Allow me to comment on a letter to the editor of Cayman Net News (Tuesday, 4t September), from Dexter Harlan Rivers on the subject of a private member’s notion to review our Liquor Licensing Law that I submitted to the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Rivers seems to think that this motion should not be brought by me, because according to him, the Leader of Government Business and the Minister of Tourism are mindful to call for a review of the Liquor Licence law, especially after the recent controversy surrounding the transfer of a licence to the Savannah area.
Apparently, this should be the exclusive purview of some and others, for reasons only known to Mr. Rivers.
Mr. Rivers is blaming me for whatever he claims is wrong with the Liquor Licence Law and everything else in this country. I wonder why he does not blame those who had executive power at the time. This is another of his many letters to the press, in which he attacks me with lies, wild accusations and assumptions.
Mr. Rivers should know that I have never been ashamed of serving the people I represent. For over two decades, I have represented all the people of the Cayman Islands, in countless ways, including bringing motions of this nature when I have felt it necessary that we should take stock of our present conditions and where we would like to be in the future.
I suppose if Mr. Rivers had a record of good achievement to show the Caymanian people, then he would spend his time and valuable newspaper space on that. He clearly does not have one, so he prefers to spend his time attacking me.
I will say this to Mr. Rivers – I stand by my record, whether relating to the Liquor Licensing Law, or my overall contribution to the people of this country, as one of their political leaders.
I have enjoyed a long political career because the people of this country have asked me to serve. I think I have fulfilled their trust and have served them faithfully and well for more than two decades and will continue to do so, as long as the people want me.
The records will show that I did before now call for a review of the Liquor Licensing Law at a time when I felt it was necessary to update it. I brought a motion before for a moratorium on the granting of new licences when I felt that that would make sense for our country.
I supported the revision, which changed the opening hours for licensed premises, but not the sale of liquor during that time. This was in an effort to prevent everyone leaving such premises at the same time, perhaps with some degree of intoxication.
This change was made based on the requests and feedback from the tourism sector. Contrary to Mr. Rivers’ spurious charge, I lay no blame on the tourism interests for my part in implementing this change. They asked me to do it and I did.
I was even asked by his colleague Osbourne Bodden to assist him in getting a licence and I did support the lifting of the moratorium and the subsequent granting of a licence for him.
I have been prepared to make such changes, whenever they became necessary, based on changing circumstances in our country. In all of these instances, I have been mindful of the social and economic interests of our country and no one can reasonably accuse me of not doing so. But I have also worked to implement useful, curative programmes for social development in this country.
Mr. Rivers should realise that I know where his support lies – with people in and out of the Legislative Assembly (such as Leonard Ebanks, Kurt Tibbetts and Osbourne Bodden) who possessed or presently have interests in businesses – such as a bar — with liquor licences.
I have never held a licence, nor will I do so, but this does not stop me from taking an active interest in this area, for the benefit of the Cayman Islands.
What has his PPM done in the more than two years they have been in government, except to put pressure on people?
W. McKeeva Bush
Leader of the Opposition
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