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DHSS Minister says he will not avoid controversial issues – unless of course they are raised by the Manx Herald
DHSS Minister, Eddie Teare, in launching the latest round of consultation, on the future of health and social care in the IOM, told Manx Radio, “…just because it is controversial doesn’t mean to say we should avoid the issue…..”
However, it seems Mr Teare’s words ring a little hollow when it comes to discussing controversial issues with the Manx Herald.
The Manx Herald has been investigating a number of complaints it has received from members of the public about the service they, or a relation, have received from the DHSS; and posed a series of questions, to the Minister, seeking reasonable information about these complaints and sections of an earlier consultation document.
The three page letter sent to the Minister (the text of which is included in a related article) was passed to his deputy Chief Executive, Lesley Keenan who, in just over three lines, thanked us for our letter but declined to answer any of the questions.
The letter was followed by email to the Minister expressing disappointment with the response, and asking him again if he would respond to our valid questions and provide the information requested. No response, or even an acknowledgment, was received.
A further reminder was sent but still no response.
Therefore, the direct approach was pursued and Mr Teare was ‘collared’ at the end of today’s sitting of the House of Keys.
It was put to him, given what he had said on Manx Radio, why was he refusing to respond to the Manx Herald’s questions.
The reason he gave was a combination of him, effectively, not recognising the Manx Herald as a legitimate news service – apparently, to be considered ‘legitimate’, by him, we would need to fit into his chosen criteria of, seemingly, having to be a newspaper, as defined by post office legislation (which the Manx Herald considers nonsense and a feeble excuse to avoid answering awkward questions) – and, something along the lines of, what would happen if the 82,000 other people on the IOM (are there really that many people now living on the Island?) also decided they wanted to ask him questions and have a response.
As for the last part, so why bother with all these consultation exercises, and public road shows, Minister if you are worried 82,000 people, potentially, may pose questions to you; and might want an answer?
Furthermore, Mr Teare clearly hasn’t yet read Mr Moyle’s ‘judgment’ in the Positive Action Group’s complaint about the failure of IOM Post to release information about the Philatelic Bureau’s turnover. http://www.manxherald.com/index.php/politics/497.html
If he had he would be aware of, among other things: the irrelevance of whether the questions posed to him, as the DHSS Minister, and the information sought, came from an individual or an organization; no necessity to give reasons for requesting information; and the need for transparency.
But, leaving the above issue to one side, Minister, if you do not consider the Manx Herald to be legitimate - which is, essentially, the reason you gave to declining to answer our questions about the department you are responsible for – why then, when asked, did you agree to us publishing your response to why you wouldn’t respond to our correspondence?
Surely, Minister, you must be able to see the irony in the acceptance of publication, by the Manx Herald, of your latter response you have, effectively, given ‘recognition’ to the Manx Herald?
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Exposure to blatant incompetence and systematic corruption have comatosed the Manx people to a lethargic torpor unable to distinguish fantasy from reality.
The island is a disaster zone with the inhabitants requiring immediate, emergency evacuation for rehabilitation and counselling for emotional distress caused by prolonged captivity.
The government should be arrested and sent for trial for kidnap, assault, corruption and conspiracy to defraud.
Only then will the islnd be able to resume a normal life.
It is a sad reflection of our times that those in authority appear to have 'lost the plot'. There is one fundamental question that needs answering before any other issues are can even be discussed, that question is "Do we live in a Democracy? if we do not not, then what system of government are we subject to?
It seems to me that we are suffering from a system which is no longer accountable to the electorate. Questions and letters to politicians go unanswered. Complaints are fed into a system which contains inbuilt delays and prevarication with the result that it is all but impossible to obtain a satisfactory result to a complaint.
The so called Health Service is in fact an 'Ill Health Service' in that it serves to maintain Ill Health rather than to cure illness. The waste of public money within the Health service is a National and Professional disgrace.
It has been said that if the 'Health Service' was closed down tomorrow, we would generally all be healthier and have a greater life expectancy. Remember, doctors kill more people than they cure. In fact, I don't know of anyone who has had an illness cured by the Medical Profession but I do know of a lot of people who have been injured and/or maimed and some who have been killed by doctors and hospitals.
The situation is grim. Doctors should be paid only for curing illness. Only then will we see an improvement in the health of the population.
As far as the public consultation is concerned, I believe that it is merely a way of fooling the public into feeling that 'something is being done'. The fact is that Public support is essential to the functioning of Public Bodies such as the Government, Health Service, Social Security etc., When we, the public, withdraw our support for those bodies and the authorities running them, then we will start to see change.
Until then, we must continue to 'suffer the fools' that are responsible to no-one and in particular not even the electorate.
I don't actually believe that it is corruption on the part of the authorities, I believe that it is simply arrogance, stupidity and a total disrespect for the electorate and those that they supposedly 'serve' in their role as 'Public Servants'.
Talking of Democracy, perhaps we should rename 'Public Servants' as 'Public Masters'. Where I live, the role of servants is to serve and those whom he serves are the ones who give the orders. Servants who do not serve are fired, and servants who serve are rewarded.
I trust that this clarifies the situation a little.
What ministers dont - and cant say - is that the civil service is all too often let down by spectacularly poor management. But nobody dares rock the boat.
Everyone who lives here knows someone in the civil service, but does anybody know of any civil servant who has ever been fired for incompetence?
The media - with some notable exclusions - is completely supine. Without a vigorous and vocal press there is no democracy; it's not called the Fourth Estate for nothing.
Ministers like Teare have a thankless job, but that's no reason not to hold them to account. He was asked a while ago why there is no abortion on demand in the Isle of Man, and he had the nerve to say there was no public demand for it. Oh really? With teenage pregnancy the highest in Western Europe in the Isle of Man that is quite a statement. And was there even a murmur from the local media? Not a peep.
The truth is that until you demand better you are never going to get any better. But unless you can tear yourselves away from your playstations and motorbikes and boats and cars or counting your money, or whatever it is that keeps you from becoming involved, then nothing will ever change.
Rise up people and take control of your island!
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