OPEN LETTER TO MCKEEVA BUSH
Mr. William McKeeva Bush, in recent weeks you have publicly accused me on several occasions of proposing that Cayman implement Income Tax.
I directly and publicly wrote to you on March 22, 2021, that I have not made such a proposal and in fact that you were being deceitful in the accusation. I specifically stated for the avoidance of doubt “I have no plan of Income Tax or VAT and I think both of those taxes would be unworkable in Cayman.”
Since that time, you have continued to repeat the lie and again as recently as this morning, April 7th on Radio Cayman, For the Record.
I am a private citizen against whom you have used your political platform to perpetuate a lie. Furthermore, you appear to have made this lie a central plank of your election campaign against Mr. Mario Ebanks. This conduct from the Speaker of Parliament or any political candidate should not be acceptable in a democracy. The Standards in Public Life framework, which you signed on to as a candidate, sets the expectation that your conduct will be held to seven principles including Integrity, Accountability and Honesty.
I demand you immediately and publicly retract your accusation by 5:00 pm on April 8, 2021. Failing such retraction, I will be filing a formal complaint with the Commission for Standards in Public Life, the Elections Office and other relevant agencies.
It is simply unacceptable that a candidate publicly and repeatedly makes a statement which they know to be false, repeats a lie, without being held to account. It is time for a higher standard of conduct from those wishing to be elected to our Parliament. Our democracy and our people deserve better.
Sincerely,
Troy Leacock