C4C members will support conservation law

(CNS): Despite the position taken by the advocacy group which endorsed them, all three of the Coalition for Cayman members have confirmed their backing for the National Conservation Law, which will be debated in the Legislative Assembly today, Wednesday 11 December. While Tara Rivers, the education and employment minister, was always bound by the collective responsibility and obligated to support the law once Cabinet gave it the nod, the two back-bench members, Roy McTaggart and Winston Connolly, are free to vote however they chose, but both men have said they will be voting 'yes'.

The group that endorsed these candidates on the campaign trail in pursuit of a government of non-party aligned members released a damning attack on the law this week, stating that it would limit development instead of facilitating it and asking for yet another year of consultation.

Following the advocacy group’s public opposition to the law that they are all supporting, CNS asked the C4C-backed MLAs how they felt about the position taken by the group.

Rivers said that as a firm believer in democracy she respected C4C’s democratic right to express their position on this or any other matter it deemed important. “Likewise, I’m confident that C4C will continue to respect my position as an independently elected representative and member of Cabinet,” she added ahead of the debate.

Roy McTaggart, who is not forced to support the law, also confirmed his backing and indicated that the advocacy group’s position would not influence him. Often seen as the political leader of the group, the chair of the Public Accounts Committee said he had no concerns about the position that C4C had taken.

“As an independent candidate, I campaigned in support of the Conservation Law and will be voting in favour of it when it is put to a vote in the LA,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Winston Connolly went further and distanced himself from the advocacy group, stating that he was not a member of it.

“For the record, I have never been a C4C member, nor have I sat on their executive or had anything to do with their decision making,” he said. “They have not had any bearing on my decision making at any time, nor have I had any say in what they do. I was and remain endorsed by them with no conditions other than to vote with my conscience and be honest in my deliberations and actions."

In light of the declared intention of the public advocacy group, which is to promote independent leadership – “free of politicalties" – that can be trusted to always do what’s best for the people, CNS has asked the group if it intends to continue backing the three members it endorsed, given that they are at odds over this critical piece of legislation, but C4C has not yet responded to questions.