PPM plans to take work permits from immigration
Alden McLaughlin
(CNS): If re-elected to government next month, the new PPM administration will be taking work-permit decisions away from the immigration department and putting them in the hands of the employment ministry with a new human resources authority. Speaking at the Progressives’ George Town meeting on Saturday night, Premier Alden McLaughlin said that if re-elected, the PPM will not freeze permits, as has been suggested by a number of candidates, but will rearrange the process for granting permits.
McLaughlin said he would move swiftly to create the new authority, which would deal with work permits, taking the process out from under the immigration department. This is a policy suggestion supported by many candidates in this and previous elections. Arden McLean, mentioning it most recently on the first Cayman 27 national debate.
Tara Rivers, the current employment minister, her predecessors and a number of government leaders have raised this issue on a number of occasions.
No government so far has created a policy position or commitment to implement the change, but with the Progressives spelling it out as a campaign promise and several other candidates also raising the issue, it is possible that the ongoing and widespread public concerns that permits are being issued without full regard to the exiting legislation could be addressed in the next parliament.
During his address on Saturday, McLaughlin said the party had plans to create a new authority that would deal with the wider aspects of granting permits, enforcement and compliance, including looking at how jobs are advertised, creating more transparency.
“We are going to increase the ability to monitor what is happening by providing more staff and more resources and we are going to increase enforcement when it comes to work-permits,” he said. “While we believe it is madness to suggest, as Dwayne Seymour did in Bodden Town, that we should just stop all work permits, shut the whole economy down until we figure it out, we do believe the current situation is not right.”
McLaughlin said there had to be fairer treatment of Caymanians and it was important to ensure that they were not being held to much higher standards than foreign workers.
The premier defended his party’s work on tackling unemployment during this administration, stating that the PPM had “done an amazing job” at creating opportunities for Caymanians and reducing unemployment among local people, though he admitted that the numbers had not fallen enough. He voiced concern that too many locals were not being given the chance to get work and that even people who were employed were not getting the type of work they were capable of or wanted to do.
Finance Minister Marco Archer gave a short review of the current employment and unemployment numbers, comparing them to the end of the previous administration. He said that the increase in the unemployment rate in the October labour force survey was a combination of the seasonal impact on jobs and the end of major construction projects. But he said the government had increased the size of the workforce and more jobs had been created with the change in the pension age and the implementation of a minimum wage.
Archer said that the figure of 2,000 unemployed locals being suggested by some candidates was wrong. He said the number of jobless Caymanians in October 2012 was 1,925 but in October 2016 it was 1,406, which meant that 500 more locals were in work than there were four years ago. He said that employment was increasing and he expected it to continue on that trajectory.
Category: 2017 General Elections, Elections, Jobs, Local News, Politics
Its sad how people hating on jamaicans who build cayman up from scratch. let you all lay in nice homes have roads have nice hotels beaches. and youre saying we should pack up and go. If 90% of jamaicans leave cayman tomorrow morning. and dont travel back here. home caymanians are ready to do janitorial jobs and washing pots in kitchen and doing constructions in sun. Let us all live as 1. Dont blame expaths. if you want money and live good . get a job and work. plenty work are here but its up to you to go and get it. spaces empty .
Too little and too late Sah.
I’ve seen it from both sides, and it just doesnt make any sense to start a new Employment Authority.
The new Minister / Ministry will create enough costs; and I thought the Authorities were, as self-operating (& super costly) operations no longer encouraged.
Perhaps create a properly staffed Employment Dept and consult/contract the employment agencies/Chamber to ensure all are on board?!
What are you all worried about, thousands of expats will be leaving before the end of the year freeing up jobs for all those qualified,unemployed, literate, good work ethic Caymanians that there seem to be so many of right? The amendment to the pensions law will see to it that you drive away many and make others review investments and staying long term. It’s ok though, expats are just a pain right, not needed anyway. The country would be better off with out them surely? Well, you might just get your wish. The only expats left will be those already with PR or own a home or are super rich and put gates around their homes! Good luck
Typical scare mongering
The pension changes are political. It is the governments encouragement that you do not stay in Cayman. You leave before PR and get your money. You stay and apply for PR then the government controls your money. Just a immigration measure. Nothing to do with helping people.
let me just say to you ..we caymanian people by BIRTH have all rights here…hope yu packing your shit and leavng as well as many others…we needs to take our country back..good ridance to you..many of you are so ungrateful..i agree with the premier creating jobs while overseeing asses like you leave..smh..
Wow and I bet you consider yourself Christian.
To full birth Caymanian you have been sold a bill of goods by your Caymanian politicians who have sold you out long ago. If they cared about you then you would have had an excellent education where you could easily compete with foreign labor for a job. There would be next to no unemployment in Cayman but instead the government has constructed a system to bring in foreign labor and you blame foreign labor instead to your fellow Caymanians who created the system. They have lied to you for decades and you still blame the foreign labor?
Good luck with that.
So is he saying that going forward companies can’t renew a permit for someone if the Caymanian underling is now suitably qualified and experienced to move up to that position? Well aren’t the laws already in place for that? Why are those laws not enforced?
“Suitably qualifed” the mantra of the mediocre.
Yeah right. This man is a politician. There is a huge difference between a politician and a patriot.
So? How does this help sub-standard candidates foist themselves on employers instead of the more talented?
PPM lost their way after the first 2 years in office. The party was the focus, not the people and nothing got done.
Alden wanted to stay in power for the sake of it. That was why his decisions were consistently spineless in the extreme.
Typical response by anyone elected (no matter if PPM, UDP, CDP, VVP, PEE)……….throw a new department, a new board, a new committee or some consultant at it.
Why can they not get their heads around the fact that it doesn’t matter who is in charge of this process if there is no accountability associated? There ARE already laws in place which are being ignored by everyone involved. Just remember the debacle with the non-payment of pension?!?!? So just grow a pair and start enforcing the laws!
Remember how many people complain about those “rigged” job ads in the paper? Has anyone done anything about this yet? What about Temps? Why can Temps sit for YEARS in a temp position at the same firm? If immigration finally catches on, they just switch to another Temp agency and take out yet another “temporary permit”. All Government sees is $$$$$
We need a permits Czar whom is unbiased, fair, but tough on those companies which are caught playing games with advertisements, positions and mobility of Caymanian employees. Also a process is needed which verifies each individual coming to work in this country against sanctioned lists, Interpol and other criminal agencies, furthermore qualifications need to be thoroughly checked.. There are but a few Caymanians who could do this role honestly and sincerely, and with no fear, and only the will to do right for these Cayman Islands.. All the politicos know who is capable they just need to stop appointing people who are YES persons.
That’s all Folks.
That is not what the voters want because that would be fair. They want to achieve despite not being as good as others doing the jobs they think they are good enough to do.
We didn’t you solve the problem while you were in office?
And this won’t cause a conflict of interest???? You gotta be kidding. Tara’s idiotic decision about pension will put this country in a problem shortly….2500 is a shortfall of the mass exodus leaving, i believe it will be closer to 10,000 leaving!!! Who wants to wait till they are 65 and get 100-200 monthly till 82 or so of age..come on they are work permit holders, they want their money when they leave to enjoy. I hope PPM doesn’t get in Tara only collected a check and didn’t accomplish a damn thing for this Island. Even the minimum wage didn’t accomplish anything. The schools are in shamble if anything worse since she has been in office. Remember she ran independent and that is what we voted for, once she got in she went to PPM? Do you think that is right? We the people voted her as an independent. I hope this time around anyone that voted independent four years ago and the person went to PPM I hope they don’t get in again!!!!
Taras problem is that she put pension providers profits in front of pensioners following that civil servant pension experts that took a class in classical 20th century lassiez faire economics….Oh the markets will sort it out….yeah., on a small island…just like the oils and telecoms right? Thank God someone decided to break laws and break the oil embargo cant wait until Morgan Stanley comes down and breaks the pension regime to pieces. As a Canadian lawyer put it the other day when I spoke to him on the beach ” its a free for all down here” he was right!
I would like the Cayman Protection Board back.
Currently I have an expat boss on PR. He is a senior manager and does not know how to do his job. He just hires locals underneath him with the knowledge to do everything. This is not unusual as seems many places I’ve worked it is the same practice. The business hires the overseas expert who then just hires cheaper locals to do the actual work. The locals have no chance of moving up because the business perceives that the expat manager is the brain behind the work.
Is there a suggestion to fix this problem? These expats or PR holders are only hires because they are a friend of upper manangement.
Totally agree – 20 years in the financial industry and this is exactly the same thing I have witnessed countless times………..
God forbid the manager hires Caymanians who are qualified to do the work. I have had many managers who cannot do my job yet they still manage to ensure do to their job by managing me. There is always a distinction between workers and management. Your thinking is very wrong.
Your ability to write in clear understandable English really helps make your point.
I think you may have misunderstood the simple hierarchy of management. Your senior manager doesn’t have to know how to do all of your jobs in detail personally. That’s what you, the employees are there to do. He is a manager, which means he manages the staff, and assists with the running of the business. Those are totally different skills to physically doing whatever manual work you speak of.
That is why he has been hired – for his management and business skills.
Do you think the manager of a hospital needs to know how to do brain surgery? No, he manages his surgeons, nurses, cleaners, other administrators, billing etc. His skills are very different to those he manages.
“This is not unusual as seems many places I’ve worked it is the same practice.” Duh, has it not dawned on you yet then?
Totally spot on. That’s probably why this individual still feels marginalised….no formal management training.
Well, it makes a change from complaints that the expat boss only hires expats. Your bitch is that he only hires Caymanians, so he must be exploiting them. Sigh.
Some vinegar to go with that chip on your shoulder?
Him just pulling all dem straws out the basket ta get re-elected , don’t believe a word him say .
Yes, PPM has major credibility issues and guess what? Looks as if Brac is determined to vote them in….shoulda interpreted the law differently….a change can be a good think….
English a second language for you?
The only people that want Alden re-elected are the Crown and the Press.
The rest of us don’t give a toss.
If you think Alden and Tara has credibility issues, then check out McKeeva ?
McKeeva cannot be trusted in any shape or form. Just look at what he did to his political colleague Velma Powery. He throwed her under the bus and then allowed a steam roller coming behind to flatten her out like a pancake or tortilla.
Everybody knows that McKeeva was backing Velma’s challenge against Tara but when the Chief Justice ruled in Tara’s favor, McKeeva went and hid like a crab down a sand hole and Velma had to file for bankruptcy.
I know the Powery clan will not be voting for McKeeva boy Burnie………… in their area. I hope Mervin get’s in this time around.
McKeeva is good at supporting able bodied men and women in West Bay down a path of Social Welfare. That all is good for and using Government credit cards to support his gambling habits,
But don’t worry……… My hands are clean and my heart absolutely pure.
Yeah right, you’re straight as my dog hind legs.
comparing politicians is like comparing black pot to black kettle.
Recently, I contracted with a small company run by a “real” Caymanian to do some construction, painting and roofing work for me. I was very pleased with the outcome but the three employees were all Jamaican so I asked him why he didn’t have Caymanians doing the job. I won’t bore people with his response except to say I wish Ezzard and Arden could have heard it…work ethic, punctuality, attitude to clients and co workers.. I also wish these politicians could have heard his views on them. Not positive!
8:41pm, all caymanians are not the way he described his workers. There are lazy unskilled workers of every nationality and right here on GCM. Not every expatriate working or living here have good work ethics.
As for Ezzard and Arden…from what you are saying this person thinks negatively of them because they stand up for Caymanians being first. Don’t always agree with all their opinions but can’t help but point out that any person, in this case politicians… worth their salt should be concerned about their fellow country man or woman and want the best for them.
As a Caymanian with a biracial child I have nothing against expatriates and believe many here add positively to our country, and that we need some of them here working or residing for, and in a variety of areas if Cayman growth is to continue.
That being said, where a Caymanian has the necessary skills and competency they must be given every opportunity to work he job. They have to feed their families and or live.
Caymanians should be extended the same opportunities, as anyone else would expect, living in their respective countries once they are capable and committed. So many other nationalities stick together and fight for each other to get ahead…why not our politicians… in this case the two mentioned.
As a people we should all be standing up fighting for better opportunities for our people when they deserve it. Just because the particular business owner had that experience with a set of local workers, all locals shouldn’t be painted with the same brush.
A expat had better have the qualities his employer wants and pays for or the expat goes home.That would also teach his children a lesson. The local can get a great job with no qualifications—-CIVIL SERVICE and be set for life. Teaching his children– I am entitlement to a job, I am Cayman,I don’t need to GET OUT OF BRD, GET AN EDUCATION, WORK HARD, PROVE MYSELF.. LAZY WILL KILL SMART EVERY TIME
Poor people fed up! Unemployed people fed up! Sick people fed up! Caymanians fed up!
I assume this will be just like what he did with the PR applications. He changed the point system and for 4 years no decision can be made with his grand ideas for PR. I guess, all work permits will be on hold for 4 years. Good luck business people and your work permits.
Very interesting. however, the truth is that we have to get our people educated and they MUST have a change of attitude. Therefore, we trade out a nurse for a qualified Caymanian nurse. We trade out a Tractor Operator for a trained Caymanian Tractor Operator, an Accountant for a qualified Caymanian Accountant, a Seamstress for a qualified Seamstress, an Air-condition Tradesman for a qualified Air-condition Tradesman and the list goes on and on in every field from the White Collar worker to the Blue Collar worker. What Aldine is missing, is that, until our islands have our people trained and qualified, shifting the duties from immigration to his administration will not work. Your ideas Sir, will be plain, non-productive. Our people need to be trained and MUST accept that they MUST start from the bottom qualified or not qualified with the RIGHT ATTITUDE whenever they are employed in any area. I have a nephew, that went to university in the great USA. The boy is qualified in finance but he refuses to take a job starting at $3500.00 per month at entry level. He told my sister his mom, that he wants a management position. As a result he has no job because my sister refuses to kick the bwoy out of her house. My nephew, whom I love dearly is very educated but his attitude towards businesses and business owners, is that he should be in charge. He does not know that each of us first have to become educated and we all should creep before we can walk. My sister knows that, but she allows this boy to manipulate her. Something I have found to be a common practice. Where are our OLD TIME CAYMANIAN VALUES?
Another personal experience is with another young man which I saw being abused on the job. I was hurt for the young man and offered him a job and hired him on the spot. During the interview, I discovered that he is being paid the minimum wage. I offered him more and he was so grateful. Two days later he called asking for more and I agreed to what he was asking for. We decided that he should start on the 18 April as he had to give his employers notice. To my surprise, this young man did not turn up to work neither did he call. Today makes it 7 days that he is late for work and not even a phone call to say if he is still interested in the position. With that type of bad work ethics and attitude, it is no way shifting where work permits are processed will solve the problem. Our people need a new breeze to blow on them as businesses have no time to waste. We need dedicated workers who can climb the rungs with us while being compensated fairly for a job well done. I shiver, to know that I might have to take money from my business to pay for a work permit to employ an expat who will not only work, but will be respectful. However, my dear Mr. Premier, while you are preparing a HR department to process work permits, please prepare a department to train our people and teach them and prepare them to be good respectable employees.
Every qualified accountant starts at entry level in their home countries. We had a caymanian accountant not yet qualified, who had expressed her desire to learn US tax. She was provided an opportunity, but quickly left for the less demanding position in another company. She did not pass the resilience,dedication and reliability tests.
Yet another young caymanian man had started as an accountant assistant, got qualified, continued as an auditor and now holds a well deserved position at one of the Dart’s companies.
New authority won’t produce valuable workers, will slow down the permits process and leave immigration workers who are now in charge of work permits without jobs.
Everyone who wants to work is already working.
I hear you and feel you as I have experienced much of the same BUT…
As someone with over 20 years experience in the financial industry, I can tell you that I have witnessed an equal amount of permit holders who “apparently” have all kind of experience and knowledge but turns out upon arrival that they don’t have a clue about offshore financing. They then lean heavily on the Caymanian junior employees to help them get up to speed, just to turn around and treat them like crap once they sucked all information, knowledge whatever out of them…
In addition, I have also witnessed countless times that permit holders were already identified and “hired” for a job before it was ever advertised locally and often the job description and benefits in the local ads did not match at all. The requirements in the local ads were such that an ideal candidate would first need to be born and specifically be trained to match all those requirements, and all of that for a salary gap of more than 20K/annum between the local ad and what was promised to the person recruited overseas. Furthermore, sitting in on interviews conducted via Skype or phone with expats overseas and then with Caymanians locally, I asked myself many times whether they were indeed interviewed for the same job as the attitude towards the interviewee was completely different.
I have also witnessed that once Caymanians are promoted to a position previously held by their expat boss, their remuneration is significantly less than what their predecessor made with no explanation given. Even worse if it is a female who is replacing a male!
To those who think that businesses (especially in the finance industry) would not want to pay for a permit if they could find someone locally, I can promise you in many cases that’s just not an accurate analysis. The financial industry is incredibly competitive and many firms/banks are happily paying for a permit (especially in senior positions) if that gives them control over the person who they exposed to very sensitive information, as it restricts that employee from easily jumping ship and moving on elsewhere.
I have recruited and trained a good amount of local high school leavers and given them a chance. A lot of them have steadily worked their way up in the financial industry and continue to hold good jobs til this day.
So let’s be fair – whilst there is a serious lack of commitment and good work ethics and attitudes by some Caymanians (especially amongst the younger generation), the colonial superior attitude by many expat employers is still very much alive!
You’re living outside of reality, bo-bo …wa you saying caun happen. This world aint perfect nor fair.
Think some more and come again.
If you use paragraphs, more people will read your post. I gave up around line 6
Wish I could give 1000 thumbs up to this…. so true
Cool story, bro….included 2 of 20-30,000 original Caymanians….
Anything else youd like to add to the shopping car that you cannot buy nor afford?
Looking at back headlines it would seem the only thing that is not working is the people who are in charge of it. I think fixing that would be the main plan. Fixing the Caymanian work force so they are as qualified as the people businesses are hiring I really think is the ONLY good way to fix the other problem without hurting Caymans business.
The system must be working right now because the CIA (Caymanian Intelligence agency) is saying that its time to screw it up again.
Human mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes
very destructive. Fear, greed, control,
defending or feeding the false sense of self, the usual ego motivations for “doing” operate here.
Remember the deep wisdom underlying the practice of Eastern martial
arts: don’t resist the opponent’s force. Yield to overcome.
What about the dump?
Ahem. cough..cough.Cruise berth facility..anyone?
Why didn’t they do this over the last 4 years? Oh its election time!
Now I want to know,
1) How much 8s this new dept going to cost? Not just salaries but Admin cost, office space rent etc?
Once again Alden is over spending… Idiot!
Not got my vote in Red Bay! I fact I have spoken to all my neighbours, explaining why not to vote for him and was shocked, they had already decided not to vote for him, we that’s 50 votes gone donkey…
Lastly, it would be nice of you to acknowledge your constituents when sitting in the bar!
sounds like you are oozing with intelligence.
acknowledge constituents not only at the bar but where-ever he sees them…..Church, funerals, general public!!! poor him. so pompous!!
And they had another 4 years to do it again but didn’t! What a joke!
There are too many loop holes pertaining to the rights and protection of Caymanians, Permanent Residents and Cayman Status Holders.
In America – Americans are priority
In Rome – Romans are priority
In the UK – the Brits are priority etc., etc.,
AND therefore it is time for the Cayman Islands to let Caymanians take priority. For those that say different – get over yourselves! Wherever you’re from – your nationality takes priority in your home country – don’t expect to deprive us of our rights in our country!
Thanks for your comment .Indeed, the cheek of these scoundrels who know full well that in their home countries they are rightly given priority, and yet will tell Caymanians that they should not expect the same in their own country, all the while with a straight face!!! They should be ashamed of themselves, but they cannot, because they have no shame.
In the Uk, Brits have priority. You have to be joking, Caymanians have more employment right in the UK than Brits.
In the UK and Rome (not a country) it would be illegal to prefer a local over any other EU national from 27 countries based only on their nationality. In all 3 countries you mention whilst any individual seeking a job may need permission to work, employers are free to set the standard they wish. No one tells them they must take a local who is up to the basic minimum standard if they can hire someone better qualified to the standard they want. And they sure as he’ll don’t pay the level of permit fees that apply here.
Get over yourself. Cayman has employment regulations massively in favour of locals and out of all comparison with the countries you mention. If employers are prepared to go through all the hoops and pay significant permit fees, there is a clear issue with the supply or standard of Caymanian labour. Saying the system is biased in favour of expats is simply untrue and a convenient excuse for not confronting more fundamental truths about the size of the local population versus the demand, the standard of education and the willingness to do certain jobs.
Fred, while this may be the case in many instances – the issues stem more from the fact that employers go to great extents to make it look like they don’t want Caymanian employees (even if they are qualified) by tailoring Job Ads to a specific individual.
If both sides were fair this argument would not exist. Because one pushes the other pushes back and we end up with an us against them mentality.
The sad truth is that Caymanians are being disenfranchised because of the extent that companies go through to ensure that the one person they want for the job gets it instead of making it fair and not even truly trying to see if there IS a Caymanian that is qualified to do the job.
Think you mean In Jamaica – Jamaicans are a priority and in Cayman they have more rights than the British who settled here and helped to build these islands.
If we change the entitlement mentaility of Jamaicans and Filipinos we’ll all be better off
Filipino and Jamaican populations should be cut in half Cayman. They take so many jobs away from Caymanians.
You should truly ask why? Check out every single job a Filipino or Jamaican has here and I guarantee you that 99% of the time it is because of one or more of the following:
1. Caymanians do not want to do that job.
2. There are no Caymanians with those skills
3. Caymanians attitude and work ethic
I don’t see one Caymanian cleaning our office building, why not? A lot of Caymanians too proud.
They want to dictate their salary irrespective of the job they are doing. Jamaicans and Filipinos are grateful to just have a job.
Although Jamaicans and Filipinos send a lot of their money back home, they still live here but they make sure they are living within their means. Can Caymanians says the same?
A lot of Caymanians want to live a certain lifestyle even if they don’t make the salary to support it. They are busy trying to keep up with the Joneses.
I am a hard working, single parent. I tell my children, you are not entitled to a job, the Government doesn’t owe you anything and is not responsible to sustain you.
Get educated and be the best at whatever you do, whether you are a mechanic or a doctor.
You can only be considered unemployed if you are actively seeking a job, not if you make a choice to not accept jobs because they don’t fit your lifestyle.
U can live within your means on those type of wages if you shack up with 4 or 5 other people in a two bedroom apartment in certain areas of the Island and share the rent and only have to buy food for yourself locally. Why dont you try to live on $300 a week and see how far that goes on Island.
Perhaps the really issue is that greedy Business owners (including Caymanians) have gotten away with hiring indentured slaves paying horrifically low wages in comparison to cost of living on Island and Caymanians are expected to settle for that. No pension benefits and bare minimum health care coverage….
Read your laws, Caymanians are given priority and 90% of them are employed.
Not disagreeing that your own laws are not enforced by your own people, perhaps start penalising those in immigration and government not oding their jobs as well as companies not following the rules
Yes! Caymanians must take priority…why wasn’t this done in the last four years when the PPM were in the LA? Suddenly all these brilliant ideas and promises again! I voted for PPM for years ago in Bodden Town and I must say I am very disappointed – I will not make that mistake again!
Please also note that when Immigration or this “New Authority” approve permanent residency or Cayman status, these individuals are also privy to be taken into consideration for local jobs prior to expats being employed. There are a large number of permanent residents who are unemployed and are the spouse of Caymanians. These individuals must also be given preference for local jobs with Caymanians being the priority and then those that are legally resident before expatriates are employed. This is one of the mean reasons why social services are so overwhelmed!! Provide viable opportunities for those permanent residents as well which will allow both parents to be employed and will therefore alleviate the need for social service assistance.
My husband has applied to numerous government departments as well as the private sector and he has been told that he is over qualified!!! Hello….then make him an offer!!! Obviously he would be an asset to any establishment employed with pertaining to the requirements of the job. When I go to pay my bills at the end of the month, I can’t use the excuse that I don’t have the amount I need to cover my bills because my husband has been told he is over-qualified and does not have a job. Families are hurting!!! We have a lot of qualified people right here in Cayman but yet expatriates are being brought in to fill these positions that locals are qualified to do.
Every where else in the world the locals MUST take priority over expatriates but here we are ridiculed as if we are doing wrong to look out for Caymanians first. We need to have a backbone and stand up for our Caymanian people and get our unemployed back to work!
I am a Caymanian and I can tell you that families are hurting severely. Children are in need because our government has turned a blind eye to the real unemployment problems that our country is faced with. But let’s be realistic, these politicians can pay their bills at the of the month, some may have their bills paid in advance because they can afford to do so. But some of us don’t know where our next dollar is coming from and live from hand to mouth by no fault of our own. Our own Caymanians are doing this to us and they have the NERVE to stand up and spew this garbage and expect people to lap it up like milk given t puppies!!! I believe this time around…Caymanians are wiser and my prayer is that only those that are genuine about “us the people and our future” making the right decisions and can’t be bought will be chosen to run this country. I am going a step beyond that,..as a matter of fact I AM FASTING AND PRAYING – AND I KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT DEAD, HE DOESN’T SLEEP NOR SLUMBER AND HE KNOWS EVERY SECRET THING – HE WILL HELP THOSE IN NEED. CAYMAN…IT’S TIME TO COME TOGETHER AND PRAY BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY CRUCIAL ELECTION.. OUR FUTURE AND OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE DEPENDS ON OUR CHOICES!! The answer is on the way! 24 May 2017 is just around the corner!
And what was different in the four years prior the last four ???
Damned straight! I see there are some real Caymanians left.
You are absolutely correct!!! I totally agree!!!
You speak from the heart @ “100% Caymanian”! Thank you! As I read your post, I felt your pain. It is deep and very honest. You need to run for office! We need people like you that have the ability to speak up and speak out and not agree with the status quo just to be a part of a party or group that clearly has no scruples about them and does not look out for the Caymanian people. I do hope that politicians reading your post will understand what so many Caymanian families are feeling. It’s not that they are not aware – they chose to turn a blind eye as they don’t have to worry because their bills are paid and their families are taken care of. I do hope that things will get better for you and your family real soon. All the best!
Come next election in four years – run for office! You would make an excellent candidate!
Say wha ,?? You must think we are really stupid Alden. Take it from immigration and give it to your cronies. Really ?? No. We want a Caymanian Protection Board back. Haven’t you sold us out enough already ? And big Mac just as bad !! He knows the art of deception and let’s get the Chinese to build the dock . Do not vote for party as a whole but honest, smart people. That eliminates quite a few right off the bat. Both parties are trying to scare us with their tactics. Don’t fall for it.
This will not help ….the Accreditation System is the answer.
And how much will this new department cost to set up. Add that to the 300 000 wasted on the Ritch report and goverment wont be able to deny many permits.
…and the lawsuits still before the courts, and the ones that will be filed on their successful outcomes! The PR fiasco is going to cost the public MILLIONS!
“[Archer] said that employment was increasing and he expected it to continue on that trajectory.” So why change the system? It is obvious that the current system is expanding the economy and has led to close to zero real unemployment.
Companies are not complying with the laws and regulations as the PPM has made it known that they don’t need to..they can hire pretty much anyone they want as long as you pay the permit fee. Caymanians need to be given opportunities.
Insanity.
Government is nothing more than an organized criminal sector operating to extract money from the public.
I wish you would wake up? Oh why bother, they pay you to stay asleep. Go back to shuffling papers sending emails and generally being a nuisance on your cell phone.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Wow way to steal ideas from other candidates! I have heard Alva Suckoo and Arden Mclean debate on this issue strongly for 4 years
You mean every 4 years.
work permit decisions need to be done by an authority made up of individuals from different industries. example: restaurants, financial industry, legal profession, real estate, janitorial, water sports, landscaping, construction and hotels just to name a few.
And what will that accomplish? All they’re going to do is look out for the bottom line of all their respective industries i.e. continue the modern day slave trade.
Not if its whole reason for its being is to control the off island skill numbers so the on island skill set has a chance. Never mind businesses here will not do as well and the quality of business that can be done here will take a hit just when it was getting better but that is not what is important right now right? Screw things up getting the vote then leave it to the next guys to fix it. Count on it. Plan on it. It will not change until they run out of money and the UK is forced to take over.
Any immigration policy is a JOKE if no one follows it. How many people are on Government contracts that are no longer a qualified Caymanian or spouse of a caymanian. If you cant enforce any guidelines why implement them. More MLA’s blowing more smoke. Should clean the Glass house first!
Blowing more smoke up the peoples asses to get re-elected eh Alden?! People stay woke! This man and his party is full of shit but so is the CDP. We are stuck between a rock and a hard place this election so I will be voting independent. #GETOUTALDEN
More progressive ideas. Love it.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!
ROTFL!!
Ya’ll should done that looooooooooooooong time ago!!
Wa unna take us fa, idiots???
Cudda-wudda-shudda should now be your party name.
Unna go-sit-down, unna had more than unna turn.
Tings change, times change…..come May 24th 2017.
What about the new high school and college/university graduates about to graduate? What are their numbers? Where are the jobs for them?
They will probably have to apply for a job through one of they Temp agencies who can then take a third of their pay….
As if we qualified or otherwise, hardworking YOUNG locals have any other option….*SIGH*
Dear PPM
This election season the Premier has promised District Councils and appropriate funding for them. Today the promise of a new Human Resources Authority. Both were also promised and listed in your manifesto last time in 2013.
You held a majority government for four years and did not provide these same things you are now promising again. Everyday there is another vague promise that was not kept over the last four years. Voters are smarter than this please stop insulting our intelligence. Your desperation is clear for all to see.
How can we trust you?
C’Mon Maaaaaaan
Alden McLaughlin has serious credibility issues but so does the majority of cabinet ministers like Tara Rivers his choice for labor minister
Not as much credibility issues as the former CDP/UDP government had.