It is a safe bet the time Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush announces for a meeting or opening (Legislative Assembly in particular) will not be kept. Sometimes the new announced time is on another day and this can be two or three or more days hence.

Often no reason is given for the delay and this adds to the rumours, especially when it is dealing with the 2012/13 Budget proposals.

It is therefore no surprise when the Wednesday (22) debate on the Throne Speech and Appropriation Bill scheduled to begin at 10am was postponed. It is supposed to start now at 4pm and if it happens within an hour of that it will be on time.

You will know the answer before you actually read this and I am writing this at exactly 1pm Wed (22).

“Cayman time” has been a joke ever since I have lived here and one gradually acclimatises to 4pm can mean 6pm and you are still on time.

However, it is not a joke any more. It wastes people’s time and it costs. “Time is money” and it is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. How right he was and he said it in 1748 in an essay titled “Advice to a Young Tradesman”. Perhaps someone can provide Mr. Bush with a copy. From one politician to another.

Being on time was a very hard lesson for would be employees to learn when I started CITN-Cayman 27 twenty years ago. Even a few seconds late in going to a scheduled programme is noticed. The hardest lesson for the master control operators to learn was if you went into the news late you were missing the most important piece of news. The big story is first.

The big story here in Cayman is the Budget. As one of the media sites keeps pointing out the UK has not approved the budget inferring some doubt from their informed London sources over it even though Bush has said more than once he doesn’t expect to get final approval until this weekend.

Yes, the budget is late. It was presented late. The lateness lies at the premier’s door.

However, the Bush clock is often late. Should we expect a scheduled meeting from our premier to be on time. It only costs a little more money.