We have to applaud East End MLA, Arden McLean, for revealing the note the financial secretary, Kenneth Jefferson, gave the PPM Cabinet, who were in power on the eve of the election, stating that as of 31 March 2009 the country had a deficit of $18 million.  The document is dated 30^th April, 2009 and shows a decline in revenue of $14 million on the budget predictions for that year but an increase in spending of $7 million.

However, in the remaining three months of the financial year the deficit grew to $81M.

The present UDP government has at every opportunity exploited this $81M figure claiming how “they were presented with a snake” and how they have improved the countries finances.

As Mr. McLean has pointed out many times, the PPM government led then by Kurt Tibbetts, ran up an incredible $21M plus average monthly deficit for three months. I have to agree with him – “it is hard to believe”.

Despite Premier Hon. McKeeva Bush’s response to the production of the note, when he kept referring to a speech made by Kenneth Jefferson July 2009, when the Financial Secretary claimed at the time that he forecast a $68 million deficit as early as February 2009, it does not explain why the note he gave the PPM cabinet states only an $18M deficit.

Another question is why neither the PPM nor the UDP government has presented any consolidated accounts since 2004? Yes, you did read right. For SEVEN years we have received no completed annual reports. Will it be EIGHT?

All this, too, raises the question as to the capability of the Financial Secretary. He certainly has some explaining to do. But will he answer the questions in a way we, the people, will understand? Did he make a mistake? Did he give the PPM the wrong information? If he made a mistake, when did he discover it?

And another question has ben raised by one of our readers concerning the work going on now by Dart’s contractors on the West Bay by-pass. The excavation work currently being executed is extensive and deep. Then we had two more queries about it, because I presume, I am a qualified Quantity Surveyor (wow that seem moons ago when I did that) and might know the answer. Actually I don’t. Finally came someone who said he understood Dart was constructing a canal and was going to build a road bridge over it.

Of course I don’t believe a word of it but I did send in an enquiry. To date I have not received an answer or acknowledgement of the question.

Maybe somebody out there might know something. I do not want to be accused of rumour mongering.