Comments on: ‘Hiring Consultants: What Are The Guidelines?’

By: Ralph

Ralph — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:21:21 +0000

It’s impressive that you are getting thoughts from this piece of writing as well as from our discussion made here.

By: Common Sense

Common Sense — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 02:41:20 +0000

I fully agree that the newspaper or the media should have followed up with Minister Lister to get HIM to answer the question, but I suspect that they may have tried and failed to get a response from him. You say the facts are clear but I beg to differ. It is clear that the Premier has put a stop to the hiring of Mr. Santucci because the Review Committee rules had not been followed – and for that I applaud the Premier who has demonstrated her intention to do the right thing.

However, if Minister Lister had entered into any kind of legal agreement or contract with Mr. Santucci (after all it was the Minister who made the announcement) then it is distinctly possible that Mr. Santucci might be able to ask for compensation for having acted in good faith. It was presumably not his fault that the Minister acted outside the rules. Unless “Can you Read? Says” is an official spokesman for the Government, or has inside information to which the public is not privy, then he or she cannot say for sure that there was no contractual arrangement. I know this is a difficult concept to grasp but the best way to deal with a question such as this is to answer it honestly. Even “Can you Read? says” cannot in all honesty say that Minister Lister has been forthcoming in this matter. In fact he has been just the opposite and I have to wonder why.

By: Can you Read?

Can you Read? — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:36:28 +0000

1) Santucci didn’t resign, he took a leave of absence
2) I think the rest speaks for itself. I find it interesting that the newspaper never followed up with Lister (makes more sense to keep up the drama in the government i guess) to get HIM to answer that question.
3) Again the facts are clear, He was never hired, and therefore i think it goes to say that there is no contractual arrangement.

By: Common Sense

Common Sense — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:48:39 +0000

@Can You Read – Yes. I can read quite well and I read that Minister Terry Lister stated that “Mr. Santucci is to be a consultant for a period of 4 months …..” Minister Lister has never retracted that statement as far as I have read! So, my question is simple and easy to answer . Was there any contractual arrangement between the Minister and Mr. Santucci and if so has it simply been cancelled or is there a price to pay! I note that Mr. Santucci was also recorded as saying that he had resigned from his position as Chairman of the PLP during the 4 month period. This is not something made up by the Opposition. It’s based on statements made exclusively by Government Ministers.

By: On The Rocks

On The Rocks — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:44:06 +0000

C’mon this is an easy question to answer. If the premier is OK with anything then it happens. This is the “process”. You see Mr. & Mrs. Bermuda, the king is (gone?) and the new monarch Paula Cox is the new queen. The new monarch as said she is a good person and we should all therefore vote for her tribe. This is why Bermuda has been labeled as “politically unstable” by the international community.

By: Can you Read?

Can you Read? — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:28:55 +0000

Agreed!

By: Can you Read?

Can you Read? — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:27:13 +0000

Did you not read? The answer is number 1, the creep was never hired. This is like the police saying someone isn’t murdered and everyone else things that its something different. Donald Scott says he was never hired, and the Premier says that he was never hired, and yet you still ask if he was hired.. Whats the issue?

By: longtail

longtail — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:57:48 +0000

“Shadow Justice Minister Trevor Moniz has asked about Government’s process of hiring consultants, saying the public should know what the guidelines are.” Maybe some Ministers need to know too!!

By: Common Sense

Common Sense — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:43:13 +0000

I have no connection with the OBA but I have a question that I would really like to have answered by the Premier. It is perfectly clear that Mr. Santucci was not subject to the Review Committee process, but it does appear that he was hired as a consultant by Minister Lister. Could we, the public, now be advised as to whether or not there was any contractual arrangement or agreement between Minister Lister and Mr. Santucci, and if so is there to be any payment or renumeration to be paid to Mr. Santucci even if he will not be providing his consultancy services to Government. We should be entitled to know the answer to this question under the Freedom of Information legislation and the answer should be simple. It has to be one of the following:-

1. “No. There was no written agreement and no liability on the Government to make any payment/s to Mr. Santucci”;
2. “Yes, there was a contract or written agreement but he will not be paid because the contract did not conform with the Review Committee rules”, or
3. “Yes. There was a written agreement, and despite the fact that Mr. Santucci will not be providing his services he is still entitled to, and will be paid in order to honour the written agreement.”

Can someone, anyone, in Government please answer this very simple question without resorting to obfuscation or avoidance of the issue.

By: crap

crap — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:17:54 +0000

I am well aware from close up that there are foreign consultants in places while Bermudian Consultants and workers have been let go and by the way kept foreign managers while bermudian ones have been let go. Immigration are aware but nothing done.

By: Watching!

Watching! — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:56:48 +0000

There are no guidelines….i know of a foreigner who has a contract when a fully qualified Bermudian is available BUT because he is friends with a few in Government he keeps his contract. Immigration is weak and at the disposal of what Government says…simple as that! Bermuda for Bermudians….ha what a hyprocrital joke!

By: Rockfish#1 and#2

Rockfish#1 and#2 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:54:13 +0000

typo. isn’t that difficult—-

By: Rockfish#1 and#2

Rockfish#1 and#2 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:52:33 +0000

@ Terry,
After carefully reading all his/her posts on all topics, it insn’t that difficult to conclude what the aim is!(Goebbels?) Having said that, I will be generous and grade him/her a C-. More research is required, eg. appointed consultants V competitive bidding for contracts. There are several more “gaffes”but the point is made. He /she certainly tries to earn the cheque.

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:13:43 +0000

Vote….yah sow full of crep………..

Your a PLP Troll…..

Consultant………

Ever hear of Santucci, denial is a beach and your feet are covered with seaweed and sand.

By: Vote for Me

Vote for Me — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:46:27 +0000

I believe this is a relevant question to be asking and I trust that a timely answer is forthcoming since the participants are Civil Servants. A speedy answer would also prevent the typical conspiracy theories from developing.

I do believe, however, that the broader question should be how many consultants are currently engaged by government, with start dates later than November 1, 2010 (the approximate date of appointment for Mr. Scott as Cabinet Secretary)? The follow up question is then – of those consultants engaged since that date, how many were vetted by the new Review Committee?

If asked, these questions should solicit the appropriate answers without reverting to personal attacks. For example MP Moniz is asking about Webb, Commissiong and Brown but has not asked about MP Richards who is also known (via his company) to be a government consultant.

The other relevant point is for the voters not to get caught in the trap of thinking that all consultants are bad. The reality is that engaging consultants typically saves any organisation money because they are able to get the expertise they require for the time required, without the burden of having the consultant on staff for an extended period (i.e. you save on pension, payroll tax and other employee overheads).

Clearly the prerequisite for hiring the consultant is for them to have the experience to complete the task they are hired to do. Based on Mr. Scott’s previous statement, the Review Committee is doing its job in that regard.