Alden to address CARICOM
(CNS): Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin is travelling today to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to attend the 34th Conference of Heads of Government (CHOGM) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which will take place Thursday through Saturday, 4-6 July. This will be McLaughlin’s first CARICOM Heads of Government meeting as premier. At the invitation of Trinidad Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bisessar, who presently holds the chairmanship of CHOGM, he has been invited to address the conference as CARICOM’s most recently elected head of government, a release from GIS says. While in Trinidad, McLaughlin will also take part in the 40th anniversary celebrations of CARICOM. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Issues on the conference agenda include the regional economy, transportation, an upcoming meeting on persons with disabilities and special needs, proposals for closer union of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the United Nation’s post-2015 development agenda and ongoing reform of CARICOM including expansion of its full and associate membership.
CARICOM, a regional grouping of 15 countries, counts among its associate members five British Overseas Territories, including the Cayman Islands, which joined in 2002.
The Premier will be accompanied by the Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Samuel Rose and will return to Cayman on Saturday July 6, 2013.
Category: Politics
Proud of you Hon. Premier Alden we are excited to watch your government shape up and it’s poiicies. Keep it all up Progressives and forward we be heading ! God Bless, Michel
I sincerely hope he can find time to support the U19 Rugby squad who are also in Trinidad defending their Caribbean champions title. Good luck guys
It is such a shame McKeeva has given travel a bad name. Have you ever wanted, say when dealing with a business, to talk to someone face to face, instead of by phone and by e-mail? Well, politicians do too on occasion. You just don't take 15 people with you, that's all.
Excuse me, but what exactly is the point of this trip?
Please read the Article again, and while you read it, read with understanding.
"read it with understanding" ….that's asking a bit much of the typical Mac supporter don't ya think? :))
A free junket for the new premier. An opportunity to gain free air miles just like McKeeva and Juliana
Say it's not so, Alden only been in office one month and already he gone off the island twice. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black; now that the shoe is on the other foot you'll hear HIS supporters say why its so improtant for him to travel. As for poor McKeeva, if that boy went to the bathroom people complained. Jealousness is a b####.
What did you expect — lol
What the people were obviously and very rightfully complaining about was mckeeva forever going to the bathroom allover us.
I think the article states the purpose of the trip. There is no comparison whatsoever to McKeeva’s excursions abroad flying 1st class and traveling with an entourage, simply to accommodate his gambling habit.
How about while you are thier, convince them to make Cayman a FULL member of Caricom and agree to the duty free import of products from the region. That would take a nice chunk out of our cost of living.
All the member states have agreement in place to duty free trade within the member states, as well as the US, we should be as well. Not just going there to say, Hi My name is Alden. Real talk is needed. Enough of the bureaucratic BS.
The Cayman Islands cannot be inducted as full member due to our current status as a BOTC. However, Montserrat was inducted but that is a whole other issue.
Not possible for the Cayman Islands to become a Full Member of CARICOM – Montserrat was a “slip up” but another will not be allowed.
But wouldn't full membership also commit Cayman to free movement of persons (or the possibility for it) within the Caricom community as presently exists in the EU?
Please note, he is not going to Casinoes, bars or on a shopping trip. He is not taking a personal Secretary, a cook or a pimp with him. He is taking a respectable Mr. Samuel Rose with him, so just stop hating him. Look at the purpose of his trip, yes its Government business.
clock is ticking….still waiting for ppm to do something worthwhile…….
as opposed to waiting 8 years for the UDP to do something worthwhile and not land swap away the country?
why bring up the udp?… just being not as bad as the udp is not what cayman needs….
This is a credit to the Cayman Islands to be invited to address Caricom. Congratulations to the Hon. Premier. I believe this is an opportunity for the Cayman Islands to show that it has statesman-like politicians who can represent us with the required dignity and intelligence.
I am sure he has been invited because of the respect he has already earned by observers of the Cayman Islands.
We should all be pleased.
Congratulations, Mr. Premier.
I am also happy he is taking Samuel. Samuel will not only be the appropriate and necessary aide de campe, he will suitably charm everyone he meets.
I feel great about our ambassadors. And believe me, there have not been a lot of times I have felt like this.
Not sure it is "a credit to the Cayman Islands" since it is clear the speech goes to the most junior leader in attendance. So the place on the podium really is just an accident of timing. I am sure it is nice, but don't read too much into the invitation to speak.
5 weeks in power and 2 trips thus far! Sounds like he wants to rack up the miles just his predecessor did. Alden, while your down in Trinii, see if you can negotiate some cheaper gasoline from PetroCaribe that can be purchased through PetroJam in Jamaica. If you do this, then maybe the trip would be worth it’s weight in gold.
The gasoline idea sounds pretty smart to me! For it to be done though is another subject. Except Cayman, all countries in the Caribbean pay around US$3-4 per gallon for gas and in some countries it is even much less BUT good old Cayman is paying close to US$8.00 per gallon!!! This is pathetic and a crying shame. What will the PPM do to address this issue as the UDP certainly didn’t give a damn about it.
Why would the UDP care? Their leader was being chauffered around on our dime. Cost of gas could be $100/gallon, he wouldn't care because his lazy @ss didn't pay for gas, CUC or any other living expense that we bust our @sses to pay.
Why the thumbs down, we need cheaper gasoline/diesel and Trinidad has a ton of it. All the guy is saying is that if he has to fly, atleast make it worth the expense to travel and I mean worth it to Cayman.
These individuals cannot talk about UDP they all the same. Country don't have any money but sure well got enought for them to play socialites. May be we need to check their credit cards as well.
More travel.
I thought this was an issue under UDP, that would go away with PPM
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Ok now, lets be reasonable. We are small islands yes but we are apart of the region and the wider world out there. NO sensible government can sit at home, work magic and then we are all happy in la la land. Lets agree on the first point – the last government wasted lots of money Seemingly on unnecessary travel. Sadly you and I as John public really do not know what was useful travel and what was not. The travel costs were indeed excessive, however that has not been the case thus far with the present government.
If we wish this or any successive government to do its job travel overseas is simply a fact of life. The posts on this article here are like a condemnation of this government because the Premier got on the plane.
Lets stop critiquing everything. We are hell bent on finding things to be wrong. This Caricom meeting could benefit Cayman in a multitude of ways. For example an outcome could be access to various pieces of training for the public service here. It could net technical support in areas we need help in just to give two examples.
Social media has given us immediate access to all the goings on and we are quick to take a negative slant on everything. The elections are over, we need to get a positive stride or there will not be anything which this or any future government can do right for us, by the way we determine this outcome.
nothing any
At least we know where he's going and why. And he's not taking half of Cayman with him.
The issue with the UDP is that they over-spent in all aspects of these official trips; they flew first class, had a huge entourage, stayed longer than was necessary (read "partying"), stayed at expensive hotels, and put personal expenses on the government credit card. Travel is an expense that every government has to incur, but Alden is doing it correctly by flying coach, staying at reasonably priced hotels, keeping the accompanying officials to a minimum, and staying at reasonable hotels. I really don't see how you can compare the two, unless the PPM all of a sudden started taking official trips to Vegas or Atlantic City…
Oh Geez……..the more things change the more they stay the same. Alden has embarked on this "lets see how much of our money I can waste McKeeva type trips". There is nothing of significance happening at this meeting and the fact that CARICOM will welcome him as the newest elected head of Government and then allow him 2 minutes to thank them before the 40 year anniversay party starts is such as waste of our meagre resources. The $10,000 that they will spend of this trip could feed many hungry school children for several weeks. More of the same I'm afraid while the people perish !
We really should be very thankful. McKeeva's entourage would have cost us $100,000.00.
Need to keep close ties with our neighbors.
Yeah, so we know who to stick with more visa requirements. Got to keep the riffraff out of Cayman, you know.
Why, exactly?
Why not, exactly?
No, my friend. In the rational world we do things for specific reasons not because there doesn't appear to be any reason for not doing so. That would be insane. And really quite tiring and pointless if you think about it.
Just because there doesn't appear to be any reason, doesn't mean that there isn't any reason.
Actually to build regional ties to stimulate trade, economic stimulus and promote human capital.
Hmm.Sounds like an excerpt from a textbook. What exactly is "human capital"? (Sorry for being so thick but I'm half Irish.)
Dear Caricom members, I just went to London to ask for more money. I did not get any more money. I am sad, because I had such great plans to spend all that money. Can I get a hug? I really thought be Premier would be such fun, but now it does not seem fun at all.
It is embarrassing to know that there are so many idiots among us. I wonder if there is any hope at all. The Premier and his Cabinet Secretary are intelligent men and if all they do down in Trinidad is to give their speech and turn around and come back home that would be a far cry from the past mumbling-bumbling premier who could not string a proper sentence together if we paid him a million dollar to do so. The saddest thing about this though is there are so many like him that can only flop their brainless mouths. Please if you don't have anything sensible to say just keep quiet abd save tge oxygen!!
He is only taking one person with him? Shocking!
I cannot see where this becomes a shock to anyone – The Cabinet Secretary is a well rounded and educated individual of which both the Premier and himself can write intelligent papers for documentation of the caricom meeting, and submit their presentations to Cabinet. Again, it saves government many needed dollars than if he had selected 10 – 15 others for the journey.
And its not a “driver”.