UDP Refutes PPM

Hon McKeeva Bush	Hon Kurt Tibbetts

by Alan Markoff

Friday, May 7, 2004

Following the announcement on Wednesday morning that Government had agreed to suspend the statutory Standing Order time requirements for questions and motions in the Legislative Budget Meeting, the Leader of Government Business, Hon McKeeva Bush, refuted claims made a day earlier by the People’s Progressive Movement (PPM).

On Tuesday, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Kurt Tibbetts, wrote to the Acting Governor James Ryan protesting the fact the short notice, which was given on Monday, of the Budget Meeting would not allow for questions to be asked and motions to be made.

Normally parliamentary questions must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the commencement of the Legislative Assembly Meetings. Motions must be submitted five clear days beforehand.

However, in suspending the Standing Orders, Government has agreed to allow the questions to come within two weeks after the start of the Meeting, and motions to come five clear days after the Meeting begins reading of Budget Statement on Friday.

In the letter to the Acting Governor, Mr Tibbetts asserted that United Democratic Party (UDP) was undertaking an “orchestrated effort… to handicap the role and function of the Opposition.”

He also indicated that the PPM would lodge a complaint with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and to apprise the international media “of the state of democracy in the Cayman Islands under the UDP regime” if the Meeting proceeded without the Opposition having the opportunity to ask questions and make motions.

However, in a telephone interview with Cayman Net News on Wednesday, Mr Bush said that the short notice had nothing to do with infringing on the rights of the Opposition.

“With the financial law taking effect, the whole Budget Year has changed,” he said.

“We are required by law to have the Budget passed by the end of June, and we didn’t want to take the chance of waiting until next month for the Budget Meeting and not getting it done in time.”

The UDP leader said that other changes had also occurred. “The Throne Speech, which used to be delivered in February or March, will now be given at the beginning of the fiscal year in July.”

Mr Bush scoffed at the PPM’s letter to Mr Ryan. “I don’t know what they (the PPM) are complaining about since they knew the system had changed because they were part and parcel of passing the new law. They just want to take any little anthill and make it into a mountain.”

According to Mr Bush, the Government was only acting expeditiously. “We had the Budget ready, so we said ‘let’s go ahead.’ We were willing to suspend Standing Orders to give the Opposition time to ask their questions. We’re not taking away anyone’s privileges.”

One aspect of the PPM’s letter to Mr Ryan in particular upset Mr Bush. “They are so overambitious to take on the Government that they are prepared to hurt the country by making spurious allegations to the international media,” he said.

In order to ensure that the Budget is passed in time, Mr Bush said that Government had decided that Sittings in the House for the Budget Meeting would be extended until 10 pm. “We gave (the Opposition) notice that we are willing to work late to get things done,” he said.

Mr Tibbetts said in a telephone interview the Opposition had no problem with working late. “It’s not a question of whether we’re willing to do what we have to do, but it shouldn’t have to be done in this manner, with 12-hour work shifts, on a matter that is so important for the country.”

The Leader of the Opposition said he believed that the Budget Meeting was called so hastily because the Government was running behind schedule.

“First off, the Public Management and Finance Law called for the estimates to be presented by the first of May, so obviously the Government is late in that presentation.”

Offering a speculation as to why the Government had not prorogued the 2003 Session of the House and started the Budget Meeting in the 2004 Session, Mr Tibbetts said he thought it was because the Government then did not have to give the normal notice for commencement of the Meeting.

“I think they are running two weeks behind, which in my view is why they have done it the way they have done it.”

While satisfied that the Opposition would have the opportunity to ask questions and make motions during the Budget Meeting with the suspension of Standing Orders, Mr Tibbetts was not pleased with the method.

“It certainly doesn’t bode well for parliamentary procedure,” he said. “Now you’ll have questions being presented in the middle of the Meeting, which only exacerbates the situation.”

Mr Tibbetts said he saw the solution as “simple crisis management.”

“They should have been able to deal with this situation sooner,” he said, “but this has become the norm.”

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