Much has been made about the Cayman Islands’ success in implementing a freedom of information law – from start to finish – while the Bermuda Government still twiddles its thumbs in secretive internal deliberation. But, the Cayman Islands have sought to further differentiate themselves in “good governance”. Last summer, they also a passed an [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Reform'
Anti-Corruption Law
January 12th, 2009 · Comments Off · Accountability, Islands, Reform
Tags:Cayman Islands
Senate Rubber Stamp
December 19th, 2008 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Reform
The Senate rubberstamped the Bermuda Bar Amendment Act today. It says something about Bermuda that a law that regulates a “trusted advisor” role is weakened … against the advice of the “trusted advisors” it is intended to govern! It also says something that this law was given priority of passage through Parliament, when it currently [...]
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Senate Quality Control
December 18th, 2008 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Reform
It is rare in any country to have a public law passed for the benefit of a single person. It says a lot about the PLP’s priorities. I’ve already commented on the new Bermuda Bar Amendment Act 2008 that was ramrodded through Parliament to allow a bankrupt lawyer to continue practicing. Members of the Bermuda [...]
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What Makes PATI Good?
December 14th, 2008 · Comments Off · Accountability, Reform
The Bermuda Government has been promising a Public Access to Information law for many years now. the promise seems to get reiterated whenever the heat picks up regarding transparency, but then fades into the background again. The facts show that it’s not a priority for the PLP. Meanwhile, other countries move ahead one after the [...]
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Saying vs Doing
December 12th, 2008 · Comments Off · Accountability, Reform, Transparency
The Cayman Islands Freedom of Information Law 2007, will come into force on January 5, 2009. Cayman Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said Cayman was one of the few countries in the world that had sought public participation during all stages of the conception and implementation of their FOI law and regulations. “As shown [...]
Splinter
November 21st, 2008 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics, Reform
The Bermuda Sun today has an article about disaffected young members of the PLP and the party’s efforts to bring them into the fold. PLP chairman David Burt talks the right talk, but I think he’ll have difficulty balancing the desires of those splinter groups with the tight oligarchic command of Dr. Brown. And, in [...]
Censorship in the House
November 19th, 2008 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Reform
I am saddened that the Speaker of the House chose to censor part of the Opposition’s Response to the Throne Speech last week. It reflects poorly on the role of our Parliament as a “marketplace of ideas” and home to free debate. Here is the section of the Response that was censored: “If we take [...]
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Piggy Government
November 17th, 2008 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Reform
Kim Swan’s response to the Drone Speech highlights some painful failings of the PLP in their 10 years of power: Bermuda’s bloated budgets have been covered up by $318 million in unexpected windfall earnings from international business between 2002 and 2007. This “free money” should have been saved or dedicated to capital projects, but no [...]
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Non-Partisan Government
October 1st, 2008 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics, Reform
Once again, major Government announcements are being made from the PLP party website instead of through official channels. The controversial layoff of nine civil servants from the Department of Tourism’s New York office was announced on the PLP website last night. The Royal Gazette e-mailed Dr.Brown’s Press Secretary Glenn Jones and the Tourism Ministry’s press [...]
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Bermuda Chooses Not to Participate in Commonwealth Human Rights Project
August 19th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Bermuda Politics, Reform
The Commonwealth Foundation has begun a four year project with the British Overseas Territories that seeks to increase their commitment to international standards in regard to labour rights, the rights of children and women, and other human rights issues. Other goals of the project include promoting dialogue between government and non-governmental organizations, and working with [...]
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