Vexed Bermoothes

Day 3 of the Turks & Caicos inquiry into official misconduct and corruption continues to be a thriller.  It sounds like politicians and their close family may have – previously hidden – ownership related to some of the controversial projects down there.  A messy national embarrassment.

This month’s GQ magazine also has a long and breathless account of the events in TCI (called “Tropic Thunder”).

I don’t want to draw the parallels too deeply, but TCI is demonstrating the challenges that many small islands face.  Our “light governments” leave a lot of flexibility outside of established process – which can be appropriate but sometimes very dangerous.  This is why Bermuda needs to be serious about improving the calibre of the governance of our Government.  Our “little” public sector is now huge in comparison to the community, and needs to start being run as befits its size.

I am not pointing fingers at anyone.  Both parties want to be known “for getting things done” … reform is harder work and not as sexy.  Bermuda’s public will eventually need to state:

Good governance practices are part of your job.  You are not “leaders” whom we serve …  You are our representatives!

The TCI example also shows why the allegations surrounding the contracting for the Bermuda court house must be taken seriously.  If Government knows that the situation is clean, then why aren’t they being more transparent? Lay the cards out.  You can’t say you are committed to FOI/PATI and then do the opposite in practice!

The Mid-Ocean today published a suitably grovelling apology for misnaming a Trust Management Company as the actual trust involved (which the Bermuda Sun now identifies as being called Caco Trust), but also hints that the Police have opened an investigation into the underlying allegations.