Windmills

Don Quixote was charging at windmills under the illusion that they were giants. Something similar was happening in Parliament yesterday during the debate about the appointment of a quartermaster for the Integrity Chamber by the Dutch government.

The term fighting windmills seems appropriate – the Netherlands is full of them and to local politicians, the Netherlands is that giant bent on trampling the little guy.

Because what is going on here? The Dutch appointed a quartermaster. That’s based on a protocol former Vice Prime Minister Dennis Richardson signed with Minister Plasterk on May 24, 2015.

“The Netherlands appoints a quartermaster who will be charged with the establishment and the equipment of the Integrity Chamber together with the quartermaster already appointed by St. Maarten.”

That is a verbatim quote from the protocol. However: it also says that this appointment was due before July 1, 2015.

That is the beef the prime minister has with this long overdue appointment, plus the distinct possibility that this quartermaster will also get involved in integrity investigation on the island, while there is no Integrity Chamber – or legislation to underpin it – at all.,