Dear Minister, Employing One's Husband For Government Work Is Not Good

There is a certain bizarre coyness about how news is reported in Barbados. Some information also works on the basis that everyone knows who or what is involved. That sort of thinking makes it quite normal to have no road signs on meandering lanes across the country. But, I think good journalism should point the way clearly. But, alas, it often does not. Here is a good example. The paper gives us the dots but for some reason does not connect them.

In today's papers we have something a little different to start my day. A news report of an investigation into deals done some five years ago, in 2004 (see Nation, October 7, 2009). I read:

'GOVERNMENT HAS instructed its attorneys to pursue all legal means to recover about $300,000 paid to the company of a private contractor and husband of a former government minister for work done at Kensington Lodge, St Michael, five years ago.'

I cannot fathom why the Nation cannot write that the contracting company, Creative Business Services, whose General Manager, Cecil McDowald (pictured), is the husband of former Cabinet Minister, Senator Liz Thompson. I guess that everyone except me knows this, and so it's not necessary to print it. Or is the paper concerned about something else? If so, what? Pray tell.

But the story is more than a bit of juicy gossip. It holds some important issues about governance, transparency and accountability in public business.

The issues? First, '...the unsatisfactory removal of asbestos roofing from Government units.' But, second, the person, contractor was the husband of former Cabinet Minister, Senator Liz Thompson, the former Energy and Environment Minister under the Owen Arthur-led administration. Now, to my little pea brain, I ask was there not an evident conflict of interest in the Minister's spouse being awarded such a contract? Put differently, why have this close association come into government contractual business? Politicians are good at say "it's not what it looks like", or "I was on leave at the time", or "No one told me that this company was unsuitable" or "The decision was mine but based on the best analysis of my civil servants". I hear music to dance on the head of a pin. Take your partners for the dosey-doh.

The current Minister of Housing and Lands, Michael Lashley, reported to the press that there are 'several grey areas in the entire saga, including the manner in which the company was awarded the contract in the first place. He said the company had the highest bid, was not even on the Environmental Engineering Division's list of preferred contractors for the removal of asbestos roofing, and had no history of dealing with such specialised work.'

Now, to the ordinary Caribbean citizen's eye I wonder what this looks like. Does it look like a piece of rotten fish? Does it look like 'business as usual? Does it suggest that elected and appointed Cabinet post holders need to have lessons in Ethics 101 before taking office? Does it raise the scare of asbestosis and other cancer-related illnesses that come from inhaling asbestos dust?

I now have a bone to chew on while some of Jamaica's politicians go through the wringer. This case is a bit different as so far the minister is not implicated directly in the financial problems, but is merely likely to have fingers pointed at her for some rather less-than-good judgement.