Premier ‘scared’ by rhetoric
Premier Alden McLaughlin debates in the LA, 23 Nov 2015
(CNS): Rhetoric in the Legislative Assembly last week during a debate about the lack of advancement by locals, particularly in the offshore sector, has concerned and even “scared” the country’s leader. But much of what Premier Alden McLaughlin described as “anti-foreign and anti-business” sentiment was coming not just from government opponents but his own backbenchers and even a Cabinet minister, as cracks in the cohesion of the coalition government began to emerge.
In a debate lasting some ten hours on Monday 23 November about a private member’s motion brought by Winston Connolly and supported by Anthony Eden, passions ran very high with some members, as they lamented a lack of opportunity and advancement for Caymanians in some of Cayman’s critical industries.
Members of the parliament made it very clear that they believed too many businesses are deliberately excluding and marginalising locals in the workplace because legislation is not being enforced. This, they said, was leading to a business environment being controlled almost entirely by expatriate workers or new Caymanians that had arrived here and stayed long enough to achieve status. The result was closed doors to locals, regardless of their skills and talents, and many employers were not fulfilling their obligations to ensure the advancement of the Caymanians they do employ through the necessary training.
Although the theme is a common sentiment expressed frequently by Arden McLean and Ezzard Miller, the independent members from the eastern districts, on this occasions it was emphatically echoed by many members of McLaughlin’s team, including Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden.
The premier revealed that he was accepting the motion after it had been amended from its original, which, he said, had been too “radical” for government to accept. The basic request in the amended version, which McLean described as “diluted”, was to review the laws surrounding the business environment and licensing regime and exemptions to see what was preventing the advancement of locals and where necessary, redouble efforts to enforce legislation.
McLaughlin said he was willing to do that as much of it was underway already, but he raised his concerns about the message he felt was being delivered by the members to the community that would drive business away.
He said the rhetoric was “of great concern” to him and he worried it would be of great concern to the business community as well. “The fact is … there is more than one side of the story,” he said.
During the debate, law firms and the offshore sector were the main targets of those who believe that Caymanians are not only struggling to find work but when they do, they are also being confronted by artificial stumbling blocks on their career paths, imposed, so the perception was, by foreign bosses, partners and owners.
“No one, while I am premier, is going to lead me down a path that is going to destroy the very industry, the very businesses that provide the opportunities,” McLaughlin told his colleagues. “When they are gone, when we make it so unwelcoming that those who invest in Cayman then say, ‘You know what? I have had enough!’ … You really believe that Cayman is only place to set up business?” he asked angrily.
Lauding the reasons why people want to come to Cayman, the premier admitted that some firms do treat Caymanians badly and more was needed to be done to create a better chance at economic opportunity for promotion and upward mobility. However, he said he was “scared by the rhetoric … about how bad business is and how terrible they are.”
He wondered if members of the Legislative Assembly understood that the economic recovery was still fragile and the challenges faced by the financial services were mounting, increasing Cayman’s vulnerability.
“The last thing we want to do is send the signal that anyone not born here is not welcome, and that is the message they will have got from this debate,” he said. “I truly worry about that.”
Describing the Cayman Islands as a treasure and Caymanians as some of the most welcoming friendly people in world, he said it was important that the country welcomed not just tourists but business people as well. He warned the MLAs about creating a sense of resentment.
“I don’t have a difficulty supporting the motion but I can’t sit quietly and let people believe I subscribe to the anti-expat and anti-business sentiment” that he said was being expressed in the debate. He would not allow the government that he leads to be branded with that, he added.
However, it was his own party members, a Coalition for Cayman (C4C) member who also sits in his government and even his Cabinet colleague that made it plain that they had some very real concerns about what is seen by many as a very deliberate marginalisation of locals by the major business leaders.
While McLaughlin was supported in his position by Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton and Ministry Counsellor Roy McTaggart, those three appeared deeply at odds with the rest of the members who spoke.
McLaughlin urged members to see “the bigger picture” and stop creating an atmosphere that “we don’t want foreigners here”.
“We need to encourage them and make it easier for Caymanians to share in the wealth and opportunities but not as a result of having expelled all of them,” the premier added.
Check back to CNS for more on the debate, which is also now available to watch on government’s YouTube channel in three parts. see below:
Category: Politics
Expats are only doing what Cayman Government lets them get away with. You can’t blame the Expats for seeking opportunities and running with it, especially when the immigration and labor laws are so relaxed and business owners (Expats and Caymanians alike) are not even held responsible for stealing pension and health insurance funds from their employees.
When work permit fees are one of the biggest revenue makers for the Government, it is a direct conflict of interest and the people are suffering accordingly. Parents are struggling to send their children overseas to get a good university degree but many kids can’t get their foot in the door at any work place when they return home.
At the flipside of the coin, Caymanians continue to fail to see the big picture. They would rather vote back someone who tends to cater more towards the expat community as long as they get their driveway paved come election.
It is a hard line to walk – everyone will need to give up something to approve on this situation. Caymanians need to understand that the favor giving, string pulling system is what created this mess and Government needs to understand that they need to enforce their own laws and perhaps lose some votes in the process. Expats will need to learn that living here means to integrate and that includes hanging out with locals, eating local food etc, not whining about the lack of British groceries available on Island:)!
Imagine this: The best Caymanian lawyers, accountants, directors and fund administrators start their own business. They hire only Caymanian professionals and admin staff and foster the growth of everyone internally to ensure that only Caymanians move into the top positions.
They run their firm at SIGNIFICANT less expense because they don’t need to pay work permit fees, relocation fees and all the other fees related to the employment of expats. One would think that a company like this would quickly become far more profitable than any other law, accounting, management or fund admin firm right?
Now,… ask yourself why hasn’t this happened? Better yet,… ask yourself, for those that have already tried this model, why it didn’t work or why this model had to be altered.
Alden is trying to insert some much needed logic here. Returning to the blame and shame of expats ONCE AGAIN is not the answer. Yes all company executives need to respect the upward development of Caymanians. But no, there is not an Expat evil empire here on the island plotting to destroy Caymanian workers.
Please people, let’s not go down this same road again. Welcome business and business development from all areas of the globe. Use the money it brings in to turn our Caymanian people into those among the best and brightest in the world.
Try running a campaign for votes on the basis of boosting and improving the existing and future Caymanian workforce. Think of platforms based on incentives to promote top Caymanian executive placement. We have come a long way, now let’s turn our best into the elite. We have a world-class financial environment to take advantage of. Let’s not throw that away.
I am another businessman of 45 years. I echo the above comments 100%. I wouldn’t even DREAM of hiring a non-Caymanian if I could possibly avoid it! I recently had to renew a W.P. for a key man who has almost 10 years experienced – most of it with me. I spent a bundle on advertising and asked for someone with 5 years experience. I got all of two applicants, both with NO experience, no references, couldn’t account for what they’d been doing for at least the past 5 years and who were just one small step above being illiterate. Enough said!
“I refuse to believe…” said East End McLean. That, sir, is precisely your problem. And ours when you shoot your mouth off to stir up resentment and feather your 175-vote nest.
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
Alden. You say you were a partner in a law firm. Now you say you were not an owner of a business. Which is it?
Well, you see, there are Partners and there are partners. There is a very big difference between them, but when it is convenient (even if it might be illegal) people tell immigration and other regulators that people are Partners when really they are just partners. Of course, when people are being really naughty they name the partners as Partners, and don’t mention the Partners at all.
There are partners and partners. Only equity partners own a share of the business. Management and other partners, particularly in larger firms are not necessarily owners of equity shares in the business.
Oops. That is not what they tell immigration and other regulators. Wouldn’t that be a crime?
Is anyone solving the similar and even bigger issues festering in civil service?
So you admit some firms treat Caymanians badly. What have you done about it? Nothing! Do you admit that some of these firms have committed various offenses or even fraud in the process? You tolerate this why?
He tolerates it because he is a sucker for these foreign corporations.
If you are scared by the rhetoric, why have you not done anything to diffuse the situation? What are the Caymanians who you know have had their livelihoods destroyed by certain unscrupulous businesses? Collateral damage? Damn you!
Why not just allow the government to continue to bloat, put an end to social services, and offer every living soul who can trace their lineage however far back it takes to be a “real” Caymanian a job doing whatever they want to do, skilled or no? If you have finished school, you have a job. Want to be an accountant? Sure, why not! Lawyer? We have a place in the public defender’s office for you! We’ll even promise a bonus turkey once a year, not just at election time.
Mr. Premier with all due respect sir, you really have to pull your head out of the sand. Your people are suffering, struggling and you say you are not going to turn or force business away? At what cost sir? Your people? Your people are now second class in their own country and this is what you are worried about? Well sir, most of these businesses need Cayman too and we welcome them as always by our nature of being humble and God fearing. But when you have people that cannot go to the hospital and be tended to because the lack of insurance, lack of employment and homes being foreclosed on you are ok with that. It starts and ends with our government to make the right decision to build a great nation and sir you have failed us miserably. A man such as mr. Anthony Eden can teach you loyalty, foresight and stand firm on principles. We are really in a bad state.
The Government starts and ends with what the people allow. You accept what they give you? That what you get.
Mr. Premier, Why are you concern about driving businesses away if Caymanians are not benefiting from it? Please answer me this question. In essence what you are saying is that we welcome businesses here so they can grow their wealth while their expat friends get a slice of the pie. Please explain the logic in that. Pleas don’t tell me that they pay business license and work permit fees. That doesn’t do anything or very little for this Island.
Tony and Al scared of something else that ends in “ic”.
Me thinks you should stop threatening to leave and carry out your threat Expat, but here is a forewarning the natives in that OT ain’t going to tolerate the Bulls@#%* you get away here with Capiche!!
Methinks you should improve your Shakespearian English and Italian before you try to use them to make threats online, capisce? Otherwise the effect is really one of “oh look, I am being threatened by a charmless, witless idiot, that’s funny”.
12 of those dislikes came in in 5 minutes. The OP probably thought a bit of botting was better than exposing themselves again as an idiot.
What a load of B.S.. Do you ever hear the government say they are trying to expand its the Finanical Services Industry, or establish new ones. No, they have all lost the plot. It is sad very sad.
So, the MLAs’ heritage-steeped fellow bureaucrats are failing to do their jobs to monitor business and enforce existing labour legislation. A theatrical 10 hours of wind-bag political grandstanding when they ought to have spent 2 hours examining the obviously deficient gov’t dept – which, by the way, have not processed a single PR application this entire administration. Can somebody please give the Cabinet members an org chart and a managerial list for the CIG, because manifestly, in year 3 or their regime, they don’t know who, what, where, when, or why – in their own ranks.
I have been a business man for 40 years and I can assure you that only a fool would hire an expat, pay for moving expenses, work permit, immigration hassles,and gov. staffing regulations IF I COULD FIND THE EMPLOYEE I NEEDED LOCALLY. I am in business to make money. I hire people who have been educated and have the ability to get out of bed, come to work, work 7 out of 8 hours, communicate accurately,and do a job that Make Me Money. I don’t care about color, gender, nationality. I only care about my business. It provides taxes to educate the local people. Education is not my expertise. I run a business not a school.
Brilliantly written!
The system of work permits– where the employee is owned by the employer– must take most of the flack for the issue of Caymanian unemployment. Think about it: You’re a business owner with the choice of an ex-pat who — if they turn out to be a bad employee– you can get rid of easily by simply not renewing his or her work permit, OR a Caymanian, who, under the umbrella of positive discrimination, will require 2 verbal warnings, a couple of written warnings, opportunities for in-house training, and even if he or she is a slacker, will take you to employment tribunal at the drop of a hat. Despite the cost of a work permit, my guess is that most employers will take the ex-pat with the flexibility to oust them on a whim if they don’t perform. This is the reality and until the CIG begins to appreciate that the system of work permits creates dreadful imbalances, nothing will change. Employers will choose work permit holders over Caymanians. Furthermore, positive discrimination (for Caymanians in the workplace) has not worked and will not work. It encourages the scenario described above and it gives Caymanians an entitlement attitude — “you’ve got to give me a job, the government says so and it’s the law.” Forget positive discrimination and get the education system sorted out to make Caymanian youth competitive in the employment marketplace.
Not renewing an expats work permit is unfair dismissal under our Labour law so your whole argument fails.
Better go back to school buddy. If a work permit expires the employer is under no obligation to renew it. Between that and rollover expats are perpetually replaceable, hence you only have people passing through to make a quick buck before they move on, instead of people who genuinely want to stay and integrate. A situation solely created by the Immigration law.
Read the Labour Law and the case of Thomas vs. CINICO. I have been to school, thank you – and plainly one better than yours.
Are you crazy. Every employer has a right to request or not to request renewal of a work permit. You should also be mindful that the Immigration does not have to approve that work permit which is what should happen in the absence of an effective training program to employ employee Caymanians.
I had the displeasure of standing in the same store as a certain Mr Miller the other day whilst he treated expat workers with the arrogance we’ve come to expect XXXXX. However when spoken to by a young Caymanian man Mr Miller returned to softer, less arrogant tones and actually smiled, yes, he actually smiled.
Unfortunately Mr Miller’s anti expat and anti foreigner diatribes are well known to those he hates so much, his reputation for blaming everyone except those drug dealing drunks that vote for him on NS has kept him in office for far too long. But that maybe about to change at the next election and NS can wave goodbye to this XXXXX.
If the Premier is really scared by the consequences of hate and anti expat rhetoric then he needs to act to stop it now. Business people are genuinely concerned at the ramping up of the blame culture by some Caymanian public figures. This will only end badly if he doesn’t get to grips with the paranoia and false impressions given to garner votes and excuse the failures of failed politicians and their incompetent civil servants.
There is only one group of people to blame for this disgusting situation and that’s the Caymanian people themselves. Their reputation for poor education, lack of personal and professional skills, appalling customer service, failure to maintain high levels of attendance and time keeping, failure to commit and work hard, self entitled attitudes and unrealistic expectations of their own ability have all given rise to a reluctance of some employers to keep making the same mistakes.
The only problem with expats is that they were motivated enough leave their homes and families and travel thousands of miles to get work or further their own experience. That kind of motivation is a massive competition hurdle to someone who cannot even be motivated to get out of bed or get to work on time and stay there for a full day.
Couple all of this with a lack of motivation from government to improve education levels across the board and inform young Caymanians that it’s a big wide world out there and just being ‘Caymanian’ doesn’t entitle you to anything except nationality.
This isn’t the fault of expats or employers, it is a home grown mess and one we should all be scared of if Cayman is to survive in the 21st century.
That is not the only issue. Frankly, as a qualified Caymanian in the Finance Industry, I can say that we Caymanians are often our own worst enemies ! I have seen time and time again when a Caymanian actually makes it to a higher level position – he/she seems hell bent on not encouraging his/her peer to excel – and God forbid that that peer should become elevated to the level that they have achieved. When I was a Manager in the industry, I made it my mission to train my #2 to ‘be my replacement’ (regardless of Nationality etc) because once I got promotion, I could honestly demonstrate that I had done my job properly. but time and time again I have seen Higher level Officers/Managers going out of their way to keep good/intelligent Caymanian Countrymen ‘down’.. I will never understand why !
The expats and employers who lie to regulators are partly to blame. A little culling of those who are clearly shown to have abused the system would help focus everyone’s minds, and and get us back to where we need to be.
Sorry, Alden but this doesn’t wash. You’ve been consistently xenophobic and ex-pat bashing for longer than I care to remember so changing teams now doesn’t impress anybody.
It’s always appeared to me that you are still convinced that you got shafted by ex-pats after gaining your law degree and you need to move on from that before criticising others.
Poor Stran look kind of frighten himself.
Stran Bodden isn’t afraid of anything nor anyone in these islands, foreign or local. He is very well educated, experienced, articulate and diligent. And efficient and prudent too.
I feel that it’s time that some balance is needed urgently with a proper balance of work permits vs Caymanians.The scale is now tilting too much for comfort and Caymanians are hurting. Alden I strongly suggest you start looking after them or it will get worse before it get’s better. Legislators I ask you to vote your concience as Caymanians for your people and not your party if you really care. I’m very worried for our Beloved Islands. The comments that i read are proof that we are no longer a voice including the very disrespect for our people. You will have bigger problems then wondering if people will invest here. Forget the lobbyest for the moment and think Country and your people First. God Bless.
Michel, admirable sentiments, however I am afraid you are part of the problem, not the solution. You cannot tell employers who they have to employ, they have to want to employ people. That means that the people sitting in front of them at interviews have to hear that they will be employing someone who will work hard, be loyal, dedicated and get the job done to the standards they expect. Caymanians should not believe that because they are Caymanian that it is a job qualification. It is not. And if you don’t believe me, go try and find a job in the US or UK, and see how long you last. I know that if I screw up big time, I will be fired and off island. It kind of inspires me to do my best, all day every day.
Dear anomymous 1:10. I could get work anywhere and was trained by many qualified Caymanians and in turn have trained many. You cannot accuse me of being part of the problem. I was part of helping build Cayman for more then 30 years holding 2 jobs since 1978 to give our visitors the best experience possible. Where were you ? We need to phase out those who don’t like us or our Beloved Cayman to begin with. Cayman was not built so. Do your homework to find out if i ever part of the problem but what about you ? Michel Lemay. Oh and i raised 5 Caymanian born from my Caymanian wife of 35 years not counting our 11 Caymanian born Grandchildren. I will ne voting my concience and Not party this time around. Things have to change or we will become like our near extinct Blue Iguanas. What have you done for our Country i asked ? God Bless, Michel
We may not be able to tell employers who they CAN hire, but the Immigration Authorities are quite rightly able to tell employers who they CAN’T hire, namely a foreign national when there is a qualified Caymanian available for the job!
It is encouraging indeed to finally see a government with some sense of direction over the previous one spending our time and money leisure travelling and gambling out tens of thousands of our money, and losing it to boot. We really can hardly blame the expatriate workforce for taking over with a government that could not even provide this country with with any form of financial accounting. Thanks again to our present government for their efforts in rectifying such a ridiculously unacceptable situation.
All I want for Christmas is for our leaders to stop selling us out!
Do you want cheese with your whine?
Alden, if your immigration authorities actually followed the law and required these businesses to follow the same basic rules as everyone else, we would not be in this mess. A long history of Caymanians being marginalized and abused by a relatively small number of financial services entities, without repercussion, is catching up. You couldn’t keep it under the rug forever.
He sure as hell tried to keep it under the rug though! Well done Winston!
Oh dear! our dear leader is suffering from what a lot who come here develop as soon as they get settled in Caymanaphobia? especially contagious when they see how far they can push and get away with their aggressive vicious behavior and how their own kind completely support and encourage and promote it..While calling others anti foreign or bigots when others speak up or out about the wanton discrimination racism and favoritism they witness every day in their places of employment.
All of these problems are of the CIG’s making with their ridiculous positive discrimination and lack of proper educational policies. This in turn has led to bitterness, divide and racial prejudice on both sides. The comments of some of the Ministers border on racism and hate. This is not down to the employers who bring their businesses here or expats, but successive poor administration, policies and enforcement by CIG.
Time to stop passing the buck and investing in education, create a level playing field leaving no room for abuse of the work permit system.
This all coming from the same man that flip flopped on the decision to limit spending with the compass. He is constantly playing to the gallery so we really shouldn’t be surprised by his antics
This is BOLD leadership one assumes.???..let me say this. If nothing is done by Govt..(and currently nothing is!)..the daily and contineous marginalization of Caymanians by certain foreign employers and expats will lead to a rupture in our peaceful social fabric and lead to crime.
Ever take a gamder at the news Georgie Boy? In case you haven’t noticed crime has already arrived here.
Rhetoric Alden! next election you and your entourage will answer to those who vote in this little place. You are just another puppet of the UK. what I find sooooo hypocritical is you accusing the previous leader of the same very things so are doing now to your own Caymanians.
Being pro-Caymanian does not automatically mean a person is anti-foreigner or anti-business.
What debate was Alden listening to? In fact when was the last time he supported any motion that helps regular Caymanians and not just the elite of society and special interests like GT merchants look at his support for the dock at all costs to the environment and costs to the country.
Premier Alden is the one spouting rhetoric and showing us how disconnected he is from what regular people go through everyday.
Comments like by “new Caymanians that had arrived here and stayed long enough to achieve status. The result was closed doors to locals, regardless of their skills and talents” are a perfect demonstration of the problem. Someone staying here long enough and showing sufficient commitment to the community to qualify for Caymanian status is at a stroke considered not “local” and THEIR “skills and talents” irrelevant or somehow not comparable to another Caymanian who “arrived by pain, not plane”. Because our international clients really differentiate!
Why not just call them “f*&^ng driftwood” like Mr Bodden and at least be transparent in your views and own your prejudice. Oh, and change the law to make being Caymanian conditional on being born here, and stop all the disingenuous differentiation about “new”, “born, “by descent”, “driftwood” and all the other badges which have no basis in law whatsoever but seem designed to allow discrimination to continue whilst pretending it does not.
Discriminating against “new” Caymanians is illegal and talk like that will expose CIG to huge potential liabilities sooner or later.
Bravo, bobo!
There is an unfortunate reality that there are a number of persons who have become Caymanian who have disdain for Caymanians, and treat their presence here as temporary. There are others who became Caymanian based on fraud. In either event, when persons falling into either category cheat the immigration system and disenfranchise Caymanians, the driftwood issue will always arise. There hundreds of examples of our systems being cheated, whether through fronting or inaccurate advertising for positions. The fault lies with politicians, immigration, and other regulators. If the abuses were not allowed, and our laws actually followed to ensure Caymanians really got a fair shake, harmony would prevail.
Two of the main advantages of getting status are that you can leave to go back home and take advantage of the restrictions of capital ownership of businesses. Nothing illegal in doing either.
Answer this: How many of the hundreds of Caymanian law students who placed their training in the hands of law firms through the articled clerk training system have after a decade or more in fact become partners in those same firms? If the answer, as I believe, is zero, then is that not suggestive that something more is wrong than your flawed bell curve analysis? A bell curve analysis that plainly does not apply in Jersey, Bermuda, or the Isle of Man where small Islands are happily producing numerous partners of Cayman law firms.
The firms are full of Caymanian partners and nativism is crude discrimination. Jersey and Isle of Man are full of English partners. Bermuda and the Bahamas have suffered because of their protectionism.
How many of the Caymanian partners trained there, or even were Caymanian before they were a partner? Your comments as to the English dominating firms on other Islands are factually incorrect..
It’s just the time of the election cycle. We’re 18 months from an election. In the last couple of weeks we have heard about pay rises for the Civil Service – a massive voting block, And over the next 18 months or so will hear all about the big bad expats (non voters) picking on the poor, disenfrachrised (the voters). All of the MLAs know the marginilization of locals in the workplace is a complete myth – but it is in their best interest to spout this nonsense to pick up votes. Trump blames foreigners in the USA, UKIP blame foreigners in the UK, Front Nationale does it in France. Blaming expats brings in votes. It always has…
These moaners never name anyone who was good enough for these law firms but was improperly excluded. Probably the list is very short, so short as to not exist. In reality many have made through the ranks to appease immigration based on their nationality not their talent. One only has to crunch some bell curve calculations to realise that locals cannot be expected to supply a handful of top accountants or lawyers in year. It is not discrimination that is the issue it is simply a question of the size of the population.
But don’t you remember that according to such people as Mr Ezzard Miller and a large number of the callers to the Talk Shows, Caymanians are the most intelligent, skilled people on earth which is why they were so much in demand as seamen in the old days. Like the Indians, Vietnamese and Filipinos today.
My boss was considering setting up in the Cayman Islands until she read this!
Really? She had other ideas in mind about the hiring of Caymanians? Good for the Country that she changed her mind. Whew!
Yeah yeah. Always hear that line.
Me thinks the MLA’s take the businesses that choose to invest in Cayman for granted. Me thinks that until said MLA’s fully understand what they are tampering with, they should concentrate their efforts on providing the clearly lacking educational skills at schools and colleges to Caymanians to allow them to fairly compete for jobs like anyone else. Until that day no amount of tampering with the Immigration and Work Permit laws will remedy this situation. Business is not in the business of education. Carry on with this foolishness and watch the current exodus of the Financial Services industry to BVI and other jurisdictions go into overdrive.
Got to agree with you man; education and training is the key. Totally agree!
Education and training is not the key. It has been the excuse for the non-hiring of Caymanians. Caymanians are lumped together as low resonating humans who can ‘possibly’ be educated and/or trained…horrific that the CIG has allowed this mindset to carry forth for many years. Money and greed. Judas of their own people including their own flesh and blood.
That’s what many like you would like some to believe but I tell you this you all wont running around BVI with unnah superiority complex that you carry on here with .They will very quickly put you in your place and let you know what time its is! So run along there old boy and see you get on.
How soon? I can’t await for the ungrateful troublemaking ones to leave