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(CNS): The opposition has asked why Premier Wayne Panton continues to enable and protect McKeeva Bush. Following Panton’s decision to facilitate the election of the beleaguered MP to the Public Accounts Committee, which is chaired by Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart, the Progressives have questioned the premier’s commitment to women’s rights after appeasing members of his government “in a desperate attempt to cling to power”.
CNS has also confirmed that Chris Saunders was not asked by the premier to take up the vacant seat despite his willingness to accept the post.
In a press release about the nomination by the premier followed by a vote to appoint Bush to PAC, the PPM said, “The entire country must have been somewhat surprised” about Bush’s appointment to the high-profile standing committee, which scrutinises reports by the Office of the Auditor General on government expenditure.
The opposition said they were told the night before Friday’s special meeting that PACT wanted Bush to replace Dwayne Seymour (BTE), who resigned from PAC after being promoted to Cabinet minister.
“Ironically, the notice was received almost to the day of the second anniversary of Premier Panton agreeing for Mr Bush to join his PACT Government and offering him the role of Speaker of the House,” the PPM stated.
“Once again, despite his many admonishments of Mr Bush and the court charges faced by Mr Bush, Premier Panton continues to promote his former speaker into high-profile political positions. It begs the question of whether Premier Panton’s claim that he cares about the treatment of women in our society is genuine.
“Instead, it would appear the premier is more interested in appeasing some members of his government in a desperate attempt to cling to power,” the opposition added.
Panton clearly faces a balancing act to keep his government of independent members together, and PACT is still said to be plagued by internal policy differences and power plays.
His decision to appoint Bush to PAC over Chris Saunders remains a mystery. Having been fired from Cabinet, Saunders, a qualified accountant and former PAC member, is now serving as an independent opposition member and would likely have been less controversial.
While Saunders is facing allegations that he bullied staff in his ministry, Bush is facing actual criminal charges that he indecently assaulted two civil servants at an official cocktail party.
Saunders told CNS that he was not asked by any members of PACT to serve on the PAC but would have been very happy to do so. He said he was aware that Bush was reluctant to take up the appointment but had been urged to do so by Panton and Deputy Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly.
Bush last served on the PAC when he was the opposition leader between 2014 and 2015 before he was ousted by the Legislative Assembly. At the time, then premier Alden McLaughlin admitted it was “poor judgement” on his part to have put him on that committee in the first place, given his appalling relationship with the Office of the Auditor General, especially Alastair Swarbrick, the recently departed auditor general.
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