LA to sit for less than a week despite packed agenda

| 27/06/2018 | 54 Comments
Cayman Islands Standards in Public Life Law

Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly

(CNS): The Legislative Assembly was due to convene Wednesday at 10am with a list of legislative work, including amendments to the Liquor Licensing Law to pave the way for Sunday sales at stores and a number of changes to the Immigration Law ahead of the creation of the government’s new workforce agency. The sitting is only expected to last until next Tuesday before the parliament will close for summer. But the lawmakers are set to plough through a considerable amount of government work as well as business carried over from the last sitting and the controversial contempt motion.

So far this year, the government has called just one meeting, which lasted for just three days in March, when it was unable to complete the full agenda. This will now be added to the current session.

Last year following the election, the government called just two meetings, a three-day session in August followed by the Budget Address for one day in October, and a week in November dealing largely with the debate on the address and Finance Committee.

Check back to CNS this week for full coverage of the session.

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Category: Laws, Politics

Comments (54)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The less they work the less trouble they cause for the rest of us

  2. Libertarian says:

    We need fewer laws and regulations. One way to reduce the number is to not pass them in the L.A.
    If the L.A. doesn’t meet, then we get fewer laws and regulations.

    So, better there be no meetings at all. One right after an election and one right before the next would suffice.

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  3. Two Cents says:

    Little point in complaining now folks. If you don’t fix your house top in Feb or March, you will get wet in May and June. If a hurricane comes, youre done.
    We had the chance to fix this in May 2017 but we didn’t. The people in WB West and Red Bay elected McKeeva and Alden. Low and behold, after all these years of pretending they were opposites, we got hit with a Cat 5 – they are the same ___. Neither one ever wanted parliament to work when they were in power – it was always just a hindrance to them doing what they wanted to do, Now in this Cat 5 called National Unity, they are having a honeymoon at our well-earned expense.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    In other news, Michael Jackson’s father copped his whack.
    It sounds very final and indeed it is. One day we will all cop the whack.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Democracy in action. Gotta love it. This is what we voted for. I shit you not, if I posted this on dailymail.co.uk, it would not be published. Thank God our press is free.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Reading any Cns article gets less positive and meaningless, as they explain away the ultimate cause and mover of life – an Intelligent Designer

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  7. Diogenes says:

    I have been saying for years our representatives have somehow misconstrued their roles

    They are full time domino players, professional cafe patrons, neighborhood fixers and praise loving “photo-philes”
    and part time legislators…
    How is it acceptable that they spend a fraction of their terms doing what it is they were elected to do (actually legislating)
    Whenever this is brought up we can all agree, it is ridiculous that they are paid a full salary for what is in essence a couple weeks of work a year, but then nothing gets done, no pressure is applied by the public and everyone moves on to the next day’s news.

    Ministers (and councilors) have at least the partial excuse of their actual day jobs and ministries (assuming you actually believe they work as hard as they say they do, we know that the work is done in part at least by the COs. (I can’t help but to see a sunburnt Jeremy Clarkson lounging and declaring “Officers won’t work” ) But they acknowledge when taking up the roles they are legislators first and foremost, ministerial responsibilities are in addition to legislative ones, not in exchange for them.

    I’ll finish off with this, a ministry can function without a minister present at all times, in all places overseeing everything, but good luck running a functioning legislative body without actual legislators present for the majority of the year

    We allow what goes on in Cayman year after year to continue in perpetuity
    No one is challenged,
    No one is questioned,
    and no one, least of all our representatives are accountable

    Diogenes

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  8. Nicola says:

    Thank you 3:16 unfortunately brains are in short supply for most posters.

    Remember posters thought the bullying PAC was doing a good job.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh hush up. Enabler much?

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    • Diogenes says:

      The PAC claimed Ms Ahearn lied to them, which according to the record she did (whether you want to argue knowingly or not, purposefully or not, it is inconsequential to the motion but would have been relevant in the proper circumstances in front of a magistrate during criminal proceedings for instance)

      Even if you argue ignorance or accidental slip I would argue it was her duty to know or alternatively admit to not knowing and provide the information in writing at a later time.
      The argument that somehow a caveat absolves someone of their oath to tell the truth displays the real lack of brains in this equation

      Whether or not you like what the PAC did, don’t pretend as if the motion was unfounded, everyone who appears in front of the PAC is personally responsible to ensure their testimony is truthful and accurate. The government benches clearly and publicly switching their tune with the support of the DG does not absolve Ms Ahearn
      of the false statements she made, the government is avoiding the embarrassment of a public trial by using their votes to ignore the offence.
      Why let yourself be held accountable when you control the system of accountability in the first place, there are little if any checks and balances here.

      Ask yourself this: If you were in the government and you had the choice between risking a trial with a chance of either a guilty or not guilty verdict, or not even being charged or tried with an offense despite evidence supporting it which one would you pick Nicola?

      Surely an innocent person would jump at the opportunity of having an impartial judicial review finding them completely and irrefutably innocent of all charges.

      Diogenes

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      • Anonymous says:

        Diogenes,

        Call the mental health unit and check yourself in. Scary hope you don’t live in Cayman.

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        • Anonymous says:

          @9:27 Think what you wish but Diogenes is right. I’ve read the transcript, I don’t believe her. I wanted to but after reading it.. no. Not anymore.

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        • Anonymous says:

          While you are in there, be sure to say hi to Who from us all.

      • anonymous says:

        Diogenes are you related to Ezzard, that is the only possible reason you could support his ridiculous inquisition against Ms Ahearn. She did not decide to change the composition of the Boards and she absolutely did not perjure herself – read her testimony. Unfortunately personal vendettas and vindictiveness are all too common in Cayman politics.

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        • Diogenes says:

          Not in the slightest last time I checked
          But then again this is Cayman and I am Caymanian so.. in actuality we are all related, it’s kinda scary

          Diogenes

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  9. Tut alors!. says:

    Eight days for the first six months this year, probably 16 days for the year. Can someone calculate how much a day the Speaker earns , with non contributory pension, free medical, free driver for his car, to include the pension he is already claiming, all for opening his mouth for 16 days a year. I believe his annual base salary in in excess of CI$160,000p.a.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Get a full years salary for working 3 weeks of the year. Always wondered why a lot of candidates running for these small constituencies and now I know why. What a waste of a perfectly good building…

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  11. Anonymous says:

    i want to know how many days in the year is the la in session….?

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  12. Anonymous says:

    CNS: Can we read something more positive. Like the beautiful white butterflies we are seeing on the island. Why are they migrating westward by the thousands? ????

    CNS: If you want to read positive news, we have a whole site dedicated to it. And in fact, Auntie answered a question about the white butterflies just last month. See Curious about white butterflies. So now you know about CNS Local Life, feel free to check it out every day for your daily dose of happy news.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    typical for the ‘do-nothing ppm’….

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  14. Anonymous says:

    So what do these people do all year long that warrant such exorbitant salaries?

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Those guys are tireless. Work, work, work…

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  16. E. Nygma says:

    And people wonder why nothing gets done in Cayman, when the Legislators meet for 8-12 cumulative days out of every 6 months
    No wonder poor Kenneth calls into every talk show almost every day he’s scared the public is going to forget his voice
    They should be meeting monthly at the most, and bi-monthly at the least for full week sessions
    They are already being paid to do this job, they might as well do it properly
    Lets see any other profession show up for a fraction of the time of their tenure and really claim that they have a handle on things ( to anyone who thinks this is a viable way to do a job i’d suggest going into work for 1/10th of the time you work now, and demanding full pay, see how that works out for you)

    And we ALL know at the end of this term, they will spend the last 2 weeks in the LA passing dozens of motions and bills without actual debate and without oversight (just like they did in 2017)

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  17. Anonymous says:

    They can also start working at 8, like most of us.

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    • Anonymous says:

      For 8-10 hours like most of us… With another 2-4 hours sat in traffic for those East of Hurleys like many of us.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    This year, one meeting, three days in March??? Absolutely unacceptable.

    You Caymanians need to demand better of your elected members. Wake up!!!

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  19. SMH says:

    Alden and McKeeva do not want the democratic process to work. Both complained how parliament proceedings were scheduled and conducted. They see themselves as elected Emperors nor do they want the Opposition to do their jobs by publicly debating and scrutinizing Unity government policies and proposed laws. Typical hypocrisy of the PPM and CDP leadership now joined to form the super friends of Cayman politics. SMH

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Must be nice, big ole fat salary, pension, free health care and they don’t have to go to work

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    • Anonymous says:

      And we wonder why things are the way they are. There should be a law that once your pick up the mantle of an MLA, you are required to remove yourself from personal businesses or close them so that you can dedicate full time to the country. These fools treat this like a side job and the sad part is.. WE LET THEM AND PAY THEM FOR IT!!

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  21. Anonymous says:

    Close for the summer? That’s insane.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Think how much this will save on A/C alone.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The house closes that doesn’t mean the Govt and Opposition members aren’t at work remember they work in their ministries and their constituency offices etc and deal with other issues not inside the house. Please people use your brains

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      • E. Nygma says:

        They are legislators first and foremost, not handymen or neighborhood fixers

        I didn’t vote for someone driving around the neighborhood looking for potholes or out of place speedbumps like Kenneth

        Or dealing with beatification projects like Austin

        MLA:

        Member of the LEGISLATIVE Assembly

        If they aren’t LEGISLATING then by definition they are not doing their jobs

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        • Anonymous says:

          5:38 .guess if they weren’t fixing the pot holes you would have that to complain about too .

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