Premier on TCD Report: Strange Time & Inaccurate
“Strangely timed and inaccurate”, is what Premier Dr Ewart Brown said today [Oct 24], in response to the Auditor General’s Special Report on the TCD Emissions Facility.
On October 21st, Auditor General Heather Jacobs released a statement and report on the Motor Vehicle Safety and Emissions Testing Programme saying the report “describes a lack of accountability and a general disregard for established policies and procedures in the use of public funds.” Ms Jacobs says the initial budgeted cost was $5.3 million, however it ended up costing the taxpayer approximately $10 million more – $15.23 million.
Responding today, the Premier said:
The Auditor General’s reports are to the Speaker of the House who in turn tables them for the House to consider. We’re two weeks away from the first opportunity for that usual process so I found this Report’s timing and very media-based release strange.”
This reminds me of the style of the former Auditor General and it diminishes the stature of the office when it is done this way.
A thorough review by an Auditor General is essential to a successful democracy and this Government has strengthened the Office of the Auditor General in tangible ways. Commentary and sensational headlines based on the findings from the Report without the benefit of proper context or the full facts of the Ministry position do a disservice to the hard-working public officers of the Ministry and the Department who spent countless hours addressing these issues.
“Where there have been errors and a departure from best practice I expect accountability and accept that recommendations for improved oversight must be embraced.
The Ministry of Tourism and Transport states that technical officers had spent several months working with the Office of the Auditor General and provided detailed explanations to each and every question raised. They say that “many of those explanations do not feature in the Report.”
The Ministry stated that it is not accurate to say that what was costed at $5.3 million in 2001/2 cost taxpayers $15 million at completion of the project. They say that “no account appears to have been taken for basic increases in the cost of goods and services between the time the project was originally planned and the commencement of construction.”
The Ministry says that “an examination of successive Budget Books will reveal that before a penny of public money was spent the Ministry regularly and openly adjusted the proposed allocated funding to reflect such changes.”
The Ministry also states that “the operations contract was approved by Cabinet and that the Office of the Auditor General had not sought specific clarification of this point; the evidence of this will now be provided for their information.”
They continued on to say that “Change Orders are a normal part of large construction projects and in the case of the TCD facility all such orders were documented, reviewed, justified and certified by an Engineer with that authority. This seems to have been ignored by the Auditor General.”
The Ministry of Tourism and Transport says “they have fully supported and participated in the recent review of capital project management conducted by the Ministry of Finance and, recognizing that a number of other routine audits are behind, they will continue to cooperate and assist the Office of the Auditor General to achieve accurate and timely reporting for the public.”
The full 40-page Auditor General’s report is below:
Doc, first I must say, I am not a supporter of either parties, but I have supported you and your leadership style up until now. This one stinks to high heavens. I know it is not impossible for the scope of the work to change, to the extent, that would make the cost go to three times the initial estimate, that I can relate to. But when the contractor set up a proxy company to oversea the public purse, in lieu of W&E and to add insult to injury, they are now running TCD. I got to tell you, this one stinks to high heavens. You had the work ethics and personality, that would have made you go down in history as one of Bermuda’s most successful leaders, and you have accomplished a lot. But I must say your accomplishments, will undoubtedly, be overshadowed by all these coincidence. Well if it smells like a rat, I have no choice but to conclude, it’s a rat.
Critical thinking really? You are just now coming to the conclusion that a deal involving Doc has a certain pungent odour about it. Really?
There is a reason why Derek had to move to W&E, why the Tabon contractors get every contract, why dolphins have better homes then you and I, why Zaine is in politics, why Rock is a liasion, why the Turks is like home, why Andre was an insider, why, why, why….
As for personality, that seems to be a real problem,ie, many have been sucked
in by his black power fist pumping bull. He is no different then those fellas that plied their trade on the boardwalk or in South Boston.
You have been played bra, played…
As for work ethic. I would work 24 / 7 just like him if the residuals were as fantastic…
The price has inflated by 3 times the cost??!!
Man, I must look stupid.
Just read the whole report and WOW, if this is true it is really really sad and scary!!!! I definitely support more investigation of this because it definitely smells like a rat!!! If this is true, when are heads going to roll? If this is true, why was the Ministerial Code not followed which allows civil servants to speak up?? I would love to see the Dockyard pier audit also……
Brown has reacted in his usual “shoot the messenger” manner! It would be interesting to know how much he, Cousin Donal, and MP DeSilva profited from this debacle!
The cog in the wheel Minister as well as Minister Burgess must explain their roles as well.
You have a failing medical practise ( 48K owed to the govt from unpaid taxes prior to taking over the top role -staff paid late.. )Suits were more Flagg Brothers versus what now appears to be Italian tailored..Condos, houses in Turks and NYC..all on 200K a year.. Not possible…
Trick you , Treat me…hahhaahhahhhaaaaaaaaa…we deserve it. yes we do.. hahahahahhahahahhhaaaaaa
Hold up.. Jesse James? Rolfe, that you? HAHAHAHAHA Just kidding bro. You weren’t bullshitting on and on about race like you know any more than how to rob a bank, so you can’t be Rolfe.
Yes my friends, he screwed us all, even the braindeads who worshiped the ground he walks on. Just think, while you’re getting ripped off for increased taxes by the great Cog to cover all the overspending, that your hard earned money has been going to funding Ewart Brown’s retirement. What’s he gonna be pulling down for a Government pension? 10-15 grand a month? HAHA he be ripping us off for the rest of his life!
And the lamebrains you keep voting in are going to put the person responsible for mishandling your tax dollars as the next Premier!!! Hold up, who’s the lamebrains again? Have fun working 3 jobs while Ewart tans on one of his kickback yachts. Hell, even the locals in Australia know about that one. Are we really that clueless? Wait, don’t answer that! HAHAHAHAHA! Congrats Ewart my man, you picked the right morons to screw over.
Oh, anyone heard about his house in Bermuda being up for sale? You know, the one which has been upgraded using taxpayer funds? Yeah that one. But don’t worry, he putting that money right back in to the Government coffers.HAHAHAHAHAH!! NOT!
You thought he was staying here and singing peace and harmony with his adoring public after ripping us all off? L…..O…..L Nope, try Martha’s Vineyard. Not bad for a man who didn’t have toilet paper money to wipe his ass when he came back to Bermuda!!!! His checks were bouncing more than Pamela Anderson on a morning jog!!
Ewart Brown… the man who butt-raped an entire country without lube, and the citizens said “Oh Ewie, spank me harder, I like it!!” And to think, he got the average Black Bermudian thinking he was all about us!! HAHAHAHA How’s your bank account looking these days?? You really think you’re better off than in 1998??!! At this rate he’ll be Bermuda’s next National hero in 2011!! HAHAHAHA
Idiots.
Why do you think Derek was placed in W&E???????
@ jesse james,
Point taken!
Good point Jesse..He needed a friend to play ball.. Why do you think there has been so many changes in the quangos? There is real gold in dem hills fella…
Oh look, more shoot the messenger tactics. Something wrong with THIS Auditor General now too?
Cause it works and has for 3 + years. He rolls out the mouth piece Furbert who challenges black folk on their blackness and we roll over. Well, it has cost us and will continue to cost us.
Emissions is no one time event. Those folk will be making money every year for 5 years min.. Concrete at the west end.. lots of long term gains for the same group.. Why did you think Doc had to get the national stadium / aquatic deal done and more important why concrete versus steel..hmmmm!!!!
We deserve the cut azz that we have been getting under Doc..Like he always says, ” You know our people ” …..in short he knows our complaints are short term and for others any opportunity to stick it to the fairer race is okay by them.. he is their hero, even if they can’t pay their rent and cod fish on Sundays is once monthly..
Glad Simmons summed him up quite succinctly..
Yeah , like when is Doc going to declare that Mrs Matthews is ‘politicising’ her position like Larry was ? ? ?
Wish the media had posed that question to him when they had that sham of a ’round table’ last week …
The biggest unanswered question is. Where is the MONEY?????
Yep…
as expected, ad hominem arguments and not a mention of anything substantive.
More “If you’re not for me, you’re against me” tactics…
Can we have a tour of the new building. It was built with our money…
Brown has changed his tactics – but only slightly. This time he couldn’t say it was racism on the part of the AG. Otherwise same ole same ole. We are tired of this. Why don’t you just **** *** back home to the USA and leave Bermuda alone. You have raped us and stolen from us. Mission accomplished Dr. Brown. Now go!
I agree with you man, he’s bankrupted us and guess what more taxes. deficit was 120million its now 1.2 billion – that goes for the finance miniter too – she has no idea – theres too many cogs in that wheel and its run away with our money!!!!
Here we go again calling the auditor general pretty much a liar.
I will tell what is STRANGE. Holding a media conference to ask questions the month your due to LEAVE office, how strange?