It includes the stench of damnation of a Qualified Audit Opinion.  Not pretty.  Gee, it seems that Larry Dennis may have been correct in his past criticisms.  Imagine that.

“The trend speaks to financial challenges going forward,” Mrs. Jacobs Matthews told the Bermuda Sun. “These challenges include a weakening cash position as evidenced by a substantial bank overdraft, expenditures significantly outstripping revenues, increasing long-term debt and, by extension, a growing deficit and public debt.”

The following chart says it all.  Paula Cox became Finance Minister in 2004 and Deputy Premier in 2006.  Dr. Ewart Brown became Premier in 2006.  They own this situation.  The out-of-control deficit and debt caused by the utter mismatch between revenues and expenditures occurred under their combined watch.  From prosperity to toilet in 6 short years.

In addition, the Auditor General announced that her office is conducting Special Audits of the new cruise pier at Dockyard and the TCD testing centre.  That’s likely to provide more depressing insights.

Don’t talk to me about Prudent, Platinum, or Gold Standard! In my opinion, there is very little sign of accountability or restraint here.  Governments must be measured by performance … not by spin-laden press releases or celeb-touting photo opps.

In my opinion, this Government is not performing.  Not by a long shot.  It is failing, and taking Bermuda’s future down with it.

]]> http://www.vexedbermoothes.com/bermuda-auditor-brimstone/feed/ 1 http://www.vexedbermoothes.com/squelching-accountability/ http://www.vexedbermoothes.com/squelching-accountability/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:00:47 +0000 Caliban http://www.vexedbermoothes.com/?p=3850 The PLP pays a lot of lip service to transparency and accountability but, based on their actions, one has to question their actual commitment.

The PLP leadership refuses to allow the Public Accounts Committtee (PAC) of the House of Assembly to meet in public – an abberation among modern democracies.

And, it appears that the PLP members of the PAC are stifling its work by not appearing at its meetings, with a senior PLP member deriding it as simply “a talk shop.”

The PAC is the cross-party parliamentary committee tasked with scrutinising the spending of public money.  Its work is vital … particularly given the Bermuda Government’s spiralling budgets, skyrocketing national debt, and two years of audit Qualified Opinions.

I call on the Bermuda Government to open meetings of the Public Accounts Committee, and for all its members to actively participate.  It is irresponsible – and arguably unconstitutional – for the House of Assembly to neglect its duty to protect the public purse.  And the secrecy of the PAC’s workings allows the neglect and political games to continue.