PPM accuses Panton of desperate cling to power
(CNS): The opposition has asked why Premier Wayne Panton continues to enable and protect McKeeva Bush. Following Panton’s decision to facilitate the election of the beleaguered MP to the Public Accounts Committee, which is chaired by Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart, the Progressives have questioned the premier’s commitment to women’s rights after appeasing members of his government “in a desperate attempt to cling to power”.
CNS has also confirmed that Chris Saunders was not asked by the premier to take up the vacant seat despite his willingness to accept the post.
In a press release about the nomination by the premier followed by a vote to appoint Bush to PAC, the PPM said, “The entire country must have been somewhat surprised” about Bush’s appointment to the high-profile standing committee, which scrutinises reports by the Office of the Auditor General on government expenditure.
The opposition said they were told the night before Friday’s special meeting that PACT wanted Bush to replace Dwayne Seymour (BTE), who resigned from PAC after being promoted to Cabinet minister.
“Ironically, the notice was received almost to the day of the second anniversary of Premier Panton agreeing for Mr Bush to join his PACT Government and offering him the role of Speaker of the House,” the PPM stated.
“Once again, despite his many admonishments of Mr Bush and the court charges faced by Mr Bush, Premier Panton continues to promote his former speaker into high-profile political positions. It begs the question of whether Premier Panton’s claim that he cares about the treatment of women in our society is genuine.
“Instead, it would appear the premier is more interested in appeasing some members of his government in a desperate attempt to cling to power,” the opposition added.
Panton clearly faces a balancing act to keep his government of independent members together, and PACT is still said to be plagued by internal policy differences and power plays.
His decision to appoint Bush to PAC over Chris Saunders remains a mystery. Having been fired from Cabinet, Saunders, a qualified accountant and former PAC member, is now serving as an independent opposition member and would likely have been less controversial.
While Saunders is facing allegations that he bullied staff in his ministry, Bush is facing actual criminal charges that he indecently assaulted two civil servants at an official cocktail party.
Saunders told CNS that he was not asked by any members of PACT to serve on the PAC but would have been very happy to do so. He said he was aware that Bush was reluctant to take up the appointment but had been urged to do so by Panton and Deputy Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly.
Bush last served on the PAC when he was the opposition leader between 2014 and 2015 before he was ousted by the Legislative Assembly. At the time, then premier Alden McLaughlin admitted it was “poor judgement” on his part to have put him on that committee in the first place, given his appalling relationship with the Office of the Auditor General, especially Alastair Swarbrick, the recently departed auditor general.
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Category: Politics
Don’t forget it was Mac that got the Ritz Carlton built.
Here he is with his developer – Michael Ryan
https://ronkapon.typepad.com/photos/cayman_island_wine_food_f/img_2826.html
What will be Mac’s next luxury development?
Politicians, playing politricks by plowing their own people up and down and preferring to use posturing petty powers to increase their own pockets. All of them. No exceptions!
caymanians elect these people so you have no-one else to blame but yourselves.
and to make things worse, you also prevent the most qualified and successful people on island from being elected…
welcome to wonderland.
Oh yea.., Trump got elected by Caymanians as well.
You thinking that the most qualified and successful people on island are the foreigners is exatctly what is wrong with this country!
do-nothing-ppm or no-plan-pact?????….neither thanks.
direct rule for 2 years while a new raft of political candidates are selected/vetted based on qualifications, experience and integrity. then we have new elections.
Mac’s back because he knows where all the bodies are buried. You can’t make this stuff up.
Roy calling Wayne power hungry
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mFiywP9BUHDC8AIRBDYJvXdfQiA=/1400×1050/filters:format(jpeg)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23265504/Spider_Man_meme.jpg
A plague on both your houses
We’d like to invite this newly governance awoken PPM opposition to formally propose changes to the Elections Law that disqualify and banish those with criminal records; those failing to report full and truthful SIPL conflict disclosures; those facing serious charges for dishonesty, theft, character unbecoming; or any other baseline semblance of Nolan principles. Bet we wont be holding our breath.
If you truly cared about Cayman (PPM), you’d cast aside your differences and work collectively as a team rather than continue with your boring diatribe.
I’m too tired to even continue writing.
That is not the purpose of the opposition. They hold the government to account and in doing so, theoretically force the government to be better. That presupposes the current government actually cares about what people think of them and respect their voters, which doesn’t actually seem to be the case here…
If you truly cared about Cayman, you would encourage robust scrutiny of any sitting government.
These politicians all suck. Mackeeva just sucks the most.
Best Reply of the Year!, 8:38 pm!!!
They are all liars and crooks.
the people of the caymam islands voted everyone of these MP’s into office.
stop crying. next time be very careful who you vote for. Hint an election should be about the candidates ability to leas the country not how popular he is.
Calling on a few good men to run for the 2025 election. Any out there? idiots need not apply. Let’s ensure we get it right next time around.
Many run but you all vote on popularity and a few dollars in your hands. Then complain when once again you get screwed by these millionaires.
Not enough DNA available.
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF NOT EVERYONE VOTED FOR THEM!
Stop bashing the majority based on the minority. Enjoy your day.
Couple of points to make there.
1. We don’t have anyone remotely capable of running the islands that would benefit the islands.
2. Turkeys, hams, microwaves and driveways are infinitely more important to the majority of hoi polloi.
3. I’ve got educated, enlightened and erudite Caymanian friends. Not ONE would dream of running as a candidate. They all have that one characteristic that bars them from doing so……integrity.
Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black!
What about Men’s rights? Or can women lie as much as they want to get us in legal trouble whenever they feel?
We burn our jockstraps in Heroes Square at midnight!
Look at the amount of people that don’t care about Men’s rights lol what a shame!
all lives matter idiot up here
Speak for yourself.
So only black and women’s lives matter?
I am a caymanian man and to me you sound weak and dumb af. Stop embarrassing us chump.
PPM should choke on their words given their actions between 2017-2021 they were arrogant just like this lot
@4:30:
Yes. We certainly should blindly accept Panton/PACT being that way too, because as everyone should know, two wrongs do make a right.
Power and the desperation to keep it at all costs makes Wayne Panton no different than Alden McLaughlin, Roy McTaggart, Joey Hew, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Tara Rivers, Moses Kirkonnell, the PPM and the UDP.
History has taught us there is no such thing as any principles of doing what is the right thing for the country.
Instead the objective is to do the right thing for their selfish reasons or what best serves their own political ambitions.
There is a lack of Integrity and a track record of not knowing the difference between speaking about the right things versus doing the right things are qualities that Caymanians in leadership positions in parliament and the “world class civil service” have proven they have in abundance.
This story is more about the pot cussing the kettle when you understand Cayman politics. Hypocrisy defines our leaders.
Only God can save our country.
Only London can save our Islands.
Direct rule now before it is too late.
The click is ticking.
“Only London can save our Islands”? Have you seen how “London” is saving the UK National Health Service? How “London” is managing its post Brexit economy?
man, do some critical thinking rather than spout inane, Anglophilic gibberish.
There is no longer anything “great” about “Great Britain”. Britain has sadly fallen in geopolitical influence, governance and relevance. Look at the bozos that have been elected to the high office of Prime Minister for a start. These clowns could not govern a sack of soldier crabs.
A not so great britain is still head and shoulders above a not so grand cayman though
…and yet you’re here instead of there.
British Airways has flights out of Grand Cayman to “Great” Britain…since Grand Cayman is not for you, may you find succor and solace “over there”
In the UK a MP convicted of a criminal case potentially carrying a prison sentence, even if suspended, would face electoral recall and a by electoral if More than 10% of his constituency voted for it. In Cayman, not so much.
@4:28:
I agree that “History has taught us there is no such thing as any principles of doing what is the right thing for the country.”
I shall proffer that if the voters did the right thing, the clowns would never get into office. Clowns vote for clowns. Dat bees de weh tings roll roun yah, bobo.
Thank you Leader of Opposition for calling this out. This is not a political ploy to share with the public the way the appointment was handled and is a cause for concern.
The public shares the opinion that the PACT government is fractured and while Saunders is a qualified accountant and would have accepted the position, he was also in charge of public finances so would be auditing himself in the short term.
At the very least it could have gone to the floor to consider others for the position.
Former Miss Cayman got shammed and dragged through the dirt over a private matter with a partner that went to court, and the whole committee was replaced!
But BIG MAC gets to stay in government after BEATING a random woman in public serving him!
ONLY IN CAYMAN
Excellent point.
The committee got replaced because it was easier to blame them than the Department of Tourism who was up to their neck in it.
Hooray – PPM and Roy to the rescue. We are all saved now.
PPM are a bunch of donkeys that sold out this country and Caymanians to special interests. They proved they can never be trust again!
😂