(CNS): Premier Wayne Panton wrote to McKeeva Bush (WBW) on Thursday, before flying to the UK for the Queen’s State Funeral, asking him to resign from his position as speaker following allegations that last Tuesday he sexually harassed at least two women at an official cocktail party while intoxicated. Panton said Bush had indicated his willingness to step aside but had not submitted his official resignation.
In a statement issued Saturday from London, Panton said he had intended to wait until next week, after the official period of mourning, but had been forced to address the issue as a result of claims made by Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks. The premier said it was disappointing that some members of Parliament cannot exercise restraint.
“Prior to departing for London on Thursday afternoon, 15 September, I issued a strongly worded letter to the Speaker suggesting that he resign on, or before, Friday, 23 September 2022. Whilst a formal written resignation has not been given, I can confirm that I received several messages from Mr Bush on Friday morning stating multiple times his intention to resign as Speaker,” the premier said.
On Friday evening, Alric Lindsay, a close ally of Minister Jay Ebanks, writing on the digital media platform Loop, credited the agriculture minister with persuading Bush to step down and said that the veteran West Bay MP had agreed.
“While the police investigation is not yet complete, the allegations are serious. In this case, the first step is to relieve Mr Bush from his duties as Speaker,” Ebanks reportedly told Loop, adding, “Mr Bush understands this and has therefore agreed to step down as Speaker.”
Panton noted that he had planned to wait until after Bush had submitted his written resignation to the clerk of Parliament before issuing any further statement on this matter, given that he is in London for the Queen’s funeral.
“As we conclude the final days of the Official Period of National Mourning, I encourage all residents to show respect and exercise restraint,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bush was quoted in the Loop article as stating that he had considered his constituents, colleagues and family and would step aside, but the veteran politician took no responsibility for the situation. “Enough of this, enough and the accusations aren’t going to stop as long as I hold a post in government,” he is quoted as saying.
Bush has not been arrested or formally accused of any crime. But it was evident that the West Bay MP was both intoxicated and behaved inappropriately at the tourism ministry cocktail event at the Ritz-Carlton during the CTO Conference, attended by both dignitaries and press from around the Caribbean region.
Bush is currently in Honduras with Ebanks, engaging once again in government business, even though he is not a member of Cabinet or the PACT caucus. CNS has made two requests to the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing, and Infrastructure (PAHI) for details on why Bush has been travelling with the minister and we are still awaiting a response.
We have been able to confirm that chief officers are usually required to approve expenses for their ministers’ trips and approve the delegation. However, CNS has learned that, as speaker, Bush has control over his own travel expenses within the budget for what is now an independent Parliament, which, according to one official, is left to his own discretion.
See the letter sent from the premier to Bush and the official statement from the premier below:
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Category: Politics
Look what you did, MacKeeva. Tipping the balance of an already unstable PACT, which would put an even worse PPM in a position to try to make a play for a vote of no confidence in the PACT. Talk about going from bad to worse in no time flat.
That POS should have been locked up decades ago, not sitting with his pompous ass in the speaker’s chair and his snout in the government trough.
the last judge set keekee up
no resignation needed cos no complainant
Think the video footage set him up – or did the judge photoshop that?
When you violate parole, the Government can be the complainant.
Why, so you can push Caymanians further into the margins? I’ve been working in Cayman’s financial industry for 35 years, and I’ve seen many expats that I’ve worked with during those years become status holders, start their own financial services firm, then proceed to hire nothing but expats or former expats. You mean to tell me that in all of the years they’ve been here, they couldn’t find one born Caymanian they’d like to hire? Not a single one? Give those same people the power to run the country and what do you think they’d do with that power? No thanks buddy.
Spot on.
and what did mackeeva do to stop any of that?
o yea, he started it
MacKeeva’s desire to get more votes, when all the mass status grants happened in 2003, are now coming back to hurt the Cayman Islands.
Being able to vote was not good enough. Now, with all that has been given, they want to run for public office too.
George W. Bush said it best: “Fool me once…”. Be grateful, not hateful.
I’ve only been working in the Cayman Islands Financial Services Industry for 5 years – in that time my firm had hired over 30 people. Also in that time, my firm has seen zero applications from Caymanian nationals.
What’s the name of your firm ? I’ll apply tomorrow, I have 20 plus years experience and three higher education degrees
So why don’t you already have a job? Sounds like you should be more pro active.
Liar.
Mac is like Trump. He could literally kill someone and his supporters will continue to support him.
Gutless—should have fired him, not asked.
The holder of the post of Premiere cannot fire the holder of the post of Speaker.
Then who can, and why didn’t they?
CNS: No one person can fire the speaker. The speaker can resign (which he has been asked to do by multiple people at this point) or two-thirds of MPs can vote yes to a no-confidence vote in Parliament. See section 65 of the Constitution.
Thank you CNS for kind explanation. What’s the bet Bush pushes it to a vote?
A 2/3rds vote. Same number as to require a general election, which would coincidentally also remove the Speaker. Wayne to Roy – we need to get rid of Mac, he’s embarrassing. Says Roy – absolutely right, but whilst we are about it why dont we clear the decks and deal with the obvious problem that government ministers cant seem to agree with the Premier. Lets just have a fresh election (prior to which I’ll cut my own deal with Kenny, Chris, Jay, Juliana, Mac and Dwayne). Wayne – you cant do that, you need 2/3rds and I have the numbers. Roy – you sure about that? 12 ministerial appointments plus the Speakers chair to grant, think I may just find 6 to cross the floor, and Mac of course.
A simple motion of no confidence will allow the Government to remove him
People’s whose posts on this thread have very little agreeance by those reading them i.e. thumbs up highlight the ignorance and problem we have with those that wote.
They are a huge part of the problem as they enable people like Mac to carry-on, business as ususal.
Troll
OPs comment may not make pleasant reading, but they are spot on.
Nobody even now thinks maybe we widen the pool and let Status holders run for government?
Don’t be silly. Once we do that you run the risk of electing competent people who make decisions based on evidence rather than personal relationships. It’d be the thin end of the wedge – before you know it we might have responsible, effective government and then where would we be?
JTB We might also get a Jamaican government who will only be in there for “wha me can get”. We’re already on that slippery slope let’s not hasten it.
HELL NO go back to your home country if you want to run for office!
The vast majority of Expats and new Caymanians are not interested in fairness and respect Caymanians they look out for their own. They would like to replicate life like how it is in their home country yet want to live in Cayman. So go home and run and look out for your own. Too many are Caymanians by convenience.
The proof is would you give up your citizenship of other countries especially home country and passports to run for public office in Cayman?
Well said.
But not well supported!
Terrifyingly, all Jamaicans would gladly do so,…(as evidenced by the numbers seeking UK passports), some Americans maybe, but Brits and most Canadians, never.
So you’ll end up as a Jamaica, run by Jamaicans, same dog puppy, except we are now becoming Jamaica at the hands of born ya Jamaicans.
I would as I could line my frickin pockets with gold the way the born Caymanian politicians do.
You should also ask how many of your born Caymanians have additional passports…
That is not relevant as pertains to only generational Caymanians being eligible to run for public office.
Caymanians are in charge of governing the Cayman Islands.
‘not interested in fairness and respect Caymanians they look out for their own’…..LOL…Please tell me you see the irony in that statement?
Expat troll.
Home country – as in land of birth? Which historically in Cayman has been the source of many of our leading lights also having a second citizenship. So on your “proof “ the likes of Tara Rivers would have to surrender their US (or Jamaican ) citizenship in order to run for office? OK then. Suspect you may find an unintended reduction in the eligible pool – throwing out a number of multi generationals as well as the evil new Caymanians😉
Absolutely not. If you got your status grant, be happy with that. If you want to run for public office, go run in your own country of origin. Be glad you are allowed to vote and, when you’re family sets generational roots down, then your grandchildren can run for office if they are still here. Ability to run for office is something that comes through birth pain, not airplane.
Perfectly put. Hard to improve on.
Hey guess what, every Caymanian has an ancestral place of origin that wasn’t Cayman.
And every Canadian, American or yardie can trace their roots to Adam?!
That’s why we are called multi-generational Caymanians, and not indigenous Caymanians.
But yet these same people came from somewhere else like everyone who has moved their life here too.
But then you end up with the old boys crew with nothing but personal financial betterment on their crooked agendas. “To hell with the Caymanian people…pay me”
If voters keep voting poor representatives and good candidates fail to run for office.
‘Through birth pain’. You do realise that many of our MP’s were not born in Cayman right?
The last thing we need is a smarter set of crooks.
Yes, because every foreign politician (much less candidate) is perfect and totally beloved by every person in their home country so by definition all foreigners here must be better than any Caymanian at running this country. – Bigoted much?
No!
No!
No!
No!
How many times do you need to hear it before reality hits? Is it a hearing or a listening problem?
Bush is a pig and should be treated as one.
Bit harsh on pigs.
That’s not very nice to say. He did do some wrong things, but two wrongs don’t make a right.
I don’t think “some” means what you think it means
Lets see how long this pig takes to resign.
Should be a matters of days now.
And Mac decided to take a trip to Honduras. Is there something that could be done to keep his ass over there?
Doubt it. Not too many jurisdictions are going to want Mac. Cayman is stuck with him.
Golly! If crappola like this continues, we might have to get a whole new Parliament! No Pac rejects, please.
I can see a new government being formed over the lack of leadership qualities within PACT. The daily lack of respect within PACT and the obvious personal indifferences between Ministers & the Premier are very unbecoming, ethically wrong and distasteful. This Administration was formed because of the tidal power of one’s money. From the beginning it was considered unprofessional and the wrong way to start a working relationship just to gain power. It is embarrassing to read that a Minister of PACT took the needed steps to ask for the Speaker to resign only to read a day later that it was the Premier who was behind it while lambasting the Minister to take credit while away on govt business. This surely takes the cake and makes the PACT Government the most incompetent and useless leadership these Cayman Islands have ever seen in it’s history. So do not be surprised to read another headline this week on the formation of a new government and the country with a new Premier. I cannot guess who will stay or who will go, but I can almost guarantee that a change is going to come. The people deserve one humble & professional leader who will be respected and given the loyalty and support from his peers. Money can buy power, but respect is something one has to earn.
Or alternatively, its embarrassing that a government minister would claim he took the step and seek credit for it when all along the Premier had already done so. But you are right on one thing – we cant continue to have a situation where government ministers not only openly contradict government policy and ignore the concept of collective responsibility, but actively maneuver to promote themselves and their sponsors economic interests. But if you think replacing Wayne Panton with anyone else from PACT is going to cure that problem with the personalities involved and the absence of any party affiliations and mechanism within a loose coalition of independents, you are remarkably naive. You would have to not only replace the Premier but at least 2, probably 3 government ministers.
A unified team, that works together honestly, is all that is needed. It’s not rocket science.
No need for political parties to mesmerize the electorate with colors and symbols. Cults do that too.
You will have a vote in 2025.
There will be one before that. Heard it here first.
Good. We need a clean sweep of all and to start over by scratch.
That’s what we said last time. Look how that ended. We consistently elect the incompetent and crooked. What’s the solution, because going by recent form another election will either end up with the PPM back in, having learnt their lesson on offering independents enough candy to ensure they have a majority, or another shapeless mass of individuals united by no common principles and in some cases motivated only by personal reward.
i am not so worried about people like bush. they are old and soon will be gone and forgotten.
what worries me are the religious freaks that keep supporting that kind of human waste.
Because THEY can make a change.
But will they?
What about the younger MPs who enable Bush, GTC, NS etc – they are the ones that will continue to be dangerous after Bush is finally gone, whenever his nine lives finally run out. And if you don’t think he’ll continue operating behind the scenes then you’re likely to be sorely disappointed and mistaken.
Never forget that Bush only survived as Speaker because he was protected by Kenneth Bryan.
No. Mac survived as Speaker because PPM did nothing. At least Wayne formally asked Mac to resign, but Alden did not because he wanted to hold on to power. Get your facts straight.
Why didn’t Panton sack Bush?
CNS: Because he doesn’t have the legal authority. The speaker can resign (which he has been asked to do by multiple people at this point) or two-thirds of MPs can vote yes to a no-confidence vote in Parliament. See section 65 of the Constitution.
Thank you, CNS.
Alden, Roy and Joey are the dangerous and devoid ones.
PPM and Mac have done enough damage to Cayman to ever be trusted again.
Jon Jon, in his own words, said “I will make it worse…work better”.
Ju Ju, David, Barbara and Moses are just taking up space and have nothing of substance to offer.
We all know just how far Wayne went to get elected and then to become Premier! These issues with the speaker are just as much his fault as they are Macs! Wayne knew better!!He had no use for Kenneth, Chris, Jon Jon, Bernie, Mac and Jay until he wanted to become Premier. He then used CMR to rile people up, why do we expect him to act honorably now ?
The PPM isn’t innocent…..PPM past election poached some pretty slimy members from the PACT party they had been elected with.
Sir Alden is an honorable and great man, none of this would be happening of he was in charge. I say make Sir Alden the Premier for life and let him choose the best ones to work with him. come save us Sir Alden
Cute satire.
Let us not forget that Mr. Alden also moved up the election two months in order to not lose the Port Referendum. Were these honourable tactics or politricks?
Thank you, BZ. Spot on.
What was the result of the port referendum?
None, because PPM thwarted it.
Not to mention truncating any campaigning or other political preparation that anyone opposing the PPM might have otherwise had the opportunity to perform.
That’s “Sir Alden KC” rememebr.
PPM is more power hungry than the PACT. PPM is ruled by puppet master Alden, who rules with an iron fist.
Wayne, who is not a natural leader, does not try to work as a team with PACT members.
You all like to criticize KB, Saunders and Jay, but fail see all the sneaky games that Andre and Wayne are playing behind the scenes.
What the hell are you talking about? PACT didn’t exist until AFTER the election was over.
Tomorrow mourning period ends. So far we have hear from the Premier and DG.
Let’s see who is for rent or for sale.
Have some class.
Jon Jon did not help Wayne form the PACT. Jon Jon came over later, because he first stayed with Alden and Roy in the Opposition. Jon Jon knows what he’s doing, because he will make it worse.
If this was not understood properly, perhaps Jon Jon could explain it to you in a foreign language or two.