Everyone of us has an achilles heel. A weakness or vulnerable point. No one is the perfect being.

World heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis – a giant of a man with fists of steel had one – a glass jaw.

I have one – I am terrified of heights.

Therefore I cannot do an editorial blasting at the government with tirades at their woeful performance regarding Permanent Residence.

I was discussing the Progressives performance with some friends, some not supporters of the government, since they have been in power and all agree they have done a pretty good job. Marco Archer being the standout minister along with Wayne Panton.

My wife, Joan, is a big supporter of the Premier, Alden McLaughlin. As leader of the Progressives he must take the lion’s share of the credit.

There are, of course, a number of things the Progressives have done not all of us can agree with. That is our right to haver a personal opinion.

This Editorial is my personal opinion, although I always consult with Joan regarding it. If she disapproves it does not get published.

The Achilles heel of this government is the aforementioned Permanent Residence policy and the unwillingness for reasons I cannot put my finger on not to do anything about it.

To make things even worse, the non publication of the Ritch Report government instigated to look into the current immigration system with emphasis on the Permanent Residency has added more fuel to a fire that was smouldering.

I am convinced the premier is not happy with any Freedom of Information and that is why he is amalgamating the Complaints Commissioner’s Office, the Information Commissioner’s Office, and also adding in the not yet established Police Complaints Commission. All under the umbrella of an ombudsman. Over work the poor man, who is doing the work of three and you have more control and less effectiveness. Smart.

To make me even more convinced is when the FOI Commissioner ordered government to release to him a copy of the Ritch Report we get another supposedly clever attempt of blocking it. In the opinion of the premier it is not in the public’s interest for it to be released to the FOI because the premier knows full well the FOI would order it to be released and there is an election coming within six months.

With parties canvassing on being open and free and our Mother Country preaching the same it is ironic that they and this present government are and have done everything in the book to suppress openness and freedom of information.

When the Governor’s Office finally lost and had to release the Tempura Report using even blatant lies they were prosecuting someone and it would jeopardise their case against him/her, one wondered after reading it what all the fuss was about?

And then there is all the cost. The Governors Office set the precedence to challenge Freedom of Information here in the Cayman Islands and the progressives have followed suit.

Knowing then, this government have a horrible record regarding Permanent Residency, they compound it even more with this latest tactic.

I don’t know how many arrows were shot into Achilles heel but the government have given their opposition a very large heel to shoot at.

And that is a great pity.

It could be their downfall.