Taylor: Governance improved

(CNS): After his three and a half year tour of duty as Cayman’s governor, Duncan Taylor believes that standards of good governance have moved forward but he has said it is an area that his successor must continue to press as it is a constitutional role of the governor’s office, despite its limited powers. Describing some of his time as “very challenging”, he said he was satisfied that he had done what he could to try and work with the previous premier. However, when he arrived in Cayman he noted during his acceptance speech that a governor could govern with a light touch when good governance was followed, but if wasn’t he would intervene.

“And I have had to intervene where I believed things were not being done properly,” he told the local media during his final press briefing.

In light of the tense relationship between Taylor and the former premier, McKeeva Bush, who made various very public allegations about the FCO’s representative in Cayman, the governor said he was satisfied that he had done everything he could to try and work with Bush and that a governor must be prepared to work with whoever is elected by the people. This meant that there would be tensions in Cabinet but, he said, the tension should be constructive because the goal for a governor was to work in partnership with the local government to achieve good governance.

Taylor said he could mark his success in achieving improvements in good governance locally with the prominence that good governance played in the country’s election in May.  All parties and candidates campaigned for good governance during the run-up to the vote, illustrating how important a factor it has become in the local political landscape, as everyone is now aware they must operate with integrity.

“I take comfort from the feedback I have had about this particularly since the recent election and the new government is strongly in support,” he said “If I have moved the bar up a bit and moved things forward, it’s a positive thing to take away. There is still a lot to do but I am encouraged by the clear commitment from the new government.”

He said that with a new procurement system, which would remove ambiguity and misunderstanding about how contracts are awarded, the public would soon see improvements in that field. Taylor also said that the legislation to support the Commission for Standards in Public Life, which had not made its way on to Cabinet’s agenda under the previous administration, was expected to be approved shortly and taken to the parliament. He said this would cover issues such as board appointments and the new Register of Interests law.

Taylor said that he expected that his successor, Helen Kilpatrick, would also be focusing on the concept of good governance as this is the area which has the potential to expose the UK to risk. The outgoing governor noted that the next governor would also need to balance what tensions arise between her role and that of elected politicians and try to be constructive.

Pointing to the UK’s white paper on its relationship with the territories, which he said has a vision based on constructive partnerships, he said, “It is early days and inevitably there will be tensions as the interests of both sides won’t always coincide, but with both sides willing to listening and discuss the issues, it feels like a partnership.” Pointing to the benefits of a harmonious relationship in Cabinet, he said there was more to be gained to get the relationship Cayman needs with the UK.

Taylor said he hoped Kilpatrick would be able to build on what he had started and he was encouraged that things would continue to improve.