It’s a very good thing for countries to have a Complaints Commissioner and an Information Commissioner.

When, here in the Cayman Islands, government instigated both these offices it was welcomed by the Governor to much fanfare and applause.

However, no one likes it when they themselves have to deal with complaints and provide information that could be embarrassing.

We move on a few years and when rulings even go against the governor’s office this paragon of pushing for openness and transparency in everything fights tooth and nail to suppress the information it feels would be bad for us to know. The transparency only works one way.

And now the ruling Progressives don’t like what they see happening and have provided little support in the operations of both offices.

When former Complaints Commissioner Nicola Williams left after realizing she was not wanted as she was doing her job too well and Jennifer Dilbert retired herself as Information Commissioner, neither jobs have been filled with a permanent successor.

The Progressives want to amalgamate the two offices under an Ombudsman and this goes against the advice of the people who actually know the workings – the two past holders of the offices and even the Acting Information Commissioner.

The reason given by Premier Alden McLaughlin is that it would make it more efficient without actually saying what was inefficient about the offices now and how it would make then more efficient. He has some backing from the independent study to combine them to save money although the actual saving is so minute it wouldn’t pay for a separate home for a fly.

As for the secrecy issues that have been raised by the amalgamation that doesn’t seem to matter at all.

Also on board in the amalgamation would seem to be Deputy Governor Franz Manderson who said in June, “The idea at a very high level is to merge these offices to where they’ll be in one location, hopefully cross-training staff to where we can have a more efficient service. Certainly, we will not go down this road if we felt the independence of these offices will be compromised. On the contrary, we feel that it could be enhanced.”

Of course the little word that actually is the HUGE word is “we”. If WE felt.

It doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist or a glass ball to conclude his feelings.

There is a little hope. North Side MLA Ezzard Miller has joined his friend East End MLA Arden McLean to denounce the government’s proposed amalgamation.

Last week in the Legislative Assembly I applauded him when he said, “I oppose the fusion of the office of the Complaints Commissioner because I believe, personally, that is going to be a backwards step.”

According to him he said his committee he chairs that oversees the Office of the Complaints Commissioner, the Standing Select Committee, is equally divided on the matter. He has the casting vote and he will cast it on the “NO” side.

So we wait and see what will happen. Probably nothing for a while.

No use complaining and trying to get any more information. No one wants to deal with that.