McTaggart files no-confidence motion in Bush
(CNS): Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart has filed a motion for a no-confidence vote in Speaker McKeeva Bush, which was seconded by Barbara Conolly MP (GTS) and supported by the entire opposition. Alleging that Premier Wayne Panton “does not appear to have any intention” to remove Bush, McTaggart said Panton was “dithering” and blaming the Progressives’ no-confidence motion in the government for delaying the ousting of the speaker. He said he had brought the motion against Bush to ensure that parliament had the opportunity to decide whether or not Bush remained as speaker.
“It has been increasingly obvious to me over the past week that despite his letter demanding the resignation of the Hon. McKeeva Bush as speaker, the premier does not appear to have any intention of acting to ensure the removal of Mr Bush from the post,” McTaggart said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
“The most recent confirmation of this is the premier’s excuse that the opposition’s filing of a motion of a lack of confidence in the government somehow complicates his handling of the matter of Mr Bush and he went on to question the opposition’s priorities.”
Querying Panton’s own priorities, McTaggart said he suspected they were all about “desperately trying to keep his government intact”. Accusing the premier of dithering, “as he does on everything else”, he said that “it becomes my responsibility to do what the premier is afraid to do”.
He stressed that it was Panton who had made a deal with Bush to form the PACT Government following the last election, while the Progressives had decided it was better to be in opposition than form a government with him again.
However, McTaggart said nothing about the Progressives’ decision to bring the election forward in 2021, several weeks after Bush was convicted of assault and long after he had been charged. The PPM-led coalition also dodged the issue and failed to file the no-confidence vote themselves based on what they had, at the time, perceived as a political advantage.
Nevertheless, McTaggart is now pressing for a vote against Bush as well as one against the government. Earlier today in a statement to CNS about the situation in general, McTaggart had called Panton “weak and indecisive”, maintaining that it was not the opposition that was preventing the premier from acting to remove Bush from the position of speaker.
“To blame the opposition’s lack of confidence motion against the government as somehow hindering the premier’s ability to act as he sees fit regarding the speaker is nonsense and a poor excuse,” McTaggart said.
Although Bush stated two weeks ago that he would step aside, he was still in office on Friday lunchtime, a week after the deadline Premier Wayne Panton gave him to resign following allegations of sexual assault. Panton has still not said what he plans to do after implying that the PPM’s call for a no-confidence vote in PACT had complicated the issue.
McTaggart said that when the premier wrote to Bush asking him to step down, he “must have had options in mind” to deal with the eventuality that Bush did not voluntarily leave. “The obvious option would be for the premier to bring a motion of no confidence in the speaker during the upcoming meeting of parliament,” McTaggart told CNS, noting that government could still do that now. However, since then the PPM has filed its own motion.
With parliament now pushed back to next Friday, the opposition’s motion has been filed within the five-day deadline for submissions ahead of a meeting. Given that Bush cannot preside over his own demise, it will be up to Deputy Speaker Kathy Ebanks-Wilks (WBC) to place the motion on the order paper and preside over the debate.
The Progressives’ leader brought the no-confidence motion for a number of reasons but it will not bring down the speaker even if it succeeds. The leaders said he brought a no-confidence motion in PACT in the first instance rather than Bush because he believed that some of the PACT members of parliament have lost confidence in their leader and might be willing to bring their own government down.
“The entire country is also aware of the discord and disunity that exists within the PACT Government, resulting in significant governance issues,” McTaggart said. “The result of this instability is that very little is happening in government and the country. The premier may question the rationale for the opposition’s motion, but we view it as a necessity in order to restore confidence in government and get the country moving forward over the remainder of the term.”
It is now possible that both votes will go ahead during the forthcoming parliamentary meeting, now moved to Friday, 7 October. “At that time, we will know where everybody stands. If the premier is happy with his government and his performance, then he has nothing to fear,” McTaggart added.
McTaggart also said that Ezzard Miller’s comment to CNS Wednesday that the no-confidence motion in the government should have been in the premier is incorrect. He pointed to section 51 of the Constitution, which states that removing a premier requires a no-confidence resolution in the government by the parliament.
See the opposition no-confidence motion in the speaker below and in the CNS Library.
Watch McTaggart explain his no-confidence motion in the government below:
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Category: Politics
kiss my neck what a heat in our beautiful Cayman Islands.😂😂😂😂
Perhaps Hews and a few other PPM can be no confidenced as well.
Dart has full confidence in Hew.
Wayne was out at the protests using #sheissupported to get votes. Now he is using #ineedmac to keep power and to hell with what the rest of us think! He may not have a daughter but I have 2 who Won’t forget this slap in the face weenie. Next election those 2 girls will be voting, one of them for the first time.
The inferred basis for dismissal is missing since Bush hasn’t (yet/again) been formally charged with anything. We should ask who is interfering with that part. COP? Dep Gov? Attorney Gen? Law and order apparatus is obviously deeply corrupted. It should be a very destabilizing concern for Cayman Islands stakeholders.
At least he trimmed up that scary moustache for this photo..
They all need to go and some young, educated and intelligent young people to take over and lead us!!
What sort of dirt does Bush have on everyone? Seriously it can’t be as bad as all the list of things he has done. I am an expat and have been here for at least six of these scandals….Can you guess how long that has been?
Last Tuesday?
Boy, Roy McTaggart is really power hungry.
Has PPM asked their constituents that voted them in what they want? Or is this just a Power struggle for PPM? Don’t think they are thinking about is the best for the people or Cayman at all. If they would Mac would have been long gone.
Lets just see who is supported when it gets down to a vote in the house. Who can believe anything that Wayne says …..
https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/panton-finally-quits-ppm/
Poor Roy, still trying to grab the limelight..and still doing Alden’s bidding..
Would love to be a fly on the wall at South Cove tonight.
This right here….Anyone that still think the PPM is about just themselves and will do anything for power..Please remember why Alden called an early election and read below from CNS..Truer words never spoken..
“However, McTaggart said nothing about the Progressives’ decision to bring the election forward in 2021, several weeks after Bush was convicted of assault and long after he had been charged. The PPM-led coalition also dodged the issue and failed to file the no-confidence vote themselves based on what they had, at the time, perceived as a political advantage.
Nevertheless, McTaggart is now pressing for a vote against Bush as well as one against the government. Earlier today in a statement to CNS about the situation in general, McTaggart had called Panton “weak and indecisive”, maintaining that it was not the opposition that was preventing the premier from acting to remove Bush from the position of speaker.”
1! ONE! Vote for whole islands!! Change it now!
People can sign the online petition right now for a new December 2022 election to replace all current 19 MPs.
https://www.change.org/p/my-cayman-mp-and-premier-we-demand-you-to-support-a-snap-general-election-in-2022
imparato grows impatient. the dartbots are anxious.
Kind of laughable. In the UK or any respectable country he would have been out ago. But then the opposition did give us those embarrassing Covid press conferences in 2020 which were equally absurd.
Oooohhh- the plot thickens.
Watch ‘teflon Big Mac’ slide in for the win on this one.
Mr. Panton you and your pack government and the PPM government, it’s time for you all to stand up for the people of the Cayman Islands, you all has made McKeever Bush tell you all what to do. For what he has done against my husband brian Tomlinson from NRA it’s time for him to go. All I am Asking all of you is to stand up for your people and not for your positions. The woman that he should bite on should be me, his days would be over.
Hounrable my foot. Just a term not a reality. I don’t think any of you are capable. UK rule.
This will make Bush try to resign. Don’t let him. Bring on the motion and vote his ass out!
Credit where credit is due. Panton has been sitting on this and now he’s being upstaged by PPM. Who could hav seen this coming? Lol..
can’t wait to hear the PACT/Marl Road spin they will use when they keep Mac as speaker. when they are finished he will be inline for a knighthood.
MP Wayne Panton is the leader who cares.
MP Alden Mclaughlin was the arrogant clerk.
MP Roy McTaggart is the puppet leader of #dartbots.
BUT dem not the issue.
MP McKeeva Bush – he gotta *GO* *NOW*
This is a stroke of pure brilliance. Wayne paints himself into a corner and his old PPM pal Roy bails him out.
Wayne couldn’t bring a motion to remove the Speaker because he didn’t have the support of the Ministers that he appointed to do it.
With the Opposition bringing the motion, Wayne can free his Ministers to vote their conscience (although with them that word doesn’t seem right) rather than as a bloc.
Once again, Kenny (who has no shame) will stand up for Big Mac. It just remains to see how many others will have the cojones to do the right thing.
Oh my. How quickly we forget. I really believe change with the Speaker’s position is needed but I can’t help to think if Roy, or any other PPM member, would be shouting out this loud if Mac was a PPM member. Think NOT!
where tha duppy come from? lol
maybe voting for our stray dogs will be the best.
Should have led with this motion, Roy. The other one is just a bunch of tykes throwing their toys around the playpen because it’s naptime. We don’t pay you for such shenanigans.
It would no doubt be improper and outrageous for Bush to attempt to stay as Speaker and to do what he wants with Roy’s no confidence motion – but then again it is Bush.
However, there is nothing in S.65 of the Constitution or in the Standing Orders that states that Bush cannot retain all of the power and privileges of that post – including in relation to a no confidence motion – until he is formally removed.
If he refuses to vacate the Speaker’s chair in relation to the no confidence motion he can cause a nice Constitutional crisis that will leave him in power for months or years.
PACT: The islands demand that you sack Mac. He has embarrassed us enough. There are retired lawyers in the community that can serve as Speakers twelve weeks out of the year — or ask Ezzard, who knows the Standing Orders with his eyes closed.
Please no!
What do you do for the other 40 weeks in the year?
Sigh. Except Wayne cant do either. The Speaker can only be removed by a majority vote of all MPs. And the Premier cant appoint another Speaker – again, a majority vote of all MPs. Your demand should be addressed to all MPs not just PACT.
Sandy can’t save you now Wayne! Let’s see how big they are now.
I suspect that Mac is working his backroom magic to come out of this as named Premier not just Premier in all but name. Based on Wayne’s weakness and absent leadership Mac is probably going to do it. Anybody taking wagers?
A year ago I would have given your plan a better than 50% chance. With Jay and Kenny extremely happy with their performance as Ministers for a whole year, and dat udda fella ou dem fi lect in BT, Big Mac will have a four-way battle to decide who is going to be large and in charge. They might have to call in Miss Cayman to settle on a leader.
Put down whatever you are smoking – it’s not going to happen.
Ppm called early elections
So that we could have a say in who would run the country!
They didn’t get enough to form
Government and paid the ultimate price!
That I can respect!
What Wayne is doing is cowardly and not very premier like!
We need a change now!
MacKeeva, Alden and Wayne are failures.
@6:30pm change maybe..PPM? HELL NO!!!!
They called an early election so they would not have to deal with the Mac situation as he was in their camp then.
If they had handled him correctly from before we wouldn’t be going through this now.
Ummmm – You might want to check something called facts. It was the now Tourism Minister Bryan who supported his mentor Bush and prevented the PPM government from removing Bush in 2020
https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/bryan-blocks-meeting-ousting-speaker/
Of course Wayne is dithering and can clearly be seen to be dithering.
It is obvious that if Wayne had any political or moral sense he would have moved first to remove Mac instead of giving Roy this huge opportunity to show principled leadership.
Yes, he’s getting bad advice on this one. Terrible strategic error.
Unless of course he was negotiating to keep Mac support and that of his acolytes for the vote of no confidence in the government 😉
No government is perfect but, when did the PPM:
– Broker a deal for CUC to give consumers a break over summer? Never.
– Negotiate scholarships at ICCI? Never
– Seek to purchase land and offer well-appointed homes at accessible prices for Caymanian? Never
– Overhaul GTH so that patients received care with dignity and comfort? Never
Roy thinks we will forget that the PPM opted to cut their last administration short rather than sacking that disgusting excuse for an MP. Well, Roy, tough titty. The North remembers. (LOL)
Rubbish – get your facts straight – it was Bryan he supported his mentor Bush and prevented the PPM government from removing Bush in 2020
https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/bryan-blocks-meeting-ousting-speaker/
Spot on.
the North also voted in the most ridiculous candidate over someone incredibly experienced. The rest of us remember. (LOL)
This will be interesting. Can’t wait to read the PACT spin on why they are voting to keep Mac as Speaker. ‘His hands are clean and his heart is pure’??
Bush owns Wayne. I am glad someone finally started the process of removing Bush. Thank you Roy.
All 19 MPs need to go. They all are jokes that are not funny.
Attorney General needs to go too.
Without personally demonstrating preference for either party or individual candidates. I think as a voters we should have the right to have our collective say in who runs our country , not being limited to our respective districts. Clearly there needs to be change.
Wayne is not dithering…. he is simply doing what Bush and mini-Bush Jay and the prince of GTC are telling him to do.
His only choice is form a coalition government with the PPM or call for new elections. I am not sure he has the numbers for a coalition government, or the stomach to do it unless he remains premier.
Roy is misguided and Alden is guiding his political career into the toilet. This is your last term Mctaggart, we had enough of you being a puppet on a string!
Roy is a person of principle and has done the right by bringing this motion. I used to think that Wayne was a principled person but Wayne has not exhibited any right minded principles since he sold his soul to the devil in the wig.
Isn’t it strange that the PPM would bring a vote of no confidence against the PACT Government and now the Speaker but failed to remove the Speaker after we was convicted whilst a co-leader of the PPM led coalition government of National Unity? Where was the principles PPM members that are still elected today and its leader MP Roy McTaggart then?
Former Premier Alden McLaughlin ran to call an early election rather than deal with the same issues McTaggart filed in his motion of no confidence in the Speaker. What is the difference today? The difference is the thirst for power and the fake disgust or show of principles being displayed while the PPM are in the Opposition.
Shouldn’t the PPM have brought a vote of no confidence against the Speaker when they were in power given all his transgression or was it not convenient to do so then, who is again allegedly accused of doing inappropriate harassing things to females in a drunken state?
PPM did nothing when the Speaker was a member of their UNITY Government 2017-2021 this must never be forgotten. Their words now are shallow at best yet is driven by their desperation to regain power to once again serve the needs of their masters, not the majority of people that insured they could not form government after last year’s elections.
Taking down the PACT Government and attempting to gain power is more important to the PPM than support victims who are women and seeking to represent the best interests of all Caymanians. PPM are the party of the powerful and prosperous who need them in power again for the madness and corruption they showed us over the last eight years to continue.
Nice try but total rubbish. It was the now Tourism Minister Bryan who supported his mentor Bush and prevented the PPM government from removing Bush in 2020
https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/bryan-blocks-meeting-ousting-speaker/
Thank you Roy – Wayne never had any intention of removing Bush who has been de-facto Premier and string puller the entire time PACT has existed.
Isn’t it amazing how Roy and the PPM continue to use this McKeeva issue to try to make themselves look good? You had your chance Roy, you and Alden could have ousted him from his seat but instead thinking that you could hold on to power choose to call a “snap” election thinking that the people of these islands would be fools and put you back in power again.
Roy, please try to understand that your party is not wanted by the majority of the people. Even if the present PACT government fall apart, we do not want the PPM. You are not going to be elected by default..
Focus yourselves on being less power hungry and narcissistic and become more people focus..and by that I don’t mean dragging out every old person in George Town for a photo op..Don’t know if you realize this but that is called “pandering” and it makes you look like a bunch of fools.
Oh Roy, enough with the hogwash. Start working FOR the people of Cayman — instead of just grasping for power for yourself and your partners.
Bush needs to go – it’s a good motion.
PPM forgets how long they were in cahoots with the Beater.
PPM forgets that they never finished the GT school.
PPM forgets we saw who they were decisive for, a cabal of bougie property developers and billionaires looking to milk the jurisdiction for all its worth.
The people don’t forget. Nuff of us that cant be bought don’t want you back. PACT isnt perfect but we aint voting Regressive.
Sounds like some good information to help get rid of the greedy get-all-we-can money grubbing bunch of has-beens!! (Also known as the greedy PPM.)
Who are you going to replace them with- they are not perfect but at least they are trying something unlike the Pack Premier. Better late than never.
Ya new or wha – it was Bryan who supported Bush and blocked the PPM’s motion to get rid of Bush back in 2020.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/bryan-blocks-meeting-ousting-speaker/
That is absolutely incorrect. The Private Member’s motion of no confidence was brought by Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean, who were on the Opposition side of the aisle, and they needed one more vote to have it considered before Parliament.
KB, who as on the Opposition side of the aisle, did not support it and neither did any PPM MPs on the Government side of the aisle.
Therefore, that’s why it did not go forward.
You suggest that is was KB’s fault and don’t include the PPM, then you simply don’t understand what you are talking about and should stop embarrassing yourself.
Get your facts straight and stop embarrassing yourself. Moron.
Rubbish on steroids. The things you point to were irrelevant. It was Bryan just like the article says. Read the March 2020 CNS article cited above – if you are capable of reading that is.
what motion? they called a snap election and washed their hands of the whole affair!
Speak for yourself! Who are you referring to when you say “we’
Lol Roy… we’re surprised you even managed to put a sentence together. been a while since we heard from you.
hear more from Roy than Wayne big boy
Time for big boy Panton to put his big boy pants on…
Time for CoP Byrne to file new charges against McKeeva Bush with a press release. What possible reason for the delay? Should have convened the first case management hearing by now! Something reeks, and it’s not PACT.
He’s right though.
He is counting on people who do not listen to House sessions and therefore do not know what PACT has done in 1.5 years – and there are plenty of those out there. What does he think? That we will forget that PPM closed shop ahead of schedule to avoid sacking Mac themselves? He wish!
Some interesting 3-D chess is being played here. Looking mighty interesting and the King hasn’t even moved 2 paces yet.
ummm….
Roy why didn’t you get rid of Mckeeva when you were in Power? You did have 12 years…….. still waiting on that answer?
Nice try but the reality is that it was the illustrious Desparately-Wanna-B-Premier/President for Life Bryan who blocked the PPM’s efforts to remove Bush in 2020 that has landed us in this mess. Without Bryan’s scheming with Bush none of the current mess would have occured.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2020/03/bryan-blocks-meeting-ousting-speaker/
The special meeting was proposed by MLA Ezzard Miller (NS) on Friday, when he asked the official opposition members to join him in requesting the LA meeting. According to a release from the opposition Monday morning, Miller’s proposal is supported by five of them: Arden McLean (leader of the opposition), Anthony Eden, Alva Suckoo, Chris Saunders and Bernie Bush.
“Unfortunately, the official opposition could not get unanimous support as one member of the group, MLA Kenneth Bryan, was not in support. Without his support, the opposition cannot get the signatures of seven members, as required by Standing Orders, to request the meeting of the Legislative Assembly” the opposition statement read.
It was not called by the PPM. Read the article again .
The article that you linked clearly states that it was the opposition that tried to remove him, not PPM. Don’t come try rewriting history with your “alternative facts”, Kellyanne!
Wow, the PPM just want everyone to forget they were in charge for so long. Seriously Woy, go away
PPM has done quite a few things to make things better…. FOR THEMSELVES, NOT THE PEOPLE! We certainly do not need more ot that! The hypocrisy on display is shocking and they cannot be taken seriously or returned to power.
Panton is weak and indecisive. The reason we’re in this mess is because of Panton.
wayne is an upstananding leader….as is pact…ppm sold the country…these goys trying help us!
lol … I’m I hearing you correctly
Wayne has shown no evidence of leadership and he seems to have traded his principles for the ‘Premier’ title.
Does ‘upstananding’ mean ‘will do anything moral or otherwise in order to be in power? If so we agree.
Well then, it’s time for this upstanding leader to stand up to his run-a-way cabinet members and the Big Mac and do his job. That is what upstanding leaders do! .
No Roy. He is not weak. He is principled and considerate. Spot the difference?
That may be, but the motion was the right thing to do – Bush must go now (at the very least as speaker – and Wayne was’t going to do it because it would probably lead to the collapse of the government because at least two Caninet ministers won’t go along. There is no way Kenny for one goes against Mac. Wayne would have to call snap elections.