PPM government delivered, says premier

| 27/03/2017 | 94 Comments

(CNS): On the eve of the end of this administration Premier Alden McLaughlin took the opportunity Monday to boast to his legislative colleagues about what he said were the achievements of his government. The Progressive leader said his government had delivered on promises made in the 2013 manifesto, as he tabled the end of term government report. “When we took office, this government was determined that the promises made in our manifesto would be fulfilled,” he said, adding that the people expected the PPM would act with honesty and transparency and deliver on promises.

“We have kept faith with the Caymanian people and kept the promises made in 2013. One merely need review our 2013 Manifesto to get an appreciation as to how much was achieved,” he told the Legislative Assembly as it resumed for its last two days of proceedings before the House is dissolved ahead of Nomination Day on Wednesday, paving the way for the 2017 election campaign to begin.

“Before we took office, our islands were not in a good place. The economy was stagnant and, as reported in a Chamber of Commerce survey that year, business confidence was low. Private sector investment was at a standstill. Small businesses were hurting and several were closing. Fewer cruise ships were coming here and taxi and tour operators were also hurting. And unemployment of Caymanians was at a high of 10.5%, about 2,000 people,” the premier said.

McLaughlin said unusually high unemployment had put Caymanians in financial difficulty and to improve their lot, the new government had to succeed in some key areas. With what he said was “vision and a plan, coupled with teamwork”, his government had got things done. Outlining what he believed were his government achievements, from growing the economy and cutting local unemployment to restoring public finances and reducing some fees, he said his government was the first in many decades not to increase taxes or borrowing.

“By creating an environment that encourages business and development, the economy is buoyant with new construction projects, creating employment across the Cayman Islands. Government’s infrastructure projects are also providing jobs for Caymanians – during construction and after completion,” he stated, pointing to the airport and roads.

While some may argue that the government has failed on the dump, McLaughlin said his government had “improved the management” of the landfills, enhanced recycling efforts and was about to sign the contract for the full project.

He boasted of movement on the cruise port, even though local surveys and opinion polls indicate that this one project the majority of people don’t support, and claimed headway had been made on a much-needed residential mental health facility and work had restarted on the new John Gray High School. He also spoke about delivering on the promise to introduce ‘one man, one vote’ and the National Minimum Wage.

As he tabled the report, he said it represented not just the achievement of government but the Caymanian people, including the public service, which has also worked to get the Cayman Islands back on course.

“We have kept the promises made to the Caymanian people upon taking office. We did not dither regardless of the challenges,” the premier said. “We pressed on to ensure that the good ship Cayman remained afloat and in full sail, coming out of the shallows, and set on a course for success – taking Caymanians and this beautiful country of ours toward a safer and better future,” he added.

See both the new report and the 2013 manifesto in the CNS Library

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Category: 2017 General Elections, Economy, Elections, Politics

Comments (94)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    CNS, did I miss some big time decision on your part to discontinue the LOL option? Let’s not take a means of appreciation for humour off the table, please, I beg you.

    CNS: Sadly, having four options was causing major problems with the site. I can bring back the LOL button only by losing one of the thumbs. I had considered doing a survey to see if people wanted that. I could also have the LOL and the troll buttons and scrap both the thumbs.

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  2. Short Round says:

    Alden and his Cohorts have delivered a big fat pile of $#!@ and it is messy.A PPM TKO and she aint getting up this round either.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Pride is a dangerous indulgence.

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  4. McCarron McLaughlin says:

    Dart delivered PPM.

    Thank god for Dart otherwise the Blue Collar class would be finished in these islands and the government would have more serious problems on its hands.

    How does one even take what these people are saying serious when ordinary folks lives isn’t improving.?

    Lets face it, it feels just like previous administrations before this PPM, as usual the “people” business is mostly put on the back burner.

    No balls to address the issues that matter, but political infighting and vindictiveness always same to be order of the day. I live in EE and I can’t see what PPM has delivered. Someone please help me here????

    We the people elect these politicians to make our lives better, but frankly I don’t see it or feel it.

    A comedian once said politicians are only put there during an election to make you believe you have a choice and believe him, because after voting in four elections now, to me they’re all the same, cut from the same cloth. Most of them are already bought and sold by the “big financial interest” and those who aren’t are on such a power trip, they’ve forgotten why they were elected.

    We need men and women who are willing to put the country and the people’s interest first before anything else and not just every four years during a campaign.

    People don’t be fooled any longer by the party apparatus, vote with your head and not with your heart.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Too funny, I just peed a little.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Ppm will win between 8 to 10 seats in May. It’s simply. There is no one running that can do better.

    When you think about voting for a candidate think about that person in London meeting with world leaders. ….get the Picture? There are no better choices.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    This government couldn’t deliver a pizza yet alone anything else.

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    • satirony. says:

      This is the typical, negative and cynical response of someone who has obviously never participated in the extreme complexities of running a modern government.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Let’s give somebody else a chance and see if they do better- it couldn’t possibly get any worse. Just being optimistic.

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  8. SSM345 says:

    What in the actual f**k are the PPM smoking and why is it legal for them and not for us?

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  9. Alldone MacLaughin says:

    – No PR applications processed in 3 years.
    – No improvement to education system.
    – Incomplete John Gray High School.
    – Incomplete dual carriageway on Bobby Thompson Way.
    – No solution for Mount Trashmore.
    – No new Legal Practitioners Law.
    – No USD in ATMs for many months.
    – Declining standards and out-of-control costs at Health Services Authority.
    – Announced South South Road boardwalk failed to materialize.
    – Announced GT Harbour boardwalk failed to materialize.
    – Ineffective GT revitalization
    – Growing and bloated civil service
    – No progress on e-government.

    #NowThatsProgressive

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    • Anonymous says:

      -No progress in implement comprehensive health and wellness policies for children as promised by Premier.
      -Beach vendors continue illegal business.

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  10. anonymous says:

    Where is a safe infrastructure for walking and bicycling like other countries did already 40 years ago to get healthy? In Holland 95 % of kids cycle to school – no obesity epidemic -and safe infrastructure has been created.
    A commitment to biking is not uniquely imprinted in the Dutch DNA. It is the result of a conscious push to promote biking, which has resulted in a surge of cycle use since the 1970s. The children are the future and children who grow up using a bicycle to school will keep doing this.

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    • Anonymous says:

      In Holland , They do not have 80 to 98 degree heat and harmful sun attack, tropical downpours, dangerous drivers . Apart from that , yeah sure, make your kids ride a bike to work.

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  11. anonymous says:

    In july 2016 McLaughlin said “the local Public Health Department continues to work with the Child Health Task Force, a private-public partnership to help schools develop and implement comprehensive health and wellness policies”.
    What has been done already?

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    • anonymous says:

      In European countries where children ride a bicycle to school (like Denmark) nearly all children are fit and slim.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Can’t ride around ya. CaymanKind will lick ya down and leave you for dead on the side of the road.

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        • Anonymous says:

          @4:07 pm
          that is because there is no safe infrastructure for walking and bicycling. That is the point. It should be a part of comprehensive health and wellness policies that has been promised by Premier Alden McLaughlin.

  12. Unison says:

    Well … I do see alot of public works on the roads. I must say the PPM is working on the traffic problems. And took us out of the huge debt-hole we were in, thanks to Marco! :))

    Mmmmm … if Alden ran on promises and there is proof his party has kept those promises, I would like to think that commenters here and the electorate, choose the best of two options if it boils down the Alden versus Bush…

    And may I say to thus soooo apt to criticize Alden, when Bush was in power, how we did get into serious debt and little was done, as a serious investigation of corruption / gambling was done under him.

    MY DEAR CRITICS, IF IT DOES BOILS DOWN TO ALDEN VS. BUSH, DO WE ALL OF A SUDDEN GET AMNESIA TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST??? ://

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    • Anonymous says:

      I’d prefer a whole government full of independents who vote based on what they believe is best for the country not what is best for one corrupt member of their parties.

  13. AonymustdDI says:

    Sick of the fakeness in my real paradise island.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    I love CNS’s choice of words!

  15. Anonymous says:

    HA!

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  16. Sharkey says:

    Remember self praise is no recommendations.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahaha

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  18. Emelio Che Guitterez says:

    Set Cayman Free from this foreign tyranny vote Alden and his cronies out and let the chips fall where they may!

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  19. Anonymous says:

    I was hoping you would at least see the damage that your liberal work permit policy has done and start applying the laws and regulations created by smarter folks than you. But alas it appears you are totally deluded. You will forever be known as the leader who brought temporary ditch digging jobs to Caymanians and gave away the management level positions to expatriates.
    Hope to see you and Marco behind wheelbarrows in a few months.

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    • Anonymous K.O. says:

      100. Truth for once!

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      • Anonymous says:

        Not quite…he did pretty much take away all chances for Caymanians to get hired for or promoted to management level positions when he indicated he enjoys giving management level permits as it creates lower level jobs for Caymanians…..HOWEVER the jobs that were created were really on projects started by other administrations. So we can’t even give Adlen and Marco credit for those.

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    • Anonymous says:

      No work permits, no money to pay you to dig ditches. Work it out. Its not tough.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Amen brother…I’m an educated and experienced Caymanian who has been look for work during this last four years…it is one tough environment…most employers don’t even go through the motions other than advertising. Brought a few of the more infractions up with WP board…they couldn’t have cared less.

      • Anonymous says:

        So do we need to drain the swamp, build a wall, deport all non-Caymanians, close CINICO down, and check out what Russia has to offer??

        • One Love Cayman says:

          Yes. We all do together as a people ffor our forgotten HISTORY/CULTURE.

          Stay CulTrue and Drain The Swamp CAYMAN!

  20. Anonymous says:

    Laughable, at the very least…..

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  21. Anonymous says:

    The problem in Cayman is that people think if they can’t feel immediately a difference in their pockets, Government has done a bad job. For example, consolidation of the country’s debt may not be popular with residents but it is a crucial and important factor in the country’s overall financial well being for years to comet.

    There are some things PPM have done that I was not in agreement with either, but I also know we could me much worse off if the usual UDP muppets would have continued to run the show.

    Let’s remember that we are in 2017 and we need to have educated and experienced leaders, so people like Wayne Panton, Marco Archer and Roy McTaggart will be key to keep this Island and it’s financial industry afloat. We need to have people who can represent us well on the world stage and know what the hell they are talking about.

    It’s not about a specific district, it’s about the entire country!

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    • Anonymous says:

      7:41am. You are so right, we don’t need donkeys/jackasses to run this country.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I agree we need Marco , we could do without Roy, but he is harmless. Wayne is another matter altogether, he is kind of smart,, think he is too smart. Bending over backwards not to throw a bone at the Caymanian lawyers. From day one he has been working for everyone else, except those who owes him favors. do I think we could do without him. Hell yes we can!!

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    • ha says:

      Wayne Panton??? the man behind the “Great Legal Industry Sellout ” yeah he is a good choice! And Roy Who ? Marco hasn’t found his spine yet either !!!

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  22. Anonymous says:

    PPM has delivered SFA.

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Hmmn -depends on how you define delivered. Summary of PPM objectives to still accomplish on Brac

    1. Garbage dump – mulitiple issues
    2. Two hotels still shut down, still eye sores.
    3. Continual problems with SAAB aircraft
    4. Work permits outnumber locals in private sector (do I need to name specific business?)
    5. Water line and road being continually cut up – way to work together Deputy Premier and Speaker of House.
    6. Assorted concessions to a certain developer – who appears to be able to do whatever they want with immigration.
    7. Multiple conflict of interest issues with government employees conducting business with government. (excellent job on this transparency issue, ha,ha)
    8. An exemplary amount of quarterly public meetings held and great job with district councils (oh, for you who live in Cayman, there weren’t any during the past 3 years and 10 months)

    Load up the mattresses, put on the furniture and promise jobs – anything for a vote.

    Love To All, especially my RED team – go Mo$e$ and Blessed Sister in Christ- Julianna

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    • Anonymous says:

      You forgot the bit about allowing the Dart Realty company to excavate rocks from the SMB shoreline. I mean, why not? It’s not as if they serve any purpose. And after all, the real estate’s own “report” speaks about the destructive effects on the shoreline as likely being merely “minimal”. (“Minimal”!!!!!!) Well, my goodness, based on this real estate company’s assessment I guess we can all now breath a sigh of relief!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh do take those rose tinted glasses off 6.17
      1. Dump..tyres now being dealt with , dump tidier and safer, recycling more widespread…no one else got that far.
      2. Hotels-not a government problem. You don’t like it, buy them yourselves and sort it.
      3. Saab-Cayman airways runs that, ask them. I don’t hear as much about that as the previous Otters.
      4. If you want to pay for all these improvements, your government needs income. How you going to replace the income and pay for the dump and other things?
      5. Same happens everywhere on roads…not unique to Cayman-still fantastic roads compared to any other Caribbean island.
      6. To encourage any developer you will need concessions-if you don’t get that, you shouldn’t be commenting. You seen the new ETH and roads around Camana? World class…much better than anything the NRA does.
      7. You may have a point, but no one prior to this sorted it either..
      8. You can have all the meetings you want. None of those actually achieved anything under the previous administration. But if you like meetings for the sake of meetings, please carry on.

      Your choice of candidates, in my book one of whom is most likely corrupt says all I need to know about you. Want the good old days back, huh?

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    • Anonymous says:

      A lot of the affordable houses went to johnnys come lately on the Brac , and Caymanians could not get them, shame on you PPM GOVT.

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  24. Anonymous says:

    What about the promise about the Legal Practitioners Bill? PPM kept delaying it…

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  25. Anonymous says:

    So the Builders Bill was part of the PPM plan to create jobs, strengthen the economy and lower costs of doing business? Didn’t see PPM bragging about this on CNS!!!

    Nicky/Wendy I would really like to hear more about this – My question to our beloved Deputy Premier, Moses Trump – so if you are a small business doing construction on the Sister Islands how do you justify increasing the license fees going from $500 up to $1,500 and even $5,000???? Then there is the insurance requirement, and coincidentally Mr. Moses has a family member that has a known association (see public records) with a certain insurance company.

    As for One Man, One Vote – PPM wanted it, got it, so don’t be surprised at the results.

    One last observation – the Speaker of the House running on the Red Team, really – about time she retired.

    Peace and Love to All

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  26. Whistle blower says:

    To the rats at the dump 7:44.

  27. Anonymous says:

    One man one vote is an absolute disaster. It looks like it is allowing the worst absolute individuals an opportunity to be voted in.

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    • SoonGone says:

      I thought the worst absolute individuals have been voted in for years.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well, funny you should say that.

      I have been saying all along this new voting system is just a new initiative to tailor votes.

      Guess what? It’s happening…..if you have to choose between a “crack-head” and Alden, you will pick Alden right?

      Turns out that this election is so bad that people are probably going to put them same old fools back in!

      Coincidence? I don’t believe in those…..neither should you!

  28. Anonymous says:

    Can’t argue with this facts. This Government has kept it’s promises to the Caymanian people.

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  29. Anonymous says:

    ppm did nothing…they benefited from improving global economy and were lucky to have dart’s inward investment…..
    just look at where they failed:
    dump
    immigration
    cost of living/ doing business
    civil service reform
    pension liabillity
    port
    gambling legislation
    daylight savings time

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    • Anonymous says:

      education

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    • Anonymous says:

      traffic
      infrastructure

    • Anonymous says:

      Daylight savings time and immigration in the same litany? Its the some (but by no means all) of the WP holders who want Daylight Savings time, so if you want to get read of WP holders, you wont have to worry about that, but don’t worry, you just go listing anything that comes into your head without thinking about it…

  30. Observer says:

    Wow can you believe he has the audacity to make such a proclamation. This is by far the worst government this island has ever seen, more persons losing homes and out of a job and yet they have fulfilled there promise? Was the promise to completely get rid of the middle class and make the poor poorer? What clowns. We are happy to be rid of you all in little over a month.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Actually, observer; you might be quite shocked to learn you are not at all far from the truth.

      The “plan”, led by our very own Caymanian leaders is to look-out for the expat community and not the natives of this Country.

      The irony is that our own leaders will have to look back at all the mess they created one day and live with it! They will have to accept that they literally sold-out their people, their heritage and their culture; happily traded-in for the “American” way.

  31. Anonymous says:

    Delivered already? Haven’t seen my new fridge yet!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Check with the Manager at the large steel building in Stake Bay – he apparently knows where all the fridges are!!!

  32. Anonymous says:

    I’m unclear on when the ppm was transparent

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  33. Soiled Son says:

    In no particular order of importance. Dump – nada. Cruise ship terminal – nada. National minimum wage – nada. John Gray – nada. Education – nada. Votes – nada – hopefully!

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  34. Anonymous says:

    Can’t believe this garbage was printed. All that needs to happen is a list with a couple of columns.
    What was promised against what was delivered.
    Not even 10% and that is pushing it. Isn’t there a law against lying?

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  35. Anonymous says:

    Bullshit.

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  36. Anonymous says:

    PPM delivered poverty to the middle class. If that was their aim, they certainly delivered.

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  37. Anonymous says:

    Is this an April’s fools joke??

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  38. Ambassador of Absurdistan says:

    Just Another Day in Absurdistan

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  39. Anonymous says:

    While the PPM did largely represent the interest of the Chamber of Commerce and its larger members they did very little to deal with the issues that are of the greatest importance to the Caymanian people that elected them four years ago. The PPM can only hope that the CoC has a vote on May 24, 2017.

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  40. Anonymous says:

    Politicians view the world through their own little rose colored glasses. Other than the dump, the berthing facility, the cost of living and Caymanian education or lack there of the PPM have really delivered. Just ask Alden.

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  41. #REALITYCHECK says:

    PPM pulled the Legal Practioners Bill today the ultimate sign of failure, no solution for dump, failed with GT revitalization, education, Caymanian unemployment, cost of living and social issues

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  42. Naya Boy says:

    Don’t make laugh Alden you and Wayne and your little Mafiya have delivered these little islands to the hands of this Foreign menace, you have signed every piece of Tax tiolet paper the UK has dream up and wiped their @S$ with. You have defile both the old and young Caymanians, whilst attempting to put this place out of reach for the average Caymanian. You are legend in your own minds and if anybody ever doubts that Just be yourselves. This is why it gives me great pleasure to upgrade both you and Wayne from a half ass to a complete @$$hole!

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  43. Anonymous says:

    Promised to whom I’d like to know!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Your mom

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    • Anonymous says:

      Read their manifesto from the last election – it is a complete brief on what they promised to do.. Now look at what has been done. it is easy to see the accomplishments.

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      • Anonymous says:

        hahaha… just wondering though- can we have some more information on the promises you must obviously have made that are not in the manifesto- you know like to special interest groups..

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