In Mathew 7:5 Jesus instructs the Pharisees to “taketh out thine own plank out of your eye before you try to take out the speck from mine”. This simple biblical verse sums up the whole fallacy that the UK Government needed to impose direct rule in the Turks and Caicos to turn things around and stamp out alleged corruption. It is and will always be my belief that for any change to be sustainable in the TCI, that change must come from within and, in some instances, with true assistance from the UK Government as Partners and not the Parent/Child arrangement that is sought now through the New Constitution.   

Let us look back on various events that have taken place in the UK and in the TCI since the UK imposed direct rule over two years ago. Make no mistake, people, the UK has full responsibility for all that takes place in the country. Just ask President Obama how long it took the Republican Party to begin to pin the US Economy on him; the grace period for this Interim Administration is over.

Shortly after the UK imposed direct rule in the TCI based on alleged corruption found in the Commission of Inquiry Report by Sir Robin Auld, news broke that several British MP’s were caught up in a scandal for misappropriations of their Public Purse. This ranged from the Government paying for second homes of MP’s outside of their districts to out and out thievery! This was found to be the case with  Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem MP’s. Lest we forget, wasn’t it such misdeeds the reason why we had to get rid of the TCI Ministers? Yet surprisingly Ministerial Government was not suspended in the UK. What unfolded was that those members found guilty, either faced prison terms or fines or were voted out of office at the first opportunity! So what makes them feel that the outcomes as mentioned above would have been different here? Taketh Out Thine Own Plank!!!!

The UK Government saw it fit to raise University tuition fees as a part of austerity measures being implemented. The result was students protesting, rioting and burning down infrastructure. Yet, about a week earlier a number of civil servants were sick, which resulted in the Providenciales International Airport being closed and various flights cancelled. At that time, a number of fools including Mark Capes complained that Millions of Dollars was lost, and how the tourism product of the TCI would be damaged. Can anyone tell me how many tourists have not gone to see Big Ben in England because of the Student Riots?? Anyone? Anyone? “Taketh Out Thine Own Plank!!!!”

What about the recent revelation published by the TCI Post whereby a former UK MP said the UK Immigration Department was “one of the most Incompetent and Corrupt Departments in the UK Civil Service?” But yet we have brought in six to twelve so called UK Immigration Advisers/Specialist to help us formulate our Immigration policies?? I wonder if any of those persons are the incompetent or corrupt officers to which the UK MP referred. You can’t assume they are not because if the UK government can hire a Criminal to run the Study of VAT for the TCI, you can never really know! Taketh Out Thine Own Plank!!!!

Since we have explored the hypocrisy of the UK Government on their own shores, let’s look at what the Interim Administration has done for the 2 plus years of their stewardship in the TCI. Let’s start with the UK’s favourite son, and St. Helena’s New Governor, Mark Capes. TCIG instituted a freeze on all exemptions that were given outside of Development Agreements. This was to stem the loss of much needed revenue from the Public Purse. I am reliably informed that to date a number of letters are still on record with the Customs Department that have Mark Capes giving exemptions to his friends and whom he saw fit during this time period. I think they call that crew the Grace Bay Boys whom I am told he was very fond of. Besides the fact that I am sure only the P/S Finance and Governor as defacto Minister of Finance can give those exemptions, they might be null and void unless he was acting Governor at the time they were given. Helen Garlick and the Civil Recovery Team please investigate this because you may have an easier time with this one, than with the former Ministers. Taketh Out Thine Own Plank!!!!

I believe in coincidences, so forgive me if what I am about to outline is all a big coincidence. Golden Boy John Smith is the CEO of the TCI Airport Authority and Gordon Burton is the Vice Chairman of the TCI Airport Authority Board and they are both Belongers of the TCI and good friends. John Smith is the Chairman of the National Health Insurance Board to which Mrs. Adderley-Burton, wife of Gordon, has been recently appointed CEO of said board, though it is alleged she only recently completed her MBA and her post at the Bahamas National Insurance Scheme was a Political Appointment. To boot two of the three panelists conducting the interview were friends of Gordon. Now this could all be a huge, gigantic coincidence…. If not, Taketh Out Thine Own Plank!!!!

It is alleged that the former Accountant General and Caroline Gardiner’s crony, Ms Joanne Eyre is in Providenciales trying to become the CFO of the NHIB. What I would like to know is why hasn’t immigration insured she returned home after quitting the Accountant General Job? We deport our Haitian brethren religiously back to Haiti, why not this Brit?? Just another sign of “curry favour” by this Interim Government. It is well known that when Ian Sergeant (UK) took over the prison projects from Peter White (Monsterrat), Caroline gave the green light to release the funding. Why? Another such incidence, unless Norman Watts commented on, okayed, or gave his blessing, no public works project has gone forward. On one occasion, the P/S Human Resources requested his opinion, even though the Acting Director EMS and P/S Works had put the proposal forth. Why? Seems like as was alleged about previous administrations, those that are chosen to succeed are well resourced and those who aren’t chosen are not resourced. Taketh Out Thine Own Plank!!!!

I hope that the myth of the moral high ground with which the UK imposed direct rule on the request of some Turks Islanders and shady business persons has been debunked.   They must take full responsibility for the economic situation here in the TCI. The time for trial and error is over. No more salary cuts to give breathing room for a surplus budget. No more failed tariff changes that have eroded our revenue base. No more so-called advisors or specialists that don’t understand that the TCI Government is not a UK Business and must be managed differently. No more people in cahoots with the Reform Adviser to carve out jobs in the reformed civil service for themselves and their family. That goes for other so called advisers like Norman Watts and the proposed EMS Supervisor position when the interim government wants to close EMS down.

Interim Government your five minutes of fame are up!!! Time to put up or be Shut   Down!!!