It was a very subdued Premier Hon. McKeeva Bush on Tuesday’s (8) CITN-Cayman27 talk show “The Panel” and I almost fell asleep watching it. It was only the opening five minutes that one can actually report because the rest was an almost monopolising of the show by fellow UDP MLA Ralston Anglin. I must give full marks to him for being able to talk for nearly three quarters of an hour and tell us almost nothing except for marvelous job the government has done.

I have to wonder what CITN’s reporter Ben Mead was doing there because he was “put in his place” in the first few minutes of the discussion with even host Tammi Sulliman not helping matters.

Mr. Bush would not be drawn into discussing his infamous press statement last Friday (4) when he castigated the Cayman Islands Governor, Duncan Taylor, using words that the governor was “stealthily and insidiously” undermining what Bush said were his efforts to get the local economy off the ground. He also said neither the governor nor the Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials had done anything to help the Cayman Islands.

As soon as the programme commenced Mr. Bush said that from the onset of the new (British) coalition government he believes “we have a good relationship and that relationship hasn’t broken down.” He didn’t back down from his statement and said “it was the correct thing.”

He then did his usual attack on the opposition saying that the “opposition accuses McKeeva of maligning the governor, picking a fight and according to them I am the bad guy here.” He then brought in “the hypocrisy of Ezzard Miller and Alden McLaughlin” by quoting from the Parliament Hansard of 22^nd October 2009 where Ezzard Miller said:

“If the Governor’s management ability, as observed from the decisions and the effect of the decisions that he had been making, was that of any middle-management level civil servant, he would have been terminated for lack of performance.” And “One is hard pressed to not believe that there is the remotest possibility that our colonial masters are trying very desperately to shut this country down.”

Next he quoted Arden Mclean: “I am convinced, Madam Speaker, that every one of them is trying to destroy my country. Now they are going to take my life, if that is what has to be done! It is my position, Madam Speaker – it is my opinion that every one of them is on some ulterior motive to take my country down. I will not allow them to do that! Not as long as I can stand on my two feet. I will not, if that is their objective!”

Of course this whole exchange concerned previous Governor Stuart Jack and Operation Cealt and Tempura and had absolutely nothing to do with Tammi Sulliman’s question concerning the strong language Mr. Bush had used in his press release. But Ms Sulliman did not press the point nor refer to the extreme rudeness in the release. (What a pity my wife Joan wasn’t on “The Panel”!).

Then Mr. Bush said, “Let me tell you something about the opposition. They are a bunch of wishy, washy, power hungry seekers. They don’t have this country’s interests at heart. I am not going to waste my time on this show to talk anymore about it. I have said everything I have had to say. I have put it squarely to the people of this country. I have nothing to hide. I do believe that there are people who don’t want me to get ahead as a government- the opposition being one, but there are others. I firmly believe that, and I’ve said who they are.

“Now I am going to show how we are going to get the things done the people elected us to do. They [the opposition] have held me back long enough.”

And that was it. Ralston Anglin nodded and started repeating everything Bush had said regarding Miller and McLean.

When Ben Mead was allowed by Sulliman to say something, he said, “I am not the smartest member of this panel but I’m not sure how we went straight from how Tammie asked the premier if he was standing by the comments he made into what Mr. Miller and Mr McLean said. I’m sure it’s a bit relevant but the premier said nothing in response, to his statement he issued on Friday.”

The premier’s reply was, “I said what I said. I did say I stand by my statement. I don’t know what more you expect me to say? But I did say I stand by my statement. I went on to explain what the opposition said by jumping on board and carrying on.”

At this juncture Mead did try to say something but was told not to interrupt and he (Bush) wanted “to finish it because he had other things to do.”

Mead then asked, “How helpful can this be to the Cayman Islands with the present challenges the government faces?”

But Bush was determined that this was the end of the matter.

“I have already answered. It’s not healthy to carry it on.  People are not stupid in this country.”

This is when Tammi Sulliman saved the premier by commenting, “You are not the first person to say there is a conspiracy.”

Bush laughed and quipped “And I’ll not be the last.”

Then it was back to the opposition being irresponsible, electioneering and tearing down the government because of it

Then Mr. Anglin took over and we had a Party Political Broadcast covering the three years of how well the government had done despite all the blocks that had been put in their way and the huge deficit they had had to bear because of the previous administration.

I was almost applauding by the time it finished, or was I falling asleep. Tuesday was a very hard day.