Politics
Premier welcomes Scottish referendum result
(CNS): While the issue of Cayman’s own road to independence remains a contentious issue the premier welcomed the results of last week’s referendum in Scotland which will see the country remain part of the United Kingdom for a while longer but, if campaign promises are filled, will see Scotland enjoy even more devolved powers. Alden McLaughlin said a strong United Kingdom, including Scotland, is better for the Cayman Islands and other OTs than an alternative that may have created more uncertainty in an already uncertain world.
Congratulating the people of Scotland he said he wished them well “in their goals to attain a greater degree of autonomy while maintaining the historic, economic and familial link,” with the UK.
Pointing to the 84.5 per cent turnout he said the democratic process works and while democracy prevailed he pointed out that Scotland the United Kingdom must continue talking about the devolution of important powers.
“The UK will now be looking to provide the Scottish parliament, and by extension the Scottish people, with more devolved powers and authority over their own affairs while maintaining the benefits of being part of a stronger and bigger United Kingdom,” he said dropping hints about his own position on Cayman’s relationship with the UK and the need for more autonomy while remaining connected to the mother country.
MLAs raise more concerns over CS recruitment
(CNS):The independent members for North Side and East End raised further concerns in the Legislative Assembly last week over the government’s continued recruitment of ex-pats and what appears to be a breakdownin succession planning in the civil service. Eric Bush was asked to explain what had happened regarding the current chief financial officer’s post position in the home affairs ministry and it was revealed that no one in the ministry or the wider civil service had applied for the job. Eric Bush, who is currently acting deputy governor, said that the job was advertised in June and two Caymanians along with a permanent resident had been shortlisted for the first round but none were suitable.
Following a formal question submitted during members question time from Ezzard Miller, Bush explained that after one of the Caymanian applicants failed to respond to written questions at the pre-interview stage, the remaining two candidates were selected for interview. They were interviewed by a panel made up of ministry and HR government officials as well as a Caymanian expert from a local private sector accounting firm. But, Bush told legislators, the panel concluded that neither candidate were suitable for the senior job and both required further personal development and more experience before they were ready.
As a result, the current post-holder, who is an overseas national on contract, had his contract renewed for a further two years, Bush confirmed.
Miller probed the details regarding the professional qualifications of the individual but Bush said he was unable to confirm those details and would have them sent to the member. Miller pressed for reassurance from the acting deputy governor that the job ads had not been tailored to meet the existing post holder.
Bush said that to the best of his knowledge the job description was standard for the CFO post across the civil service.
Arden McLean, the East End member, asked Bush in a supplementary question about the succession plan and raised concerns that the ministry was not fulfilling its duty in that respect.
“It is interesting that no one applied for the job given the people with CPAs and experience in the civil service," he said and asked, "What is government doing to prepare locals for these posts when they become available?”
Bush said that succession planning was part of the civil service mandate, where the aspirations and ambitions of civil servants are set out and what is needed for them to move to their goals is monitored. He said employees and the organization work together to work out those plans and staff in the ministry all have succession plans relating to their careers.
McLean voiced his concern, however, that the CS continued to bring people in while seemingly leaving local public servants behind.
Fuel duty cuts years away, says finance minister
(CNS): The minister of finance and economics has said that any further duty cuts on fuel may be as much as three years away. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Friday in regard to a motion filed by the opposition leader asking government to cut the duty and give the Cayman people a break, Marco Archer said that government could not yet afford to reduce the duty any further than the cuts in this year’s budget. Although the minister said government wanted to bring down the current duty levels by some 45 cents to bolster the economy and reduce the burden on the community it was going to take two to three years to bring down the rates.
Archer said he had to remain prudent with the budget and the economy was simply not growing enough to justify further cuts and he wanted and was working on sustainable solutions to help people not cuts that would have to be increased again because government couldn’t balance the books.
He pointed to the help he was giving by cutting the duty on CUC bills in January which should result on a four percent drop in domestic and commercial bills as well as the reduction of almost all duty on retail goods for merchants. That 2% cut came into effect in July and government has promised to ensure that the cut works is way through to the public at the point of sale.
The minister also pointed to the introduction of a free trade and business license for micro Caymanians business to encourage people to set up home industries. He described a micro business as a commercial operation with four or less employees and an annual gross revenue of less that $250k.
Meanwhile, Archer said that small businesses could receive a 50% or 75% cut on license fees depending on their district location. He also said that the government has implemented an amnesty for any existing business owner who still owes trade and business licensing fees so they can reapply for government contracts.
“We won’t be chasing you for the money,” he promised as he responded to McKeeva Bush’s private member’s motion which was no accepted by the PPM government bench.
Premier: OMOV in SMCs will secure party-politics
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin has said the introduction of one man, one vote in single member constituencies will secure the future of party politics in Cayman. Although some believe that by having one vote in a constituency with a single representative, independent candidates will have a better chance at the polls, the premier said that would not be the case. During the Legislative Assembly debate last week on the government motion regarding electoral reform McLaughlin said party politics would still dominate the political landscape, as he pointed to the cost of campaigning and advised the independent members to join one or set up a new party.
“I have heard many people say SMCs will somehow break the party system and make it easier for independents to get elected,” he said. However, the premier said this was unlikely and the system was more likely to entrench the party system and favour the dominant parties.
McLaughlin said that OMOV in SMCs still favoured the party politics, which he supported because it was a far better system as people knew when they voted for a party, group or team who the leaders would be and what, if that party formed the government, they could expect from the administration.
McLaughlin said that rather than being afraid of OMOV in SMCs, as has been implied, he embraced it because experience had taught him that organized politics was essential in the modern era and without it “chaos ensues”. He said independents could not expect to get elected on separate platforms where they have nothing in common and then lead the country as a cohesive government when they are thrown together and unable to agree on policy.
Ironically, McLaughlin said that any independents that still managed to get elected would find themselves on the side lines getting nothing done. The comments came, however, in the debate on a motion that he had earlier admitted government brought to the House not least because of the pressure the independent members, Arden McLean and Ezzard Miller, had applied to get this issue on government’s agenda sooner rather than later.
Nevertheless, despite their work pressuring government on OMOV and other issues, such as championing the minimum wage and a fair trade commission, McLaughlin advised his former party colleague McLean and Miller, who was a founding member of the UDP, to pick a party to join or start their own.
He said this was not just a matter of cohesive politics but costs because it would get harder and harder for those funding their own campaigns as the cost of fighting an election continued to escalate. He described the costs as astonishing and said independents would struggle without the benefit of the party machinery.
McLean withdraws OMOV motion
(CNS): Despite concerns that the government motion committing the PPM administration to establish an electoral boundary commission in order to implement introduce one man, one vote in single member constituencies before the next election does not go far enough, Arden McLean withdrew his own private member's motion on the issue Friday. In a day dealing with a laundry list of private member's motions covering a catalogue of issues, from inequity in the immigration law to home invasions, the member for East End pulled his motion, which had been filed several months earlier, saying that he would, despite his mistrust, wait and see what government did.
McLean had stated in the debate last week on the government motion, which passed through the Legislative Assembly without his support, that he had genuine concerns that the government had a hidden agenda. He pointed to a failure to introduce a specific time line, the fact that it was waiting on the boundary commission before amending the actual law, and above all, that the government would not solidify the number of seats, leaving it open to increase the numbers to nineteen via the back door of the commission.
Nevertheless, despite his publicly declared mistrust of his former party colleague, Premier Alden McLaughlin, when it comes to his political position on issues, McLean said that he was willing to wait and hoped he would “be pleasantly surprised". He added that he would hold off to see if government would do what it had promised and introduce OMOV in 18 SMCs long before the country goes to the polls in 2017. However, the independent member warned government that withdrawing the motion did not mean it could not come back again.
Shame only sanction for COs
(CNS):The only consequence against civil service bosses who fail to meet their obligations under the Public Management and Finance Law is a red face, the financial secretary has stated. The Cayman Islands Government has been unable to produce a consolidated set of accounts and report on how public cash has been spent for more than ten years due to a catalogue of deficiencies in the government system and an inability of CS bosses to follow the PMFL and the Public Service Management Law. However, there are no real sanctions against those at the top who are responsible for the failures.
Appearing as a witness before the Public Accounts Committee earlier this month as they examined a series of auditor general reports on good governance, Kenneth Jefferson, who is now also the chief officer in the finance ministry, said that the consequences for not getting it right was the embarrassment top managers faced over such failures.
Winston Connolly, the C4C’s government backbencher for George Town and a member of the committee, asked what was the accountability or the penalties handed out for chief officers or financial officers who do not meet their obligations under the law. In response Jefferson said that to his knowledge there were no “specified penalties” for those who fail to do their jobs.
“I can’t say to the committee that at the moment that there is a defined penalty for non-compliance,” he said. “The penalty would come in the form of embarrassment to the minister, the chief officer when it is publicly known that there is non-compliance. That is the penalty.”
He added that the deputy governor, who is taking the leadership role when it comes to the performance of chief officers, “would take a stern look” and that questions would be asked regarding their performance, but he said there was no other consequences.
Connolly pressed the issue about poor performance, accountability and the waste of public money because of bad management and poor decisions. Michael Nixon, the deputy financial secretary, said people falling short in their jobs would be dealt with under the PSML, which governs the performance of civil servants, including those at the top as well as in the lower ranks of the public sector.
However, the former PAC chair, the independent member for North Side, Ezzard Miller, said that there are sanctions under the Public Management and Finance Law. When he was head of the parliamentary oversight committee that is designed to probe public finances and government’s adherence to the law, he said he believed the law provided consequences.
Miller had approached the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the attorney general to press that law and seek to take legal action against those responsible for not meeting the requirements under the PMFL but he said his request was dismissed.
During the PAC meeting on 3 September, Jefferson said only one government entity missed the 31 August deadline to submit their annual reports to the Office ofthe Auditor General. While this claim has been made for several years, OAG reports indicate that the quality of those accounts still falls far short of international standards and prevents a full set of consolidate accounts to be produced.
Nevertheless, Jefferson stated that this was the year that government would produce not just financial statements but the annual report explaining how government spent the half billion dollars it collects from the community. Government has not produced an annual report since the PMFL was implemented in2004.
Bush presses government for protection of caregivers
(CNS): The opposition leader’s bid to get government to re-instate special measures for non-Caymanian caregivers under the immigration lawhas gained sympathy with the ruling administration after the Legislative Assembly supported McKeeva Bush’s private member’s motion on the issue. Although government has not yet spelt out how it will address the immigration status of these work-permit holders, most of whom would not be likely to qualify under the law for permanent residency, the politicians have agreed they should not be rolled over when they are taking care of the elderly or infirm. In a brief debate Thursday, Bush pointed out the particular distress caused to older members of the community when they face losing the people that may have cared for them for many years.
During his time as premier Bush introduced a special care-givers permit that would allow this specific category of workers to be exempted from what was then the seven year term limit. However, when the PPM administration made changes to the immigration law last October to remove the seven year rollover and allow all permit holders to stay up to nine years and have the chance to apply for PR, the special pass for caregivers was removed.
Nevertheless, Premier Alden McLaughlin stated that the government was very sympathetic to the situation and was already examining how it could be addressed and indicated the government would support Bush’s motion.
“This matter is of much concern to many people in our community,” Bush told his LA colleagues during the debate. “Those of us with aged parents can appreciate how the law had assisted people with sick elderly loved ones who sometimes have two caregivers. These aged individuals are not used to or can’t tolerate change and new faces around them,” he added as he pointed out that some are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, stressing the importance of those who care for them as he appealed to government to do something.
McLaughlin agreed that there were real challenges for families with sick or elderly relatives being cared for by people with whom they have an important relationship. But the problem lay in who takes care of the caregivers later on as they are among the lower paid people employed in Cayman, he said, noting the need to find a balance. He said that government was sensitive to the issues and had heard the concerns and pleas from the community, so it would find a way to address it. McLaughlin indicated that some form of amendment would be brought alongside the next phase of immigration law amendments.
The move by the government was welcomed by back-bench MLA Anthony Eden, who said he too has had many representations from his constituents in Bodden Town about the matter. He pointed out that the change in the law would help the people and that was what they were meant to do as representatives. And if they helped others, God would help them with the other challenges that come with it.
Health Minister Osbourne Bodden also noted that no one had felt good about removing the care-giver exemption and he agreed that, despite the obvious burden on the state these people may become in the future, the numbers were not so great that the government couldn’t find a way to bear that burden, as he too noted the service they are providing
Bush thanked the government for support and said that it, like all other governments, had to realize there are situations it can’t avoid dealing with despite the challenge. He pointed to the possibility of using the provision in the law that enable the government to offer status in exceptional circumstances. Bush said he believed this category of workers were exceptional cases and warranted finding a way. He pointed out that in the end government held the power to make the change and put in place safeguards so it would not be open to abuse.
Privatization not a panacea
(CNS): The country has to recognize that privatization is “not a panacea that when poured down upon a Public Service will miraculously cure all ills,” the civil service association boss has stated in a message to the membership. In the wake of the publication of the Ernst and Young report on the rationalization of the civil service James Watler the CICSA president urged members to read and familiarize themselves with the document and pass their feedback to the management council on the proposals that could if implemented radically alter government and the wider community.
Watler pointed to concerns about selling off the public sector and that in the end it will be civil servants, whose jobs are now on the line, who will have to implement the cuts and changes.
“Many privatization efforts have failed to achieve their overall objectives locally and internationally,” he said in his message Thursday. “Like any other government initiative in order for true success it is the individual civil servants that must make it happen. Thus our involvement is critical and not just as secondary stakeholders."
However the president pointed out how difficult this might be given the manpower problems across the public sector.
“Unfortunately, for the last decade, many of our service agencies have been operating with below optimal staff numbers while others may have been overstaffed compared to the practical demands placed upon the service. Once again we must suggest a full man power survey to better understand the current staffing situation and needs for the entire organization and a formal determination of essential services and staff to function and provide the requisite services that people expect their government to provide.”
Watler explained that such an assessment would inform the fair cost of a service otherwise investors run the risk of their privatization failing to achieve the savings, services and profits that could be expected.
Urging the association’s membership to offer their thoughts he said the management council was closely reviewing the proposals but it was crucial that civil servants aired their views. While government has made no announcements about what it will choose, if anything to implement from the report, Watler reminded the civil servants that the deputy governor is committed to carrying out policy obligations to reduce the cost and size of the service.
“While Civil Servants do not make policy the Association will act as an advocate for the rights of our members and look to ensure that the employer’s moral, contractual and legislative obligations are honored. We will also act as a conduit for our members to make representation to the Civil Service management and to the Government as we try to limit the negative impacts of the changes as much as possible,” Watler stated in a message to his membership on Thursday.
Although Watler stressed that the CS was keen to see government work efficiently and effectively he pointed out that some services cannot be privatized, outsourced and or sold because of the social impacts of the profit or the loss of the service.
“The Civil Service Association will engage with the Portfolio of the Civil Service and the new rationalization unit to work with them to find the most effective and most respectful ways to bring about whatever policy changes are decided on. But that will only occur if we are proactive about engaging with each other,” he added.
Watler asked the CS to think about the proposed changes and to express their thoughts in preparation for meetings to openly discuss the report and other issues. But in the meantime he urged them to email CICSA@gov.ky with their input.
Meanwhile, following the publication of the EY report, the deputy governor has also written to the wider civil service about the report and pointed out that once Cabinet makes any decision about its implementation the new unit headed by Mary Rodrigues would “create a sense of urgency” to see the policy changes pushed through. Promising to be transparent about the progress and development of this rationalization, Franz Manderson, acknowledged that there was a “high level of interest” in the findings and the implications of the EY report.
He said that he and government were committed to “ensuring that the social, economic and human resource implications of each change decision are identified and considered and that public servants are treated fairly.”
Any public sector worker who is no yet a member who wants to make their voice heard can join the CICSA by emailing CICSA@gov.ky.
See the message from the CICSA, the deputy governor’s letter to government workers and a related CNS story with the EY report attached below.
OMOV passes through LA
(CNS): A government motion to introduce 'one man, one vote' in single member constituencies before the 2017 election has been passed by the Legislative Assembly. In an ironic twist it was backed only by the government members, all of whom were present in the chamber, to affirm the premier’s motion. The two independent members, who have campaigned so hard to ensure the introduction of the electoral reform, abstained from the vote when the premier refused to amend his motion to either include a time line or specify the number of seats to shore up the government commitment to the long awaited voting change.
During the day long debate in the parliament on Wednesday, Premier Alden McLaughlin said that Electoral Boundary Commission would complete their report and the government would amend the legislation all in “good time” for the 2017 ballot but he refused to give the EBC any directions as he said that their remit was constitutionally mandated and that it was up to legislators to decide what recommendations would be accepted.
He pointed out that the constitution already provided for the 18 seats which currently make up the LA and said there was no need to specify since government had not directed anything different and had no plans to increase the number of constituencies. During the debate McLaughlin accused the independent members of being paranoid as he committed to the electoral reform and wondered what was going on in the member for East End’s head.
Arden McLean, who brought an amendment to the government motion, told the premier that what was in his head was the fact that he did not trust his former party colleague, as he pressed the point that there was precedent for setting the terms of reference for the EBC.
McLaughlin said the politicians should not attempt to circumscribe the committee's work and the amendments sought by McLean and seconded by Ezzard Miller were founded on a misunderstanding of the constitution. He said there was nothing in government’s motion about increasing the membership of the House and government was fully committed to the election law amendment well before the 2017 national poll.
Without the changes the two members abstained from the vote, which was carried by the 12 members of government with just Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush and his West Bay colleague, Captain Eugene Ebanks, who had previously voted with the independent members for their OMOV motion earlier this year, voting no. Bernie Bush, who is understood to support OMOV, was absent from the chamber at the time.
During the debate McLaughlin had indicated that while the issue was very important to a few very vocal people, it was not necessarily a priority but he was glad to have dealt with the issue and reach a consensus across his government. However, the motion is just a first step towards the electoral reform, which, despite some detractors, had the backing of a majority of voters in a 2012 referendum.
Members made brief contributions to the motion, in particular back-bench Al Suckoo, who had pushed the boundaries with the PPM party when he voted against the government line earlier this year and backed a private member's bill for the reform brought by McLean and Miller. He pointed out that he had been elected by the people of Bodden Town on a mandate to bring OMOV in SMCs and he had made a decision to do it no matter what the impact on his political career.
The three Coalition for Cayman members also all stood tooffer their backing for the reform. Roy McTaggart and Winston Connolly emphasized their long standing and unequivocal support for the reform, making it clear they were not the stumbling blocks that the premier had previously implied were in his government. McTaggart congratulated the two independent members for keeping up the pressure to ensure the introduction of OMOV.
Tara Rivers, who represents the district of West Bay and the only area of the country that had a slight majority against OMOV in the referendum, indicated she believed in equality of voting but said little about whether or not she backed SMCs and said it may not be the most perfect voting system but it was right for government to make the change as equality was fundamentally important.
Marco Archer, who had missed the last vote, made it clear he was delighted with the move to begin work on the reform and that the government could get back to addressing the critical issues facing the country.
Meanwhile, Bush accepted that the government had the numbers to make the change but warned that the country would “chew off more than it could swallow” with the vote as he raised his long standing objection to the change, which he said would herald in garrison politics in some areas of the country. He said that the existing system had served Cayman well and that the government should think very hard before it started chopping up the districts.
McLaughlin said that equal suffrage had been on the political agenda for a long time and it was an “honour and a privilege” but government had battled through “political storms” to reach this point.
McLaughlin has not yet given a date for the start of the EBC but the governor is expected to appoint a chair shortly and then the premier and the opposition leader will appoint a member each to the commission.
Last call to Chamber members to shape agenda
(CNS): The president of the Chamber of Commerce is urging its members to take an online survey as soon as possible to help direct the organisation's advocacy agenda. Johann Moxam said it was the last chance for the members to make their views on the top issues of the day known so that the Chamber Council can serve the membership and press government to act in the areas that concern them the most. Asking people to be direct about what’s important, the survey is also designed to solicit what members think about the government's first 16 months in office. Moxam said the survey should take less than five minutes to complete and a little more for those wishing to comment on questions.
“This is your last chance to get involved in shaping the Chamber's public advocacy agenda. Your response will be treated confidentially so we encourage you to be frank with your responses,” he said, adding that the survey results will shape the direction of the Council's public advocacy agenda on national issues.