Premier On TCD Overspend: “Will Be No Repeat”
Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday [July 22] about the over spending for the TCD project, Premier Paula Cox said she can “state with great conviction that there will be no repeat of this type of performance under this Government. It is never good enough in my view to duplicate the performances of the past, where these are found wanting.”
In October 2010, Auditor General Heather Jacobs released a report on the TCD Emissions Programme. Ms Jacobs said the initial budgeted cost was $5.3 million, however it ended up costing the taxpayer approximately $10 million more – $15.23 million – and showed a “lack of accountability and a general disregard for established policies and procedures in the use of public funds.”
Yesterday, the Premier went on to pledge that Bermuda “will not see this type of performance duplicated on the new Hospital project or any other capital project undertaken by this PLP Government going forward.”
The Premier said, “I table the Government’s written response to the PAC Report in respect of actions that occurred referencing the Motor Vehicle Safety and Emissions Testing Programme.”
“The Special Report of the Auditor General on the Motor Vehicle Safety and Emissions Testing Programme was tabled in this Honourable House in October 2010. That Special Report was then referred to the Public Accounts Committee [PAC] for review. Mr. Speaker, that review has now concluded and their Report has now been tabled.
“Mr. Speaker, in acknowledging the sobering issues raised by the Auditor General, it is incumbent on this Government to assess those issues that have not yet been addressed and remain relevant; to identify the lessons learned; and determine and implement the appropriate corrective action, where necessary.”
The Premier also said it is her “intention to appoint an independent team which could include a forensic specialist where circumstances warranted it, even if it is in the absence of suspicion of criminality.” She said she intends to exercise this option and “will be meeting with the Auditor General and the Director of Internal Audit to discuss whether circumstances in this case warrant the appointment of such a team.”
The Premier said these actions illustrate that Government has “expended considerable effort to address any deficiencies contained in the recent PAC Report and that we are committed to effecting systemic improvements to Government’s accounting and financial control systems and overall governance.”
Shadow Finance Minister Bob Richards said, “She says it will never happen again, but there has been no acknowledgment it was on her watch. That is an important point, its not as though she just come on the scene, or parachuted down and found something was wrong and said we are going to correct it. She has been Minister of Finance this whole time.”
The 9-page document is below, click ‘Fullscreen’ for greater clarity:
The Premier’s full statement is below, and here in audio form:
The Special Report of the Auditor General on the Motor Vehicle Safety and Emissions Testing Programme was tabled in this Honourable House in October 2010. That Special Report was then referred to the Public Accounts Committee [PAC] for review. Mr. Speaker, that review has now concluded and their Report has now been tabled.Mr. Speaker, in acknowledging the sobering issues raised by the Auditor General, it is incumbent on this Government to assess those issues that have not yet been addressed and remain relevant; to identify the lessons learned; and determine and implement the appropriate corrective action, where necessary.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately there is usually a significant time delay between the project, the audit and the production of the PAC report. While media reporting of the PAC Report conveys that these issues have just occurred, this is not the case. It is a challenge that, by the time a PAC Report is released, more than two years has lapsed since the events stated in their report actually occurred. Very often Government officials or boards of public sector entities – who have the fiduciary responsibility for their own accounts – have taken action already to address weaknesses or to make enhancements to financial systems and controls.
Mr. Speaker, I can stand here before this Honourable House and state with great conviction that there will be no repeat of this type of performance under this Government. It is never good enough in my view to duplicate the performances of the past, where these are found wanting. It cannot be business as usual. The Progressive Labour Party was voted into Government because the people of Bermuda wanted more value than they were getting under a UBP government – more accountability, and certainly far greater transparency than they saw pre-October 1998.
Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda you will not see this type of performance duplicated on the new Hospital project or any other capital project undertaken by this PLP Government going forward.
Mr. Speaker, You may ask how can I be so confident in that statement, but if you indulge me for a few minutes more I can tell you why I am so confident.
Mr. Speaker, in March 2010, the Ministry of Finance retained KPMG Advisory Ltd. (KPMG) to conduct a systemic review to diagnose how the Government of Bermuda’s development and implementation of capital projects compares with international best practice.
In addition to Government’s Financial Instructions and the more rigorous procurement manuals used by the Ministry of Public Works, we determined that there was a need to further enhance the system of controls in order to ensure we were aligned with international best practice standards with regard to the assessment, procurement, management and implementation of capital projects.
Mr. Speaker, our independent agent KPMG made a number of recommendations, including that the Ministry of Finance:
developed an oversight authority to help manage capital projects and ensure compliance with Government policies and procedures.
differentiate and define the controls, reporting and approval requirements that should be applied to small, medium and large projects.
develop a thorough business case prior to tendering for large projects.
ensure that adequate trained resources are available for project management.
consider using a Central Coordinating Committee for large projects to help ensure efficient coordination of permits and approvals among ministries and departments.
harmonise existing policies and procedures and ensure that they are relevant and consistent.
develop additional controls during the procurement process to help ensure transparency.
provide additional training regarding policies and procedures for user departments.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that we have adopted all of these recommendations and have either implemented them fully or have aggressively begun the implementation process.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members are aware that I reported significant progress in my Ministerial Statements on the “Office of Project Management and Procurement” and “Measures to enhance Good Governance” on the first and eighth of July respectively, and the Government has implemented the recommendations in the following manner:
With regards to the first recommendation, the Office of Project Management and Procurement has been established with responsibility for oversight and management of capital projects to ensure compliance with Government policies and procedures. When we debate the Good Governance Bill, Honourable Members should take note that Clause 2, Section 32B (3) states:
“The Director shall have the following functions—
oversight of all Government procurement, including contracts and all pre-contract negotiations, such as requests for proposal, invitations to tender and the obtaining of quotations and estimates;
oversight of all capital projects for Government;”
I am sure that Honourable Members will also agree that Section 32B (1) of the Good Governance Bill satisfies the remaining KPMG recommendations as follows:
“The Office of Project Management and Procurement is established within the Ministry of Finance for the following principal purposes—
to provide professional, qualified procurement expertise and advice to Government;
to ensure that there is no bias in the awarding of Government contracts;
to identify and apply performance measures to ensure that Government obtains value for money;
to ensure that best practices are adhered to in the oversight of capital projects;
to advise on, guide and support the development of, and adherence to, procurement regulations, policy and best practice.”
Honourable members will be reminded of my statement that the Interim Director was well on her way to ensuring that all of these functions would be fully implemented by the end of this calendar year.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to the progress I reported on the status of the Office of Project Management and Procurement, I also informed this Honourable House of other proposed measures to enhance Good Governance in relation to Capital Projects, including:
Enhancing oversight and control by requiring all public authorities, particularly Quangos, to comply with Financial Instructions and the Code of Practice for Procurement;
Ensuring best practice and transparency by:
introducing regulations defining Financial Instructions and a Code of Practice for Procurement; and
providing for an annual report on procurement to be laid before the Legislature;
Demonstrating zero tolerance for non-compliance by creating offences for:
non-compliance with any part of the Public Treasury (Administration and Payments Act) and its associated regulations;
a public officer involved in the awarding of contracts who does not disclose a conflict of interest; whether legal, fiduciary, beneficial, family or otherwise; and
Protecting those who expose wrong doing by introducing a Whistle-Blower clause to the Employment Act to provide a new ground of unfair dismissal if a person is dismissed for making a protected disclosure to the Bermuda Police Service or other relevant agencies that are responsible for investigations.
Mr. Speaker, I also informed Honourable Members of my intention to appoint an independent team which could include a forensic specialist where circumstances warranted it, even if it is in the absence of suspicion of criminality.
Mr. Speaker, I fully intend to exercise this option and, as a result of the issues raised in this report, I will be meeting with the Auditor General and the Director of Internal Audit to discuss whether circumstances in this case warrant the appointment of such a team.
Mr. Speaker. I trust that the above information has illustrated that as Government we have expended considerable effort to address any deficiencies contained in the recent PAC Report and that we are committed to effecting systemic improvements to Government’s accounting and financial control systems and overall governance.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Transport and other Government officials have reviewed the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Special Report of the Auditor General on the Motor Vehicle Safety and Emissions Testing Programme and have submitted their replies to the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Finance is pleased to include them in this formal response along with other relevant responses. For ease of reference, the remarks follow the sequence of items in the Committee’s Report on this matter.
Vendor Selection:
Emissions testing is a specialised area wherein historically there was limited local expertise. The record shows that BECL principals presented themselves as industry experts and worked with the Ministry/Department over an extended period in an effort to realise the implementation of the programme.
The decision to pursue a centralised Government owned approach versus a decentralised private sector approach was a policy decision and is basically out of the PAC’s remit. It is generally not in the PAC’s remit to investigate “policy” but rather administration (including administrative policies) of the Government.
Project Definition:
It is factually inaccurate to cast the changes over time in the negative light contained in the Report. Quite simply there was a change in scope with the project and unforeseen challenges with the project. The Committee and the Auditor General were advised that over time the following items, amongst others, were not accounted for in the original $5.3 million Total Authorised Funding:
the inclusion of the Ministry HQ at the site;
changes to the design to account for environmental issues with the adjacent canal;
specialist care with the foundations required because of the proximity to the marsh.
Mr. Speaker, just for your information, these challenges are far from new for Bermuda. Both the airport in 1988 and Westgate later had interesting challenges. The airport’s original budget of $9 million quickly mushroomed to $26.5 million due to changes in design and unforeseen challenges with the project.
Mr. Speaker, the Emissions Control Capital Project consists of the North Street Building, the Rockaway Satellite Facility and the Southside Satellite Facility. The cost of the project also includes equipment required for emissions testing and other furniture and fixtures. The total cost of the project was approximately $15.2 million and this asset is carried on the Government’s books. The main question which should be asked is if the Government received value for money for this project. To this end, the Government is very supportive of conducting an independent valuation on this project to verify its value.
Oversight of Construction:
Mr. Speaker, the delegation of authority for the accounting responsibility for capital development projects related to Transport was by way of the amended note to the capital estimates in the Approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2002/03. The Minister of Finance is responsible for the presentation of the estimates of revenues and expenditure to the House of Assembly and directs the specification of any notes attached thereto. The approval of the estimates by the House of Assembly in the form of the Appropriation Act stands as the authority for the management and control of the approved budget.
For the avoidance of doubt the exact wording in the Approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2002/03 are as follows:
With respect to the Capital Development Estimates, the accounting responsibilities for all such expenditure shall rest with the Permanent Secretary of Works and Engineering. The Permanent Secretary would be the Accounting Officer for all projects falling within the ambit of the Capital Development Estimates, with the exception of minor works, where the accounting responsibility will remain with the Head of Department concerned, and the projects shown under Bermuda College, which are the responsibilities of the Board of Governors of the Bermuda College, who in turn are responsible to the Minister of Education. Similarly, Capital Development Estimates in respect of St. Brendan’s Hospital, and Ministry of Transport are also outside the scope of responsibility of the Permanent Secretary of Works and Engineering. Likewise, for those capital projects which the Minister of Finance delegates the accounting responsibility for such expenditure to a Ministry other than Works and Engineering, the applicable Permanent Secretary or Head of Department shall be regarded as the Accounting Officer for such projects.
Contrary to the view of the PAC concerning the validity and strength of the notes to the Capital Estimates included in the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, in the Ministry of Finance’s view, the notes carry the same standing as notes to financial statements.
Mr. Speaker, the Government also refutes the PAC’s argument with regard to the potential conflicts of interest that might arise from an operating government department also having supervising authority over its own capital projects. The logic of this text makes no sense. It argues that if any department manages its own capital projects then it is open to conflicts.
Mr. Speaker that would mean that Works and Engineering could not manage its own projects. The Government view is that the issue is two-fold: 1) having the requisite skills and capacity to manage projects; and 2) abiding by the rules that exist to mitigate/eliminate potential conflict.
Further, the Ministry of Transport disagrees that due diligence was not carried out with respect to change orders but contends that all of the change orders were valid and required as these changes were the result of ongoing consultation with technical officers at TCD and other stakeholders that TCD invited to provide input. All change orders were documented, reviewed and justified. Most importantly they were certified by the certifying Engineer. The PAC Report appears to be inferring that the change order reviews and recommendations performed and provided by the professional engineering firm were not to be relied upon. This inference is unsupported by facts.
Disbursements of Funds:
The Government is pleased to note the PAC’s finding that some checks and balances in Government did actually function with regard to the disbursement of funds. Also the record will show that the Accountant-General was consulted with respect to process and confirmed that the bidding process applied was in compliance with Financial Instructions.
Operating Agreement:
TCD is assessing and collecting rents and utilities from BECL. Equipment repairs are paid for directly by BECL. The property tax and depreciation items are currently under review.
Remaining issues:
Mr. Speaker, the allegation of a “specific intent at the highest echelons of (the Ministry of Tourism and Transport) to give this contract to BECL irrespective of what Government rule had to be bent or broken” is extreme and unsupported on the facts.
Mr. Speaker, I note the PAC’s recommendation for them to be given the power to interview Ministers. Mr. Speaker, this decision is not the Minister of Finance’s and is for the House of Assembly or Speaker to determine. However Government considers that the relationships between Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are clearly defined in the Conditions of Employment and Code of Conduct. All Ministers and civil servants are familiar with this established protocol and it is basically adhered to. Also Financial Instruction makes it abundantly clear who the Accounting Officers are for each Department or Ministry. Financial Instructions emphasize the responsibilities of Accounting Officers, who must ensure that the financial systems which they are responsible for are operating in accordance with appropriate internal controls. This responsibility cannot be delegated.
Conclusion:
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for this opportunity to respond to the PAC Report on the Special Report of the Auditor General on the Motor Vehicle Safety and Emissions Testing Programme.
This Government appreciates that this process is an important component of the financial reporting accountability cycle within Government and will fulfill its duty to ensure that Government’s financial reporting and oversight and control functions are raised to optimal levels. The Government is prepared to explore with the Auditor General and the PAC those recommendations that, in its view will usefully enhance the framework, while at the same time respecting the legitimate authority of the Government and its legitimate policy objectives.
Thank you Mr. Speaker.
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Shadow Finance Minister Bob Richards speaks about the report:
I saw that Premier Cox was talking about the cost overun for TCD.
Here in Ontario the Govt. recognized that modern cars are clean and will now test only cars over 7 years old. That eliminates an unnecessary cost.
What are the time guidelines in BDA?
http://www.thespec.com/news/ontario/article/513414–province-offers-drive-clean-break
This is the verbal equivalent of having someone known to you breaking into your house and stealing your cheque book and credit cards.
They then go on a spending spree that bankrupts you . Your friends all say you’re sh*t out of luck because you knew the offender. You never get reimbursed and your friends tell you to stop worrying about it , just hide your credit cards and chequebook in a new place .
Or in other words …’Reset the dial’
The Premier is saying “I’m sorry”. Hey, I’m sorry too, but that is not good enough. This was all done on her watch. Paula Cox has not demonstrated ANY political will to prosecute those who may have stolen. And she has not promised to impliment an INDEPENDENT office of procurement to stop this happening again. The PLP hate any office which is independent and protected from govt insider corruption. The curruption we saw at TCD will happen again. And its going on right now elswhere (just wait). The PLP need to be made redundant in the next election. A new govt must be charged with making things right…and if they cannot do it, then they too will get the boot. Otherwize the cancer that grows in Bermuda will grow till its terminal. Take responsibility Bermuda, the govt will not be responsible for you. You must send the right message on election day. Otherwized your grand kids won’t have much more to play with other than sand on the beach.
** A new govt must be charged with making things right…and if they cannot do it, then they too will get the boot**
Unfortunately , any new government will be utterly and totally hamstrung trying to undo the damage caused by the PLP in 13 short years. The bulk of the electorate who continue to look for freebies and handouts from government to cover their own inability to make sensible choices and sacrifices to get ahead will be greatly pissed off in short order and vote the crooks back in again.
I don’t see your logic. If the masses vote in a new govt to halt the corruption, why will they (the masses) get all “pissed off” if they (the govt) stop it? If voters like the crooks and they like the “freebies” handed out by them, they will not vote for change in the first place.
And (to repeat) their grand children will have nothing more than sand to play with on the beach.
Madame Premier…and Honorable Members of Parliament.Honorable Auditor General and her Team.Thank you for your observations and valid Remarks.As a now Proud Bermudian that focuses on moving forward and improving the New Bermuda….I am encouraged to see that we will pledge to take us in that direction and pledge also to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative which is the key to any success.!I also understand that History is best qualified to reward all research.! Armed with these two controls and continuing to be ever Vigilant Bermuda will be in very good hands….! I only hope that any self serving present or wannabe Politicians are listening.I was told at a young age that a Pusher and a Preacher and a Politician are the same people….Self Serving…..today you spoke like a real Stateswoman ….like your father and a host of earlier good Public Servants of the People who proceeded you who had the public interest at heart… thank you.! Now I just hope we can find another 35..! That’s Positive ……the People will eliminate the Negative…one by one.Today we have a very Vigilant Public all of us…..Bermy Moving Forward….Proud to be a Bermudian.!
Sorry but she must explain how as Finance Minister she allowed these insane overruns to play out on her watch. It is absolutely unacceptable to give her a pass because she now heads this motley crew and makes promises after the well is dry…
If this happened at ACE she would have been fired and for her to, in an almost defiant manner, suggest that we need to move on because she said so, is arrogant,and as such, seriously vexing…
Most Bermudians, look at Premier Cox as a very educated women, a women of integrity, honesty, Loyalty, a real professional lady in every sense, a women with a good up-bringing, and with a good working background. She makes us proud to be a Bermudian. We will never know what really goes on in her mind, my own view is that she seems to be protecting something, i am not sure what this is, could it be the PLP Party, could it be the Bermudian, or could it be herself, what is it?
That has the makings of a good novel but the stark reality is that she was the MNINISTER of FINANCE when a great deal of this ‘stuff’ happened. Many people are potrayed in a positive light until that light becomes a spotlight. The good Minister has finally been fully measured and found wanting.If she was indeed protecting someone than she was complicit and if true, she is not worthy of holding any political office.
We really don’t know what went on in the past PLP administration, Is it corruption?, its all circumstantial evidence. Not even Bermuda Banks would be involved. The Auditor General cannot prosecute, that’s up to the BRITS.
Premier Paula Cox said she can “state with great conviction that there will be no repeat of this type of performance under this Government”. The problem is it is this Government, the same since 1998, that allowed the overspending, and she was Minister of Finance. No amount of resetting the dial or recalibrating can disguise the fact she was the one that allowed the overspending to take place. Not only TCD but the Dockyard Pier too. She allowed the no tendering contracts of large amounts of money to entities such as Global Hue. The common factors are Ewart Brown and Paula Cox, plus the remainder of Cabinet under the guise of Collective Responsibility. TCD is just a small part of the larger issue.
@ Shaking the Head,- I apologise at the outset for such a lengthy response.
Your comments are oft repeated by several people. The reality is that although this is the same government (i.e. PLP), there is a new administration (i.e. Premier Cox leadership). An objective observation will show that the PLP has had 4 distinct styles of leadership under Premiers Smith, Scott, Brown and now Cox. Each had a different emphasis and had differing results. On this basis, Premier Cox can easily and correctly state what will not happen under her watch – she is both Premier and Minister of Finance!!
Some may not understand but the following is the Government (Cabinet)decision process. As the Minister of Finance, Min Cox had input into most Cabinet decisions since Cabinet Ministers generally vote on Cabinet decisions. In the voting process however she (and all other Ministers) would only have one vote out of 12 or 13 (depending on how many Ministers there were). Based on this, a Minister’s individual opinion or thought would not necessarily be the end result that was decided by Cabinet (not even the Minister of Finance). Once Cabinet make a decision, the respective Minister is expected to support and carry out the decision. This is what is referred to as the collective responsibility of Cabinet – you may disagree and argue your point before a final decision is made but once the decision is made, you are required to support the decision and carry it out if it is in your Ministerial remit.
Some others have opined that the Minister of Finance has some Constitutional authority to veto Cabinet decisions but this is not the case. After all, Ministers serve at the pleasaure of the Premier. It then follows that any sustained disagreement between the Premier and Minister of Finance would likely result in the Minister of Finance being replaced by another MP. On that basis, it is clearly impossible for the Minister of Finance to hold some independant and Constitutionally guaranteed authority to veto Cabinet decisions.
As the current Premier and Minister of Finance, Premier Cox has considerably more authority and influence. In the first instance, she reserves the right to determine who will serve as her Ministers and can effectively fire anyone that she believes is no longer suitable to serve in her Cabinet. In addition, as the effective Chairman of Cabinet, she has the influence to determine what comes before Cabinet for consideration. On this basis she can refuse for Cabinet to consider anything that she does not generally agree with.
I grant that this is a long explanation but it is intended to show why the Premier can state with some confidence, what will and what will not occur under her administration.
Before anyone sends any unnecessary responses, the same thing applies with a company. If the shareholders or Board of Directors think the company is going in the wrong direction or needs a substantial change, you do not close the company, you replace the senior management, give new policy direction and hold them accountable for achieving the new goals.
In the instance of PLP, Dr. Brown publicly stated that he would serve a single term as Premier and Leader of the party. The process of electing a Leader for the PLP then ocurred and Premier Cox was chosen as Leader. Bermuda will have a say in her leadership at the next election. According to our electoral process, the election must be called prior to December 2012 – until then Premier Cox is both Premier and Leader of the PLP. She is Premier and Minister of Finance for at least the same period unless she decides otherwise.
Despite your lengthy posting , is there not a huge , no MASSIVE , contradiction between what you say and what PC is now saying in that ‘this won’t happen again’ ?
@ now for a short response
No my ‘lengthy posting’ is not a contradiction to what Premier Cox is saying. In fact, the posting clearly explains why what she is saying is TRUE.
If we use a sporting analogy, under Dr. Brown’s administration, she was a member of the team, albeit a senior member. Therefore she had some influence but clearly not the final say. In fact she could have been dismissed from the team at Dr. Brown’s (team captain and sole member of the selection committee) pleasure.
Under the current administration, she is team captain and has sole authority to select the team. This is clearly a much more significant role, which gives her the confidence to assert what she will and will not allow.
Agreed “Vote for me”. Paula Cox signed a deal, a contract if you will with the devil. Do what Dr. Brown says and she’ll become Premier. Bermuda is now paying a price for that contract. Her policy of appeasement blew up in our faces and now she/we has to deal with the fall-out. But ahhhh….she’s Premier…and that’s what’s important right!!!! This is why I cannot vote PLP. They don’t have the guts or the governance/framework to fight off another devil. The PLP is another time-bomb waiting to explode. And I guess after that another apology???…and another billion in debt???
@ Black Soil
Your comments about governance/framework donot reflect the facts. As a minimum, the PLP has introduced the new office of the Ombudsman, created the Office of the Internal Audit, strenthened the role of the Auditor General through additional staffing, introduced Good Governance Legislation on July 22, created a criminal offence for certain violations of Financial Instructions etc etc. Thus the governance framework for Beermuda has been significantly strengthened under teh PLP. To add to all this, the Governor has added his support to the improvements in governance in Bermuda that have been introduced by Premier Cox.
The Ombudsman has no real power (get real). The PLP did not create the Office of Internal Audit (how stupid/ignorant do you think I am). The Good Governance legislation is just eye candy. I want to see an INDEPENDENT office of Procurement and an INDEPENDENT Tourism Authority. Pass the legislation to create these 2 new corporate bodies and I will vote PLP. Otherwise I will continue to voice to my brothers and sisters that unless they are PLP insiders then they will be treated as second class citizens!! And as for the OBA…if they don’t start promising to set up these new corporate bodies then they cannot rely on my vote either. I don’t pay taxes so some idiot can pick their noses and watch TV!
@ Black Soil
The facts speak for themselves. The PLP did create the Office of Internal Audit. it was previously a small section within the Accountant General’s Dept. Perhaps you are mixing up INTERNAL Audit (Heather Stevens) with the EXTERNAL Auditor (Heather Jacobs Matthews)??
Take your long rant elsewhere …
@ Face the Nation
My respoonse is clearly not a rant. Rather it is a practical and factual explanation about the Cabinet decision process. One of my goals is to encourage voters to provide thoughtful commentary about Bermuda’s politics and politicians during this important time in our history. I respectfully submit that your response does not add to thoughtful or reasoned commentary
If you “One Liners” don’t have anything constructive to contribute to an intelligent conversation, then just don’t say anything. It just makes you sound incoherent and ignorant.
I would like to hear what David Saul has to say about your commentary..
@ Pepper
Not sure about your reference to Dr. Saul. Ask any former Minister, Premier, Cabinet Secretary, informed political commentator or good Civics teacher about my earlier comments about the Cabinet decision process. They will confirm that they are accurate. Note there are exceptions (the Uighars were a clear example) but most Cabinet decisions follow the process decribed earlier.
Time permitting I will explain (later) the Constitutional clause that has intentionally or unintentionally been used in the past to explain the role of the Finance Minister.
Your lengthy response is a smoke screen as well written as any piece of spin put out by the PLP. To say it is a new Government is grossly incorrect, at best it is a new administration headed by a different Premier who was a major part of the three previous administrations. As regards the Minister of Finance’s role, it is quite different to any other Cabinet Minister, despite Paula Cox’s attempt to portray herself as a mere cog. She holds the purse strings. She sets the Budgets and what each Ministry is allotted. She had the opportunity to take a stand and say publicly that what was going on, certainly within the Minsitry of Transport and Tourism, was in clear breach of Ministry procedures, controls and protocol and that she was resigning. That would have brought these matters to a head early on. Instead she remained silent and is now trying to show she was not part of the problem and is in fact the “saviour” by bringing in this new legislation. However the prospect of becoming The Premier overshadowed these responsibilities and she remained silent. Ewart Brown knew it and played her, and the others, very well. If Bermuda was a company she would have been fired after the first qualified audit, yet she is still here after three qualified audits, and hundresd of millions of dollars that can’t be verified. This is known as malfeasonance and that is being polite.
@ Shaking the Head
If you reread my initial response, you will find that you and I agree to some extent. I clearly explained that Premier Cox represents a different style of Leader and Premier from the previous 3 PLP Premiers. Clearly, there is no new GOVERNMENT. The PLP have been in power since 1998.
You are also correct that the Minister of Finance has a different role in terms of ‘holding the purse strings’. In this regard the Minister and Ministry of Finance are responsible for analysing potential revenue streams and setting the revenue estimate for the year. Once the overall estimate of revenues is determined, a similar process to what i described earlier takes place. Each Minister must convince Cabinet about their overall revenue requirements as part of the process for deciding the individual allocation of revenue to each department. Believe it or not this is also part of the Cabinet discussion and decision process. Thus whilst the Minister of Finance has a significnat role in this process, they are ultimately guided by Cabinet decisions.
Your comments about any decisions she may have made about resigning are correct. Clearly, any Minister, MP or Senator always reserves the right to resign their seat or Parliamentary responsibility. My only question in that regard is who would you have recommended as an alternate Minister of Finance for Dr. Brown, given that MP Terry Lister resigned from Cabinet?
Your comments about qualified audits needs clarification. I will check to find out which years received qualified audits and the basis for each of the qualifications (it is public knowledge).
Finally, your comment about ‘hundreds of milions of dollars that can not be verified’ is completely wrong. All government expenditures are easily verified since they are made via cheque or direct deposit. Whils there are differnt opinions about how much money was spent, the tendering process etc., that is a far cry from not knowing who authoriesed payments and who the recipient was. Just to be clear, the Premier and Ministers do not print, prepare or release government payments. Such processes are carried out by designated Accounting Officers and ultimately paid by the Accountant General’s Department.
We seem to be in agreement on a number of issues. Regarding your question about a replacment Minister of Finance, as you have pointed out in previous posts, the MP appointed to such a position is appointed by The Premier. Paula Cox probably thought that she should stay on because if she resigned Ewart Brown would have appointed another incompetent person, so he could continue his process of avoiding the rules and regulations. He would not have appointed someone who knew what they were doing, which leads us to the present situation where Paula Cox remains as Minister of Finance.
I’ll let you determine the years for the qualified audits and reasons.
You contend that my comments relating to millions of dollars that cannot be verified is completely wrong. I disagree. This was one of the reasons for the qualified audits. If money cannot be accounted for based on the records, it is not verified. Just because there is a cheque or direct debit only shows that the payment was made. It doesn’t show it was correctly authorised or in accordance with the rules and regulations.
Several years ago, the Minister of Finance made her “I’m only a cog” announcement. That was, if you recall, following her request for all Ministers to trim their spending by 20%. This was ignored, leading to her admission that she had no assistance from other Ministers and therfore no control over the taxpayers’ money (Government funds). More warning signs of a Government out of control.
That’s complete balls.
@ sandgrownan
What is ‘complete balls’? As noted previously, my goal is to engage in meaningful discussion. I respectfully submit that your comment does not add to meaningful discussion.
If you disagree with anything I have posted, please comment and I will offer further comment. In the event that I have posted something incorrect, I will gladly acknowledge your correction.
On a related note, this is the sort of bad example we are offering to our children these days. Rather than continue with meaningful discussion we effectively resort to ‘name calling’. For our children, this trnaslates to ineffective dispute resolution and physical altercations.
We seem to be in agreement on a number of issues. Regarding your question about a replacement Minister of Finance, as you have pointed out in previous posts, the MP appointed to such a position is appointed by The Premier. Paula Cox probably thought that she should stay on because if she resigned Ewart Brown would have appointed someone that would not exercise the same control over expenditure as she did which leads us to the present situation where Paula Cox remains as Minister of Finance.
The Auditor General issued qualified audits for 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. I haven’t looked at the first two but 2009-10 the accounts showed this “Mrs. Jacobs Matthews noted that her Auditor’s Opinion on the 2009/10 Consolidated Fund financial statements was qualified, as it had been in the previous year when there were serious deficiencies in internal control over the management of various development projects.
She explained that the deficiencies led her to question the appropriateness of certain transactions and the underlying value of assets as at March 31, 2009. “As a consequence of last year’s qualification, and without the benefit of an independent professional valuation on the assets in question, I am still unable to determine whether adjustments might be necessary to tangible capital assets, assets under construction and the accumulated deficit as at March 31, 2010.” You contend that my comments relating to millions of dollars that cannot be verified is completely wrong. I disagree based on the qualification. If money cannot be accounted for based on the records, it is not verified. Just because there is a cheque or direct debit only shows that the payment was made. It doesn’t show it was correctly authorised or in accordance with the rules and regulations.
Several years ago, the Minister of Finance made her “I’m only a cog” announcement. That was made, I believe, following her request for all Ministers to trim their spending by 20%. This was apparently ignored leading to her admission that she had no assistance from other Ministers. This seems to indicate she had little control over the taxpayers’ money (Government funds) and in my opinion more warning signs of a Government not in total control.
Thank you.. Finally some who understands EXACTLY what is going on… Premier Cox and former Premier Brown OFTEN we at odds regarding what he wanted to do.. but as you stated IT IS THE PREMIER that has the final say… I too believe that Premier has Bermuda’s best interest at heart and believe that she is a fair and honest woman, and will not compromise her convictions for no one… family or other wise… (I have seen this for my self)… she believes that what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong…
Then Madam Premier should have resigned, in protest, when he was trampling all over us. That big paycheck, and the perks, just makes people morally bankrupt. You have to be vocal, and seen to be vocal. Frederick Wade, Austin Thomas and Dame Lois would have never let Dr. Brown get away with the nonsense he did get away with.
Er..no. She could have stopped the overspending. But unfortunately, party comes before country with the PLP.
@ sandgrownan
Er..no. Her alternative would have been to resign. As per my earlier post, who would you have recommended as an alternative Minister of Finance, given that MP Lister resigned from Cabinet?
^who would you have recommended as an alternative Minister of Finance, given that MP Lister resigned from Cabinet?^
Where have you been living ? Under a rock ? Don’t you recall the PLP mantra after the ’98 election ?
‘The talent pool is soooooo deep’ … remember ? That’s why all we’ve ever seen since they got elected is the same 8-10 people holding ministerial portfolios..
So , it’s either a lack of talent and expertise or a big , big demonstration of the divide within the party .
By the way , the ‘talent pool’ is about as deep as a small puddle after a summer shower.
Party comes before country for all political parties, including the one you support. This is the problem with “Party Politics” You followers seems to think that only the other party has a problem but surly not the one you support.
You all need to get of off of this ignorant Band Wagon and stop the pulling and tugging, this will only sink us in a deeper hole.
there will be no repeat..cause there is no more money to repeat with
It’s called..’save your butt’. Too late. Somewhere down the road, whistles will be blowing and there will be no “Party Hats”. Mark my word.
So Paula A Cog can now “state with great conviction that there will be no repeat of this type of performance under this Government.” She has already given all our money away so it’s impossible to give away any more. In fact she has given away all of our grand children and great grand children’s money so for her to say she won’t do it again gives me no comfort. Hey Paula you’re supposed to close the barn BEFORE the horse bolts.
She keeps referring to “this government” as if it’s something different from last year’s government! Same old BS artists in different posts that’s all.
Too little, too late. We are now in dire straits. Some PLP Ministers, and some Senior Civil Servants, demonstrated a real FEAR of Dr. Brown. How else can I characterize it? They just sat there and let him run roughshod over everyone and everything. Everyone talked behind his back, but no one STOPPED him. So, any actions now are just laughable election ploys. You should have done this while things were being done irregularly, not after. And Civil Servants, please don’t even bother to respond. I did say ” some”, so don’t take offense.
@ B, a Lady
The Governor apparently thinks otherwise – see his commnets in Mondays RG!!
Maybe, but they were still afraid of one man. A downright embarrassment at how afraid they all were. In retrospect, it is actually laughable.
@ B, a Lady,
I think Dr. Brown’s administration definitely qualifies for a ‘text book case study’ in any political science course. He clearly came with an agressive ‘in your face style of leadership’ that left many in his wake. History will determine how he is remembered. Love him or not, he came and went like a worldwind!!
As a person who divided Bermuda while engaging in self enrichment on a massive scale?
More ignorance. Dr. Brown did not divide Bermuda, that was done by “Party Politics” from it’s inception in Bermuda and beyond. You are recognizing the symptom not the ailment. Then again, this is what emotion does to he afflicted, it inhibits rational thinking.
Something he used well against all Bermudians like it or not he may not have created the divide between us but he did fan the flames for his advantage as we spent more time talking sh#t to and about each other while he plundered the country. Contrary to what others think of him he was not that successful in the private world his wife was rich not him.
LOL
This presrnt Governor needs to replaced and the sooner the better…he seems to have condoned what the former premier and his select few got away with..
We need to have someone look into the possible corruption that might have went on under the former premier…. what are we waiting for ? next we will have Michael Misick here as a consultant..
@ Pepper
Replace the Governor??? Are you proposing independence? Now that is a stretch. He is the Queen’s representative for Bermuda. Whilst his comments this week were somewhat surprising, he has at least 3 offices at his disposal to act in any areas he deems necessary, all appointed by him – the Police Commissioner, The Auditor General and the Judiciary (Judges).
Why do you want to get rid of him? If I recall correctly, he will keep a watching brief on the pending trials of Burrows et al and Curtis.
The Governor seems to be on the same wave-length as Dr. Brown, this too shall pass. No Troops will be after either.
Don’t be so quick to think The Governor is on the same wave length. Supporting new legislation is one thing. His role is not to look after Bermuda’s inept practices, but he does have a role if there is corruption. However that determination has to come from the police/DPP or similar. If he took unilateral action, imagine the resulting repurcussions from Government/PLP about British interference/colonial masters/etc etc.
@ Shaking the head
Good morning – we do seem to have some thoughts in common. Anyone who thinks the Governor in any way condones the actual or purported actions of Dr. Brown clearly has a short memory. The recent issue with the Uighars must rank amongst the most embarassing moments between the UK and a Bermuda Premier – I am sure there is no love lost between the two.
Once again, we must seek as best as possible to be historically accurate and logically consistent with our comments.
It will be interesting to see if the Governor makes any further comment. We also do not know exactly what context the Governor used for his comments – I think we were all influenced by the RG headline.
Just imagine if there was a universal cry for the Governor to be removed from both the PLP and OBA, albeit for different reasons – they say one way to make foes cooperate is to give them a common enemy!
I am not proposing independence…but I think this Governor is a whimp.. In my opinion he has allowed a lot of corruption to happen under his watch….. and now he is supporting Paula Cox…and yes I think he should be replaced…. and I do not give a rats ass if he a queens representive… we need a governor that has balls to take action when he needs to…and so far these GOVERNORS are having a good time on our dime…
@ Pepper
My initial thought was to ignore your post. What facts do you have to support any allegation that the Governor has allowed a lot of corruption to occur under his watch? This is a very serious allegation. Surely you are not alleging tha the Governor had some knowledge of corruption and was somehow involved!!
Every Governor since the assasination of Sir Richard Sharples in ’73 has been acutely aware that they are only here as a figurehead , nothing more , nothing less. No speaky out on ANYTHING !
Sharples , who was barely even here long enough to say ‘hello’ could have been the best Governor Bermuda had ever seen , a kind and genuine fellow.
With all the looney tunes running around now we’ll never have a Gov who has the best for Bermuda at heart. Just get my time in and collect the nice pension , thenqew veddy much !
Premier the problem that you now must wrestle with is how on earth did you allow Former Premier DREB to tarnish not your reputation but peoples belief in your ability to Govern effectively now that finally you hold the reins .
If you are serious about restoring peoples confidence in you than I would suggest that all and every legal avenue must be exhausted in order to bring to justice Your Predecessor , who , in the eyes of the public undertook some very shady business practices , and who indeed left office like a backward riding cowboy .
@Face the Nation
It is interesting to note that Premier Cox won the vote for PLP Leader (and ultimately Premier) by a substantial majority when challenged by MP Lister. Thus the Party’s confidence in her was (is) very high. Bermuda’s overall confidence in Premier Cox will be tested at the next General Election, which must be called before December 2012.
In terms of using ‘every legal avenue’, I wnat to remind you and other voters what the legal avenues are. Firstly (and it is a very big first) there must be a basis for making any allegations of wrong doing. We must then determine if there was any criminal wrong doing.
In the first instance, the Accountant General is responsible for the overall recording of all financial and related matters of the government. Thereafter the Accountant General is required to prepare financial statements in the prescribed form. In the instance of any wrongdoing, the Accountant General or other appropriate authority can report any wrong doing to the Police for criminal investigation. We have seen a few of these instances in the recent past.
The ‘independent financial watch dog’ for Bermuda is the Auditor General. They are independently appointed by the Governor (not by the government) and must audit the financial and related activities of the Government on an annual basis. If there is any indication or evidence of wrong doing, they reserve the right to refer the matter to the Police for criminal investigation.
An additional authority to each of these is the Internal Audit Department. They have an internal responsibility to review any matters that may come to their attention. Whilst reporting to the Premier, they are independent from the Accountant General.
Recent legistlation under the PLP has strengthened the role of the Auditor General and the Internal Auditor. The most recent change whereby infringement of Financial Instructions may be a criminal offence represents a defacto increase in the authority of the Accountant General.
In addition to all these processes, we have the new Office of the Ombudsman (under the PLP), which has investigatory authority over certain financial transactions of the government. Any final reports may be referred to the Speaker of the House of Assembly and subsequently laid before the House of Assembly for discussion or debate.
On the basis of the foregoing, there are several legal avenues to investigate any suspected or actual wrong doing and we have to wait to see the results of these various investigations (if any) before we can give a final comment. What we see in Bermuda at the moment is a rush to judgement based on hearsay or opinion as opposed to fact. Thus we will have to wait to see if any criminal charges are brought against anyone and the resulting prosecution of the offences.
I beleive an objective review of the various steps and statements by Premier Cox will clearly show that she has taken measured and determined steps to resolve any wrong doing, whilst at the same time ensuring that we follow the rule of law.
Underpinning all of this is the need to preserve the overall reputation of Bermuda. We need to be very careful about making unfounded allegations of wrongdoing or corruption. We must remember that is takes a very long time to build a solid reputation. Unfortunately, destroying a reputation is a lot faster!!
Paula..is this you?
@ Vote
As You have demonstrated your intimate knowledge of the inner workings of Party Politics and your impressive command of both legislative and judicial review , Please enlighten those of us who may be interested , in the recent process of the choosing of The Premier over Minister Lister . Include all of the currying of favor ( if you will ) of the Delegates who actually made the ultimate decision .
@ Face the Nation
As far as I am aware Premier Cox followed whatever guidelines govern the process and acted accordingly – just as any other candidate for an office. To help me, please be more specific about any other facts you are referring to – enquiring minds want to know…
Pay attention and read the Person’s post with objectivity. He his divulging information, factual ones at that, and as such, I scene that this is someone that is not a “Party Loyalist”. Not because someone gives you information that does not support your views, does not make them PLP.
Sands .. I think he’s another one of those ‘plants’ from the US who they got to infiltrate the local blog sites in the run up to the last election ..
So , for Rob below , you probably wouldn’t be able to vote for him ..
@ a Clue? No need to think, I am a Bermudian voter – no plant.
The Accountant General —–you mean (Joyce Hayward)who was ordered by Marc Telemaque to “just make it happen”?
Desparate words from a desparate woman. Is this not the same Finance Minister who assured Bermudians time & time again that projects from Berkley on to this day were being managed in a responsible manner? Somebody please tell us what makes her, or her cabinet (same people as before) worthy of trust now.
If there was an inquiry into the activity of Brown, which would also drag Cox into it, & a real effort to repatriate the millions squandered away & locking up those responsible & benefiting from the waste, then she might have some credibility.
Until then it is just more electioneering blah blah blah.
Only the sheeple will lap it up. Trouble is, the herd seems to be thining.
paula Cox is trying to cover her butt …she knows she may be in trouble over the over spending !!!and else for our governor coming out and supporting our premier !!!!!!!!!ge is covering his ass also…where is the F.C.O. IN ALL OF THIS MESS ?
The kitty is empty….easy promise after the fact of her own original lack of control as Finance Minister. Nice barn but the horses have been gone^^
I am very proud of our Premier and this government for the stance they have taken. Don’t be deterred by the naysayers and ‘haters’. Most of those with negative comments wouldn’t support the PLP anyway. Stay focused on doing your job and the people will be with you!
This is what you get when you mix sheep dip with kool-aid.
Indeed ! haha
Many of these naysayers and haters voted PLP over the last few elections. I used to be proud of Premier Cox and even sat in her presence at light unofficial socials but when you let a COUNTRY reach the point that it is in while you are on watch then something is wrong and I have now lost my faith in her. I for one had woken up long ago and will vote otherwise in the next election. I decided to love my country more than a political party and when the sheeple wake up and do the same, they will vote accordingly.
Proud,it is people like you that the P.L.P. ARE DEPENDING ON TO WIN THE NEXT ELECTION, take the blinders off..and can you tell me why you are proud of our Premier ?
Pure and utter nonsense Madame Premier…it amazes me and I include myself that we as a people allow the total mismanagement, actually diversion of the people’s money to the bank accounts of a select few during the last few years…there can be all kinds of studies and reports and absolutely nothing will be done about the findings…its to late, the money is gone, those pockets have been lined and the current Government says “it will be no repeat”…pure and utter nonsense….what about the Lois Brown building in which 30% of the contract price was awarded to a Trust…what kind of crap is that….what government in this world awards a sizable contract worth millions of dollars and with millions in excess of the original price to a Trust where the beneficiaries are not known to the people…oh yes, Mr Burgess said he did his due diligence on the Trust..I must be stupid, oh yes, we are as that was how they were able to get away with raping the treasury because they know we as a people will accept it all until it hits our door step…well its here and it happened on your watch Madame Premier….you allowed this to happen and now we have over a billion dollars in debt and now we have to borrow money to service the debt…people of Bermuda, it will get worse when our revenues dwindle and the government starts to raise our taxes…we as a country will suffer when we miss our first note payment and the note holders call in their notes….I voted PLP and will never vote for them again until Madame Premier is gone from off the hill and we know that will never happen…people, she allowed this to happen, she held the purse strings, cog or no cog, Madame Premier, you let this happen, respectfully, please resign…Bob Richards and his committee members are useless…now we have $100k contract to Ms Webb, $250k for an Insurance executive not sure if he knows anything else but captive insurance management and he was hired to do what again, $150k plus to that vocal fella for what, report on clubs, help our people fill out forms to travel to the USA…people lined their pockets and massed it as cost overruns…Bob, you couldn’t figure that out…yes I am all over the place because our government wants to sweep it all under the carpet and say ‘it will be no repeat”…pure and utter nonsense…better take my pressure pill…
Hope your pressure pill is not from India ..and I agree with you Paula Cox is a joke…and her consultants that is another matter !!!why would she hire an 85 year old as a consultant ….I think his name was Brimmer……this P,L.P under her leadership is doomed..
@ Pebblebeach
You are correct about being all over the place. My previous post explained the Cabinet decision process under the current PLP and past UBP.
Your commments about awarding a substantial contract to a blind trust are interesting. We will have to wait and see if the ultimate beneficiaries are revealed.
My comment to your post is that the current debt and past cost over runs are actually separate. The overall debt arises from certain capital projects (TCD, Dockyard pier, Berkeley etc,) plus certain social and economic investments by the government (free Bda College tuition, free bus service, free daycare for certain individuals, duty relief for certain businesses, the payroll tax roll back etc.)
Cost over runs would have made the current debt higher than it otherwise would have been but they are not the actual cause of the debt. For example if the TCD project should have cost $14m and it actually cost $15m, then only $1m of the current debt can be attributed to TCD, not $15m.
With issues such as TCD, we have to separate any questions about the tendering process and other wrongdoings from the need for a new TCD. One way to resolve that is to have a professional assessment of the final building at TCD by a quantity surveyor or other professional. They will then be able to give a good estimate of the final value of the structures. Once that is done, we will know whether or not Bermuda received value for money – that is the most critical question for tax payors. The other questions about who built the building etc are important but in some ways separate from a discussion about Bermuda’s current debt.
PS – no need for a pill; that is the easy way out. Try to get some exercise in Bermuda’s beautiful fresh air.
@ Vote for Me, You seem to speak with so much passion and information, why on Earth do you hide your name? I would definitely vote for you but i fear you are someone we know quite well, i hope you are just a PLP supporter.
Here is another cost over-run for your Books. http://www.bermuda.org.uk/the_scandal.htm
@Rob says
My passion arises from my genuine concern for Bermuda. So many of the posts are based on unsupported opinions and I think with a little effort and some time, we can all do some research and comment on publicly available information. From there we can draw logical conclusions, such as one of teh posts frm Shaking the Head @ 7:49am. Whilst I may not always agree with other people’s opinions, i will grant them credit for at least reaching plausible conclusions based on facts.
@ Vote for me,
Thank you for your response. May i ask what Party you vote for?
@ Rob – not sure what you mean by ‘I fear you are someone we know quite well.’ I am a Bermudian voter with a keen interest in Bermuda today and tomorrow, for me and my family’s future.
With respect to my name, I am following the trend of other posts. My preference would be for Bernews and others to require all of us to reveal our names when we post. Whilst such a requirement would reduce the number of posts, it would also eliminate the totally offensice (e.g. profanity) that is occassionally posted.
It was also remove the only protection some have from PLP insiders such as…er..i don’t know..how about Senator Furbert!
@ Sandgrownan
Please explain your point further. We should be speaking to the message. The messenger is not relevant. My encouragement is for everyone to simply provide factual comments or at least reasoned comments or logical conclusions based on any information they may have.
Not really fear, I just get the feeling that your posts are extremely defensive, very fast too.
@ Vote For Me…Your words go unread. Every thing you said is true and while most posters try to come off as informed the ether don’t know the basics of how our political system works or purposely try to mislead the public. The Funny thing is that they still attempt to talk their rhetoric after you put the facts out there. Unless they can’t read or understand they are a waste of time as anything said will not be taking as it should.
Premier Cox is on the ball.
[sarcasm alert]Absolutely true. After all, as Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier she had absolutely no responsibility for anything that happened under her watch.[end sarcasm]
As for facts, she’s provided none. As always she’s making the right noises it’s a given that no-one will ever be brought to task for the mispent millions, whether it’s TCD, Berkeley, the Court House, the pier at Dockyards, or anything else.
Truth. I can handle the truth…Cox has a lot to answer to !!!but will she have to answer to why she allowed the former premier who had nothing when he became premier…and to end up with homes all over the world !!!!!!!!!
The premier and finance minister should resign.. because she allowed this to happen under her watch as the FINANCE MINISTER !!!!!! but now we have our governor supporting her ??
You have to understand that these folks are so wrapped up in their support for their party, they are totally incapable of seeing or understanding the truth, even if it fell on their heads like a tonne of bricks. I Blame Party Politics for this brain wash.
Was talking to Vote for me so I don’t know the “she” you are referring to. If its Madam Premier your referring to you proved my point as far as reading peoples post.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! boooyah!!!!!!!!!!!!! people are sooo funny! READ people… read!
So, who’s head is going to roll?
Simple question…. Needs a simple answer (the public needs to know)
You people are jokers.
If electon called tomorrow, u will all go and line up to vote for Jp Mp, Premier Paula Cox
I agree Global Village..the majority will vote for the cog…and what is so sad is that that we Bermudians black and white will have to pay the price…. the premier has allowed the corruption of the former premier to do what he did…and look how he screwed us….and paula was just a cog….and now she has the blessing of of our Governor…….
@ Pepper
This is exactly the type of comment I will always respond to. Any prospective candidate for office must fundamentally respect the voters. We cannot say or infer that the voters are thoughtful, sensible, well informed etc if they vote as you want (UBP/OBA) but then infer that they lack common sense, vote emotionally or vote on racial lines if they vote for someone else (PLP).
Democracies are based on candidates being able to convince the electorate about their suitability to govern the jurisdiction. If you fundamentally disrespect the voters (effectively calling them ignorant) how can you legitimately expect to govern in their best interests.
I also reiterate one of my earlier comments. Allegations of corruption are very serious and I have not seen any published facts that support such allegations. We need to be mindful of the image we project in the international arena about Bermuda. It is very difficult to rebuild a reputation that has been tarnished as corrupt – even if the allegations are never proven. In this regard, let us be careful not to ‘cut off our nose to spite our face’.
Hi Vote for me, i would be very interested to know what your views are on Dr.Brown. in a nut shell of course. while in office do you think he was corrupt?
Do you not feel that this scandal alone are not facts enough to support the allegations. http://www.bermuda.org.uk/the_ scandal.htm
Corr. http://www.bermuda.org.uk/the_scandal.htm
Im confused, isn’t TCD supposed to be an emissions facility??? Does anyone know what the emissions standard for Bermuda is? Has anyone failed the emissions test? All I know we are getting charged for this “service”. I read the auditors report and it said that BECL were supposed to come up with a standard. 4 years later where is the standard? The common theme here is that nothing is going to be done, sadly I have to agree. All the persons involved in this TCD fiasco have either retired, been promoted etc. Didn’t the auditor general recommend that someone be fined for not following financial instructions? Wait to hell freezes over cause it seems like no one was following financial instructions and everyone is covering up for what is blatantly obvious. One can only blame so much on the past premier, personal accountablity and integrity of many but not all senior civil servants leaves much to be desired.
Governments worldwide are guilty of mis-management of capital projects; The PLP and UBP are also guilty. But does this make the PLP incompetent financial or economic managers? NO, as in this case so would the UPB/OBA. Capital projects is only one measurement of government overall performance. Government has succeeded in many other areas with great success. To measure a government in one particular area is unjustified.
A review of the UBP/OBA’s record will reflect miss-management of capital projects as well. However, it is apparent that when this government does anything it is perceived by some as acting in sinister evil way. But, as this is their political strategy to gain votes from black middle class, it may also backfire as well. The black squeeze middle class are also becoming more aware, as I am one of them. Let’s not try to paint a picture of government in a negative way to gain votes. This government cares about its people, and has made investments in its people. It one carefully examines Mr Richards recommends opens the floodgates, it does include anything for the Bermudians, but seeks to promote the interest of those that already financial establish or nonBermuidan.
Why was the UBP/OBA not investigated for overruns and mis-management of major capital projects? I am sure a careful evaluation would reveal much of the same. In the future Capital projects will require a different approach for overall management.
The Hon. Premier keep focus as the political pundits will have their say, but you will do what must be done !!
“This government cares about its people” what has that to do with the mismanagement of funds that has been going on in this administration, we all care and try to protect our PEOPLE.