I heard a rumour two weeks ago that the Chief Minister and the Minister of Home Affairs would be travelling to the Falkland Islands. When I questioned the reason for the visit my source told me that the Chief Minister said that he would be giving a lecture on “full internal self-government” at a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference (CPA). Obviously my next question was: “Who is he lecturing?” That information was not forthcoming but my question was really based on the fact that I could not fathom who in the Executive of the CPA would have recommended that the Chief Minister present a paper on that subject to a body which comprises member states that have been self-governing territories for over half a century. In addition, because these papers are submitted far in advance, this would have been proudly announced a long time ago. I recall when the former Speaker of the House, Hon. Leroy Rogers, was invited to present a paper on the circumstances surrounding the matter brought against him in the High Court by Mr. Hughes, who was then the Chief Minister. The matter was with regard to his (Speaker Rogers’) refusal to allow the House to meet without a quorum. The Court upheld the Speaker’s action and the Chief Minister lost the case. The CPA considered this a landmark case that merited discussion at their Annual Conference. On that occasion, I believe that the Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya. One of the advantages of being a guest speaker is that the Association usually pays for your travel and accommodation. So, just for the record, the Hon Speaker Leroy C. Rogers’ travel and accommodation were fully funded.
Having cautiously accepted the fact that my Chief Minister was being honoured in similar fashion, you can imagine my surprise when I read an article in The Anguillian newspaper last week on the actual CPA Conference. It appeared from what I read that my source had the facts wrong. So I “googled” the Falkland Islands and again read the CPA Press Release to confirm that what was carried in The Anguillian was accurate. These are the facts: – a) This CPA Conference is for delegates from the British Islands and Mediterranean Region. b) Canada and Anguilla have only observer status. c) The Speakers are: – the Rt. Hon. Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC; Professor Michael Keating; and Hon. Fabian Picardo, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar. d) The topic is: Self-determination and its role in self-Governance and Devolution. e) The Chief Minister is not a presenter and is not scheduled to present any lecture. f) It is not the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs but rather the Hon. Speaker Mrs. Barbara Webster-Bourne who is accompanying the Chief Minister. And just in case you are curious, I can confirm that the Chief Minister and Madame Speaker arrived safely in the Falklands because I saw them in the group photo of the Conference. I was relieved to see my Chief Minister proudly seated in the front row.
Having established that Chief Minister’s is the only Caribbean delegation at the Conference, I strongly question why he found it necessary to attend given the fact that, as an observer, his participation in the discussion could be very limited. Furthermore, the presentations of the speakers will be made available on line or in hard copy at a later date — so there is no real reason to spend scarce resources to travel halfway around the world to get them. But most of all, why is the Chief Minister spending almost two weeks off-island in the midst of serious challenges to his own Government at home? And at a time when he is having difficulty keeping his own Government together — why is he wasting precious time and money listening to lectures on self-determination, self-governance and devolution in the middle of South Atlantic Ocean?
It is at times like these that I strongly question the Chief Minister’s regard for the responsibilities of his office and his real love for Anguilla and its people. I have served with him in the coalition Government of 1994 -1999 and his attitude and conduct were the same. He had absolutely no qualms about leaving Anguilla in the midst of a crisis to travel on some frivolous mission. Don’t get me wrong. It is important to represent Anguilla’s interest at key meetings and conferences, and building relationships with colleagues in the region, but not to the detriment of your own country. During the period of our coalition partnership I am certain that, conservatively, I was in the role of Acting Chief Minister for more than one-third of that term of office. It is my view that he is more concerned about the “glamour” of the office than the actual responsibilities. Why do I say this?
Firstly, the Chief Minister advised the Governor to reassign a number of key portfolios from one of his Minister’s because of a number of charges brought against him. While that Minister is innocent until proven guilty, and as a consequence deserves his day in court, it should be a matter of concern for the Chief Minister that this issue could have far reaching consequences for the effectiveness of his administration. With one of his own Ministers openly critical of the Government, and now another floundering in a sea of uncertainty, how could the Chief Minister run off without calming the concerns of many Anguillians and perhaps potential investors? Is this the same Chief Minister who boasts about how much he loves his country?
Secondly, the Chief Minister is heading off at a time when the flagship of Anguilla’s tourism industry, Cap Juluca Hotel, is experiencing serious challenges. The latest manifestation of this is the fact that even in the heart of the tourist season Management has decided to lay off a number of staff members including some long-serving employees. Many of these employees have marched at the Chief Minister’s “say so” because they firmly believed that he was the champion of their cause — the protector of their jobs. They believed that he was beyond reproach even as he blamed and abused others for the situation at Cap Juluca. Now after three years of loyalty to his leadership he is not available to take responsibility, or even to provide moral support. Is this the same Chief Minister who professes to be the champion of the working classes?
Thirdly, the Chief Minister has left the island at a time when the “golden goose”, the tourist industry” is under direct attack. He has not even been available to give a reassuring word to the stakeholders in the industry who are clamouring for more leadership from their elected Government. They all want to know that the Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism is on the case. His surrogate, the Parliamentary Secretary, in his radio address on the subject fell short of providing that comfort that is inherent in a speech from the head of the political directorate. It is not his fault. He cannot be expected to imbue the same level of confidence that would proceed from a directive or policy statement from the Chief Minister. However, it is unfortunate that the Parliamentary Secretary thought it necessary to conclude his remarks by stating that the “Governor is responsible for internal security”. Regrettably, I cannot guarantee, based on his usual response, that the Chief Minister would have come to a different conclusion. Should a Chief Minister who professes to be so concerned about the total wellbeing of his people be so ready to abdicate his responsibility for their security to a transient Governor?
The fallout from the Chief Minister’s absence on what I consider an unnecessary expedition, at this time, came to an embarrassing head on Tuesday when at a Public Forum on Crime, initiated by the Civil Society Group, a presentation on the issue by Government could not be delivered. It may well be the case that the Government was not given adequate notice of the fact that it would be required to make a presentation. While I doubt this to be the case — the reality is that the Chief Minister was not on island and apparently no one seemed prepared to deputize for him. There were members of the APP/AUM Government present including one who allegedly was the Acting Chief Minister. Yet no one stepped up to the plate to remedy the situation. The result was that at a forum on crime, where passions were high, Government took a lot of criticism for what was perceived to be a lack of concern for the crime situation. I consider that unfortunate because that should not have been the time for attacking any individual or group but rather attacking the problem. Having said that, it is fair comment to suggest that the Government of Anguilla may have brought it upon itself. And the Chief Minister by leaving the island at this time may have exposed his weakest flank. Does the Chief Minister really understand the enormity of the threat to the heartstring of our national development? Some may even ask: Does he really care?
A number of important points came out of the forum last evening, but I was particularly impressed with the presentations by the two reformed young men. They pointed to the importance of not giving up on our youth and showing them that we care in a meaningful way. They also suggested that crime and violence are a by-product of the social environment. I thought about this long and hard — not necessarily to determine where and how it started — but how and when will it end. And after listening to a lot of the interventions I came to the same conclusion that I arrived at last week. We need to put aside our egos; our politics; our fears; and our differences — and acknowledge that we can only “fix it” together! Then I thought about the Chief Minister way down in the South Atlantic Ocean talking about self-determination; self-governance and devolution — and it came to me! You know! We may be forced to leave some people behind or we’ll never get started. Heck! It takes almost two days to get back from the Falkland Islands!
