CNS readers happy with make-up of Cabinet
(CNS): Despite the uncertainty and almost a week of horse-trading in the wake of the election almost 56% of people who responded to a CNS online survey posted on Tuesday said they were happy with the make-up of the new coalition Cabinet, given the results of the election. Another 19% said they were undecided but felt the ministers should be given a chance, and only 11.7% of respondents called for a re-shuffle. Less than 13% said they believed that the government would not last.
At 6pm on Thursday, 538 people had responded to the straw poll over the three days and most seemed to have confidence in the new government. Most of the ministers received a strong thumbs up from CNS readers.
Confidence was highest in Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell; over 87% said they were confident he would handle his portfolio. Roy McTaggart, the new public finance minister, also receiving strong backing from CNS readers, with 79.5% agreeing he would manage his ministry well. Planning Minister Joey Hew and Premier Alden McLaughlin, who will be dealing with immigration, employment and community affairs, both got the backing of around 69% of participants.
However, less than 37% of people who took part offered their confidence in Dwayne Seymour, who has a significant portfolio covering culture, housing, health, environmental health and the environment.
Confidence was also low in Capt Eugene Ebanks in his role as councillor to Seymour on the environment, with just over 31% saying he would do a good job.
Some commentors were dismissive of the new political line-up, while others offered their support.
One said, “All politicians are egocentric, narcissistic, greedy people, that absolutely do not care about you. If they would, there would be little crime and unemployment and there would be affordable healthcare…”
Another added that the new government was “a really weak cabinet with unqualified and untrustworthy persons given their track records in jumbled ministries is a recipe for disaster. Would you hire any of them to run your business?”
Category: Opinion Poll, Politics
There is a rumour that they are going to add 50 more tour operators or taxi operators to the ports? I hope that is only rumours. We can’t feed anyone on cruise ships when only one ship is in port. Whoever is in charge needs to understand only when someone leaves the service should they add more.
When is the cruise ship port going to start?
Awesome to have consistency in Tourism, we are making significant progress at the airport and with Cayman Airways. Kudos to Minister Kirkconnell and Chief Officer Stran Bodden. Hope they can now do the same with the port.
Where is Bernie…collecting a fat salary and attacking everyone who is not Jamaican. Those fireboys really got Bernie making a clown of himself.
Of course moses has the highest rating. He followed by Marco were the two getting things done the last 4 years. He will continue making a huge difference for your islands. Joey Hew worked under moses last time so hopefully he learned enough from him that he can sort out the mess that is in the planning department.
David Wight is going to be one of those sleeping giants no one saw coming. He is the most in touch with his community out of all of the elected and Unelected candidates. He will make a huge difference to our island as he is only there because he loves cayman and loves his people. He really cares about everyone. I’m so happy he got in.
My main concern is the choice for the Environment Minister and for Councelor in the same portfolio.How much experience does either have in this field and I must point out that our FRAGILE environment is in need of a good pair of hands at the helm.We cannot take any steps backwards on this topic as our tourism sector is (to me)our most important money maker and job supporter,employing thousands of locals and if anything goes wrong here we will lose everything.Hopefully our minister will draw on people with years and years of experience in this field for helpful input and suggestions.I would hope that he would be in close contact with Mr.Wayne Panton to ask for possible advice and to work closely with our Dept.of the Environment.By the way I am not trying to be critical of either but do ask that Minister Seymour surround himself with experienced people to help with suggestions and advice.
They did a really good job making up the job assignments. The only thing that would have been better is if they had given Minister Kirkconnell Commerce too. Most of the small business are in Tourism or depend on tourism. We need him to straighten out the mess there. But everyone is telling me to give Minister Hew a chance because he’s an action man too. I’m praying they are right.
I don’t know too much about all the Tourism numbers, but I know whenever I need help with my restaurant business Mr. Kirkconnell takes my call and always helps me figure thing out. Thank you Mr. Premier for keeping him in Tourism.
Minister McTaggart is taking over a ministry left in good shape by Ex Minister Archer but Minister Hew has inherited a mess. What a joke eGovernment has been. Four years and all they give us is the joke of a police clearance system. Stop wasting money on the so called eGovernment if that’s all you can do!
10:09. You are obviously tired from trying to learn how to think. The online police clearance system is simply amazing. The e government team had to start somewhere and everyone needs a police clearance at some point.
I guess you didn’t know that you can now submit your house plans online and track the process online.
I guess you didn’t know that the NWDA new portal has been revamped.
E government team keep the changes coming. Most of us understand that you can’t develop e services overnight and that you have to secure the system from cyber attacks first.
Only a genius like 10:09 would encourage you to connect all the government systems without improving the firewalls. Lesson 10:09 engage brain before commenting.
Keep drinking the kool-aid, smile.
We all applaud that internal government has fixed their security. I understand the new manager in charge of the internal computer services and networks has done a great job with that. Maybe if he was in charge of the whole eGovernment effort he could also get us some real services.
Our businesses are suffering, we need something from yesterday.
5:40 seems to know that the Government wasn’t protected from cyber attacks before. If that is true and their computer people have now fixed it that certainly a good thing. But that’s not what 10:09 seem to be talking about. I agree with 10:09 it has been a big disappointment that nothing much was ever done with the E government program to cut the red tape for businesses.
Joey Hew understands our needs in the business community. I have seen how he manages his successful businesses. He will finally cut the red tape and not let civil service hold us back any more!
Joey has to work with the civil service. First I heard of the civil service holding any minister back.
You really don’t believe that all the major accomplishments of the last government was achieved without a joined up approach. Oh by the way the online police clearance system is amazing. Which minister did that?
For the last 4 years we have seen ministers and civil servants working together like never before. Long may it continue.
Who are you trying to kid?
It’s not like what we need is so difficult! Let’s not reinvent the wheel here. Just visit some of our local law firms and other businesses, and see the sophisticated online systems they all use.
Swallow your pride and ask Alva Suckoo for some help. He founded and sold a software company.
I think this government has the right combination of talent. The Premier and Deputy have proven to be a good team. And now with Roy Mctaggart and Joey Hew we have a group that will work for business and jobs!
It’s not surprising that Mr. Moses gets things done because he is always in office, working hard. I am proud to work in his ministry.
Moses was the most effective Minister over the last 4 years, and was named the most successful Minister of Tourism for the Caribbean. So I’m sure glad they kept him in charge of Tourism.
I do like a nicely made cabinet. Of course back in the day they made them better…more varnish, better wood…
blah blah blah?
I’m sorry you’re unhappy. I’m not thrilled with EVERY aspect of our new government, however it could have been much, much worse.
I hope you can become a “can do” person and support the new government, vs. a “can’t do” person, who always has negative shit to say.
We have the government we do. I think it’s in our best interests to support them, to make it clear what WE want — the people who elected them.
It should be a symbiosis.
oh boy! probably no chance of stopping that ruination of Hog Sty Bay now!!
First there is a structured plan for what they are doing and second you represent the minority voice in this matter. Their are people that depend on the cruise ship dollar to live but their are voices such as yours who probably is well off and dont need the money.