The past few days have been wall to wall coverage of Renee Webb. This was inevitable after her impromptu departure from Cabinet and long summer break, but her comments during the Throne Speech debate (here and here), on VSB news the past couple of nights, and in today's Royal Gazette (here and here) were quite insightful if you're a political watcher.
Firstly - and quickly - on the human rights and sexual orientation issue, I wholehearedly agree with Ms. Webb's position and fully support her bringing forth an amendment or a private members bill to include sexual orientation under the Human Rights Code.
Ok, but what is really interesting about Ms. Webb's comments recently is that they display a clear power struggle in the PLP.
Ms. Webb has emerged not just as a critic of her party, but with a vision of her own. Her comments on VSB that the PLP needs to reach out to the white community, that we should have moved past race as the dominant factor in Bermuda politics, among other things are clearly a move to position her for a leadership challenge. Her dislike of Alex Scott is pretty clear after her Cabinet resignation and their ensuing public spat, but she has returned with a vengeance, and is doing some positioning in the media and in Parliament with her presentation on black empowerment per South Africa.
Rumours abound that the PLP Parliamentary group is displeased with Alex Scott but that no single individual has emerged in the fragmented PLP elected group to challenge the current leader. Alex Scott, Ewart Brown and now Renee Webb are all clearly jockeying for position.
Alex Scott was reported by either VSB or ZBM this evening, to have said from London today, that he is aware what is going on in the press with Ms. Webb and will respond when he returns. No doubt, The Man, will provide some more unintended entertainment. The fallout from the Jennifer Smith coup continues. The Alex Scott band-aid is starting to burst.
There was another little comment which should have stood out in RG's story today on Ms. Webb's feelings on Tourism. It was a shot at Ewart Brown, the other potential challenger to Alex Scott:
Former Tourism Minister Renee Webb found Government's departure from the Elliot Ettenberg report "disconcerting", the backbencher told The Royal Gazette last night....
"The Ettenberg report was adopted by Cabinet, it was not just a Ministerial initiative," she said, adding that made the change "difficult to understand".
"It's not like there was a change in Government," she added.
To repeat: "The Ettenberg report was adopted by Cabinet, it was not just a Ministerial initiative," she said, adding that made the change "difficult to understand".
What Ms. Webb is talking about here is collective responsibility. I'm taking no position on the report itself, but she is implying - and not particularly subtly - that Tourism Minister Ewart Brown may be off on his own without Cabinet approval. That the Premier can't control him and that he is off doing whatever he wants, despite Cabinet's wishes. Either that, or Dr. Brown managed to change Cabinet's mind on the whole thing.
Which seems more likely? Ignoring collective repsponsibility is a pretty serious allegation, but one which shouldn't come as a big surprise.
Several months ago, when the GPS bill was re-tabled in the middle of the summer (peak tourism season), it was rumoured that Dr. Brown, without informing or obtaining approval from Cabinet, put down the controversial bill.
It is also rumoured that Ms. Webb, as Tourism Minister, was understandably furious with the effect that would have on tourism.
If this did indeed occur, that's a serious no-no and would be in line with what Ms. Webb is suggesting is going on with the Ettenberg report.
I was also informed that when the debate did take place, and Ms. Webb spoke in support of the GPS legislation, that Dr. Brown walked over to her and shook her hand - a very unusual gesture in Parliament when Cabinet is supposed to be in lock-step.
So, I wait, with baited breath, for Alex Scott to arrive and round 2 of the Scott and Webb Show to begin.
Clearly, all is not well in PLP land, and Alex Scott has more pressing things on his plate than the Social Agenda and Independence - survival.
Posted by Christian S. Dunleavy