McLaughlin brags of ‘vast’ success

| 15/05/2015 | 52 Comments
Cayman News Service

Alden McLaughlin, Cayman Islands Premier (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)

(CNS): The premier said his government had made a choice to embrace change and progress, as he outlined his administration’s plans for the coming fiscal year during the opening of the budget meeting Friday. Boasting of “vast successes and accomplishments” in his policy statement, Alden McLaughlin said it was important that the prosperity government was striving to create was not just lining the pockets of the few.

“The Progressives-led administration I lead will ensure that families and small businesses feel the benefits of economic success right across these islands,” the premier said in a long speech that covered proposed policy development and plans for the second half of this administration.

He said the budget for 2015/16 was taking Cayman “toward a better tomorrow” — the title of his speech. Achieving stability, McLaughlin said, had been the first goal of his government and having achieved that goal, attention would be on energizing the country “in the drive for prosperity”.

In addition to policy, the premier also remarked on politics, criticizing the previous administration and the opposition leader in particular.

McLaughlin said his government’s three-year financial plan had led to budgets that produced growth with controlled expenditure through disciplined financial planning and good surpluses — budgets that met the required legislated appraisal and value-for-money tenets, which were presented to the UK on time and were approved without issue.

“We have a history of strong financial management, discipline, planning and delivering on what we say we will do,” McLaughlin said. “Compare that to the chaos of the previous UDP government’s budgets. Not only were they bad for the country in their own right, they led to the UK intervening and forcing the UDP and its leader to first sign up to the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility requirements, and when that did not sufficiently work, to place those requirements into law.”

He said the opposition leader had been forced to live up to his obligations by the UK and to “stop wasting millions of dollars and frittering away valuable opportunities to improve this country’s economy”.

Speaking about the introduction of improvement procurement processes, he said he would not “rehash the many failings of the previous administration around bad procurement practices that in the end delayed needed projects” and cost the country money.

“But I will assure the people of this country that we are not going back to those days,” he added.

McLaughlin said his government had demonstrated what can be achieved if properly planned and positively acted, as he warned about the deflection of “the old politics of personality and recrimination”, which would have negative ramifications.

“We are ambitious for the future of these islands and for the future of all Caymanians. We have put in place the platform from which to achieve our ambitions through the successful implementation of our plans – set two years ago – to achieve our twin goals of strong economic growth and sound public finances,” he said before he turned on the opposition bench.

“Some politicians opposite, particularly the leader of the opposition, appear more comfortable being stuck in and living in the past, fighting the same wearisome old battles of yesterday,” the premier said.

“That attitude and approach achieves absolutely nothing for the people of the country,” he said. “But the country can rest assured that neither I as premier nor the government as a whole will be distracted from our duty and mission by political stunts and sideshows by those whose future is now well and truly past. “

He added that there could be no going back to the days of personality politics and a government “focused on self-aggrandizement and political survival”, as he said what was needed was politics of ambition and action.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: ,

Category: Government Finance, Politics

Comments (52)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    Thanks for the stellar drop in cruise ship arrivals this summer, the lack of a proper dock, nonexistant job creation, and the failure to decrease the punitive fees imposed by the UDP. Toot your horn all you want, the people are not fools, and do not buy what you peddle.

  2. Anonymous says:

    He’s delusional. Can we have psychological evaluations for *ALL* politicians, starting with the next election please.

    • Anonymous says:

      Where I can understand him bringing a minimum wage in, he isn’t considering the IMPACT this will cause. I looked at the NWDA job listing. There are jobs listed over 6.00 per hour and guess what NO CAYMANIANS HAVE APPLIED!!! He states 600 or so jobs loss, has he taken into consideration those 600 rent apartments pay CUC, WA food….so hence they go home, those apartments are vacant, etc. Putting a minimum wage, vendors will definitely raise their cost which will be passed onto us….I think immigration should go after the ones who don’t pay their workers, who make promises for salaries and reneg when they arrive. As far as caymanians swarming NWDA not happening now, not happening later!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Actually we should have had that five elections ago.

    • Anonymous says:

      Nah, I reckon a drug test would be sufficient.

  3. Scrape Goat says:

    Any Man who has to blow his own horn about his exploits Is obviously doing nothing and that’s why he has time to do so? If Alden was chocolate he would eat himself.

  4. Anonymous says:

    “Please be distracted by my BS so I can ensure that one member constituencies do not get in the way of me holding on to power for longer . . . “

    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry mac we will not be distracted by your bull any longer.

      • Anonymous says:

        Hate to tell you but you don’t have to be a McKeevite to see that Govt has done nothing to make Caymanians progress! We need jobs and stability for Caymanians and I’m not talking about the rich ones!

  5. Common Sense says:

    What else could this man say???Yet with all his elaborate BIG Talk on how great thou are! not a single word about the crime situation or why people are now being mowed down and killed like animals on our roads or why Cayman and its people feel so apprehensive about their future, not to mention this enormous spying operation and the growing presence of certain foreign paid elements on this little island. Yes Mr Premier prosperity for who? certainly not to those making payments on their utility bills??? Aaah give a rest nah mannn You are starting to sound like the old communist commissar on the battle front encouraging those to die for the cause whilst you secure and establish you your comrades own political existence. Well said Ya UK stooge!!!!!

  6. Anonymous says:

    in other news crime is hitting all time highs

  7. Anonymous says:

    He said all that with a straight face?!?!?

  8. Big Brown says:

    At the end of all the fussing the country is doing better than when the PPM came into office. If you think its serendipity then at least give the PPM credit for having good luck. There is no doubt that they have brought order to government’s finances. We will see what the next step brings.

    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t forget it was the PPM who left the country in a bad financial state with their overspending now matter how you want to spin it. It is largely the UDPs policies that are now coming to bear fruit that has helped the country’s finances. The main thing the PPM had to do this term was NOT SPEND LIKE BEFORE! Give credit where credit is due please.

  9. Disappointed! says:

    Methinks you have lost your marbles. Either that, or you think we are all fools. It is frightening when you speak of ‘ambition’; that would be of the personal kind, we know. There is widespread unemployment among Caymanian youth and no ideas from your government. You gut funding for after-school programmes and other support for youth and have the gall to be boasting about overtaxing and under-supporting Caymanians!?!? Any idiot can be miserly, if you care little enough about people. You have certainly proved all my doubts and you will not be getting my support this time around. You are at least one vote less in GT. Bank on that.

    • Anonymous says:

      At least he’s not gambling our money out and nation building and getting our backsides sued off and throwing away millions in committment fees and firing decent locals he can’t wuk wid and using our fax machine to collect consultancy fees and cruising the globe at our expense while our country rots and robbing the poor locals to feed the rich expats while claiming forever honerable with clean hands and a poor…er pure heart. Oh, did I mention buying wotes?

      • Anonymous says:

        And how much did they spend last minute at last election BUYING wotes???

      • Anonymous says:

        Awe boy…..for goodness sakes why dont you offer constructive and sensible solutions when making comments, McKeeva’s govt is not in power….my grandfather’s donkey would have done much better in offering sensible solutions (SMH.)

        • Anonymous says:

          Sell the donkey. Its worth a fortune!

        • Anonymous says:

          Sorry but your grandfather’s donkey is really not a sensible solution. Can you offer more constructive and sensible solutions please.

        • Anonymous says:

          Hey that’s a classic. Use an ass to solve problems created by an ass. NOW we’re getting somewhere.

        • Anonymous says:

          Sorry, we’ve had a grandfather’s ass running the country for twenty years now. It just doesn’t work.

        • Anonymous says:

          I totally agree with you. Anytime people point out the issues affecting Caymanians the PPM blind followers choose to attack instead of offering solutions or defending with with an actual good thing the PPM has done. I see none of that and it’s sad for all of us because Caymanians have suffered under this administration. Where we used to have some protection for our jobs now we are last! This Govt has even made it easier for expats to get PR at the expense of us being unable to move up the ladder or even to get a job! What have you done for us lately?

          • Anonymous says:

            Sooner or later the entire Cayman Islands, including the udp blind followers, will acknowledge that the udp did an immaculate job of abusing the power that they justly or unjustly came to have in this country, and that it is for this reason alone that they have been permanently deprived of that power. Losing that amount of power is never easily accepted by ignorant human egos, and it is for this reason that they continue to grab desperately at every straw in sight to blame and shame an educated and ambitious government determined to bring Cayman out of the hole the udp dug us into. It is OVER udp. Do yourself and your country and your people just one single justice: Go home, sit down, shut up, and enjoy your spoils. The rest of us should be joyfully and eagerly encouraging the courageous efforts of our elected Government to make proper leadership of this country a reality once again.

      • Anonymous says:

        Is there anything worse than a troll defending stupidity blindly? Does the ppm pay you per post or are you already on the payroll as a political assist?

      • Anonymous says:

        The times are different, so opposition talking points from the era is irrelevant. I guess you bought them hook, line and sinker. If you do have evidence of some of the things you are accusing the past government of by innuendo and poor sarcasm, then put up or shut up. Make a report to the police and present the evidence. If you do not want to be identified, tell them what, who, when and where, so they can investigate and charge people. As far as I can see, if there is corruption and vote buying, the problem is people like you and no one else.

        We are not speaking about the past government, so all of that is really irrelevant. And in any case, only an apologist for the current Premier and government would speak in those tones and make those claims; either that, or they are naive or blinded by partisanship. A government who is willing to keep silent and not rock the boat, whilst boasting of hundred million dollar surpluses to get us out of a crises which they created in the first place, is not even marking time. They are taking us back to slavery days and the worst of Colonialism. As I have stated previously, they did not get my vote, but in hind-sight, I should have voted for the status quo. They surely did a much better job than this bunch.

  10. Anonymous says:

    What about the dump????

  11. Anonymous says:

    A large surplus is good. When Joey gets out of prison and Mac gets back in power they can use it to pay off my mortgage and give me a new roof covered with solar panels. PPM planting, but UDP will reap.

    • Anonymous says:

      My dear I hate to disappoint you…but there is no “surplus”. It is simply the case of CIG not paying their bills for a few months, so going into the new budget year they have a stash. But it is not the real case because they have debts to the same amount or even more.

      They did the same last year hence the so call “surplus”. Joey nor Mac, will have any of this so call “surplus” to help pay off your or anyone else mortgage for that matter.

  12. Anonymous says:

    “We have a history of strong financial management, discipline, planning….”

    And amnesia, it would appear, given that it was the reckless spending of the previous PPM government which directly led to the UK’s involvement in Cayman’s budgeting process and the imposition of the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility.

    This wasn’t a bad thing, because it stopped Big Mac from borrowing Cayman into oblivion, but it was luck, not judgement on the part of the PPM.

    Just as it is luck that the PPM are now benefitting from the turn around in the global economy which is boosting Cayman’s coffers. It was McLaughlin’s ego in the last PPM administration that was largely responsible for unsustainable government spending and his apparent belief that things are rosy in Cayman’s garden now because of the PPM, as opposed to forces beyond the control of the PPM, leads me to wonder if he has learnt anything at all from his previous mistakes.

    • Sammi blue says:

      Markets can turn around and world affairs and finances can improve but if a little place like Cayman is not poised to take advantage of the changes then there will be no improvements. Cayman under the PPM was poised to take advantage of the winds of change. Things doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. With that mindset there is no wonder some of you are floundering..you have to go make things happen, get a plan and work it and give credit where credit is due.

  13. B. N. Onneste says:

    Sounds like another campaign speech to me. How about some action? We’ve had enough words!

  14. Anonymous says:

    Note to FCO. Leave the FFR in place. We know all the politicos want it gone but do not forget that the “Gambler” could take his seat at the card table once again and he must never be allowed to have unfettered powers to roll the dice of debt.

    Note to PPM. How about some audited accounts? It has been over ten years since the enactment of the disaster that is the PFML and we the taxpayers would like to be able to verify the numbers.

  15. Anonymous says:

    More fantasy island proclamations and hot air from mr vanity again.
    Where are the jobs for Caymanians and OMOV?

    • Anonymous says:

      He is working on it by getting rid of good expats and replacing then with incompetents just like he did when he was last in power. Be careful what you wish for!

      • Sammi blue says:

        If they are so good then they should have no problems finding employment back home or in another neck of the woods. I am not anti- expat just pro Caymanians .

    • Anonymous says:

      Education! Education! Education! Now they must put local people to work getting the new school up and running! They said they had no money to continue with the new build! Things must change and there is no longer an excuse!

  16. Anonymous says:

    Did He mention the progress of OMOV? It has to happen before the next election. Not watered down!!

  17. Anonymous says:

    I guess if a 25% drop in summer cruise ship arrivals is a vast success then he is spot on.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oh Good Lord heaven knows I do nit like the man but you seriously cannot blame him for cruise ships choosing not to come here. There is little of offer day trippers in Cayman who are not into water sports.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Bull.

    • Anonymous says:

      Hey Alden ever hear the praise “SELF PRAISE IS NO PRAISE”!!!!Just saying

      • Sammi blue says:

        All of you complaining and lying about the progressives not doing anything please get you asses in gear and try to do something to help yourselves or better yet find someplace to migrate to so that those of us who are really trying to help ourselves and who appreciates what this government is doing don’t have to listen to all of you complaining. The majority of the population wanted a change and voted for it and those of you who did not vote Progressive can still come up to the table and eat but please stop the lying and groaning and expecting everything for nothing!L

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.