Premier walks back remark on voters staying home
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin had a change of heart Monday, as he presented the draft Referendum Bill on the cruise project and urged people to vote ‘yes’, having previously said there was no need to go to the polls if they were in support. Opening the debate in the Legislative Assembly, he delivered a mixed message, saying that he admired the spirited activism of those involved in the petition for the vote but then launched a scathing attack on the Cruise Port Referendum campaign.
McLaughlin defended the government’s position and the process of the referendum, but while he justified the question, the date, the decision to allow liquor to be sold on voting day and the disenfranchisement of new voters, he avoided any mention of concerns about campaign finance.
But he did take a new position on voting, as he urged people who support the project to go out and show that the country was behind the government’s policy to develop both cruise berthing and cargo facilities.
He denied saying that he had told people to stay home, despite public comments made earlier this month that there was no need for people to go to the polls if they supported the project because that would count in the ‘yes’ column anyway. At the time he also predicted a low turnout.
But speaking in the LA Monday, he took a different stance and said the majority of Caymanians, like his government members, believed in the project and that the referendum would “give them a chance to show it”, as he asked voters to go to the polls and vote ‘yes’ to the cruise and cargo facility.
“I welcome support at the polls from those who want to come out and show their backing for this much-needed development,” the premier said.
Despite putting on a confident display that the country would support the project at the polls, stating it was a choice between “prosperity or decline”, the premier also attacked many aspects of the pro-referendum campaign and those who oppose the cruise port project.
He accused the campaign of trying to undermine the elected government and using underhand scare tactics to get people to sign “by fair means or foul”. But he ignored the fact that government had intervened to allow people to ‘unverify’ their verified signatures during the process to confirm all 5,300 names on the petition, although only two people actually did.
McLaughlin said the campaigners were not just trying to secure a referendum but were actively campaigning to stop or derail the project, as he accused them of moving from one complaint to another.
“The CPR will not succeed… even with their most recent tactic of obtaining a legal opinion on a variety of issues to do with the referendum,” he said as he dismissed the concerns.
He said the CPR leadership and “their financial backers”, whom he did not identify, were not interested in the vote, “presumably because they think they will lose”, but wanted to stop the port project by any means possible. This, he claimed, contrasted with government, which was acting in good faith and doing everything right.
He even suggested that there was nothing wrong in setting Referendum Day just six days before Christmas, as he seriously claimed that any date would catch voters off island. “If the ‘no’ campaign is confident in its case, why do they believe that the date will make the difference?” he asked, maintaining that there was “no impediment to voting whatever date is chosen”.
However, later in the day McLaughlin was reminded of his own emphatic complaints to then governor Duncan Taylor when McKeeva Bush, as premier at the time in 2012, called the ‘one man, one vote’ referendum in the summer. McLaughlin had complained vehemently that Bush was deliberately trying to undermine the potential turnout — a very different position to the one he is now taking.
He also derided the campaigners for their complaints about the sale of alcohol, as he suggested that they were implying the ‘no’ voters were so weak willed they would spend the day drinking in a bar instead of voting.
“Our opponents really should have more confidence in Caymanians,” he charged. “If they truly believe the arguments put forward against the port, they will vote ‘no’. Either our opponents lack that confidence in their supporters or they lack confidence in their own case.”
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Category: development, Local News, Politics
Talked to someone involved with the bidding today. One of the conditions that the government are trying to impose is that the port builder buys their boulders from Cayman Brac even though they are half the price from East End.
Why would that be I wonder?
I admired Austin so much as a radio host because he had balls and never kissed anyone’s butt. He got into Gov and all that he disagreed and argued against he is now bowing down to and promoting. What a sell out. All for the love of money. Sooooo disappointed. By Felicia!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People of dis island been taken for fools.
The premier’s speech was absolutely brilliant. Anyone that disagrees is simply conflicted and hopelessly against the port. Well done Alden!!!
Shut up Twins!
Christmas turkey came early I see. That’s ok sugarbird, we can get you a toy boat next.
OK..Boomer
The time and effort it took to get 5,300 signatures says everything about what the majority of the country wants. The majority wants the port!
The opponents of the port is just in my opinion wasting theirs and other ppl’s time and when tourism decline and the cruise lines play their cards, none of them will have food to give anyone to eat and swimming and watching corals will not make people’s belly full !
Please remember all of the effort put into not getting people to sign. It’s a different ball game when you’re in that booth with an anonymous ballot.
It is disgusting the way the leadership of the Cayman Islands is treating its citizens and its islands. Personal financial gain? What do you think?
The people of this island are being treated as fools. If we allow this to happen to us we have no one to blame but ourselves. It looks like the gov may be right
I think this is great. I will be at the polling station as soon as they are open to cast my vote and then I can head off and do whatever for the rest of the day, including having a drink hehe
Can locals walk and fish on the port if its built ? can locals tie up their boats when no cruise ships are in ? can dive operators meet their clients there ? IDK just asking .
You cant do that now so why would you be able to do that after the expansion…
This expansion is for cruise dollars not for locals to be able to use.
The port for Caymanians? Don’t make me laugh
OMG, what a blow hart Austin is? He took on the role of Speaker telling the visitors in the house to behave themselves like they are children…Glad to see McKeeva tempered him but just who does he think he is?
Austin Harris is what you get when you elect blowhard radio talk show hosts who beat women. No one should be surprised that he plays the Bellatrix Lestrange role to Alden’s Lord Voldemort.
What a Mess. Are these people really leading our country??
Yep. And you let them.
11.38am What was really disgusting was the conduct of some pro CPR persons in the gallery. They were being disruptive and had to be chastised for it. CPR trying intimidation inside the LA? Wow . Austin was right to point this out.
To 11.38 What should concern you is the fact that Pro referendum visitors in the gallery of the LA were so rude that Austin had to point it out. Apparently they did the same thing yesterday.
Even if they were and I don’t believe they were it is not his place but that of the Speaker to chastise them..He is just full of himself and nothing more than a washed up, wife beating radio talk show host…
Give McKeeva his credit he told Austin not to insult anyone!
It’s that radio host side of him mixed with wifebeating.
‘no’ voters were so weak willed they would spend the day drinking in a bar instead of voting”. Who the #@$%$ is this guy think he is. You just cannot talk of your people this way Alden…think he needs to be evaluated for this. I supported this guy and his team for some time … Now I will simply vote NO and hope that their is a no confidence vote for this Government…and his deputy is in talks of building a pier in the Brac also…sorry Alden but our country comes first….a close friend
Don’t hope. Let’s do it. How do we start a No confidence vote? I’m in.
Organize a March on Legislative Assembly and then have a dance off. Let’s do it.
“For those who falsely claim that I and the Government deliberately omitted passing a Referendum Law, I can tell this House and everyone outside of it that I join the voices of those who say they wish that one was in place. For if it was, Mr. Speaker, a Referendum Law would not have allowed any group to take a year or more to gather the signatures required for a referendum. Nor would it likely have allowed a referendum to be called against an important national project that was part of an election campaign and has been ongoing for over five years, and where millions of dollars from the public purse had already been spent – particularly where nothing fundamental has changed during the course of the project. My point is that if we did have a Referendum Law in place, Mr. Speaker, it is unlikely that we would be having this debate here today.”
A direct and very telling quote from the Premier’s speech. So the Premier wishes there was a referendum law in place because he would have deliberately constructed such a law so as to further restrict the right of the people to initiate a referendum?
Yay democracy?
Thank you for helping to point this out.
You see my friend 10.06… now we know how they write the laws and why they write them the way they do.
They are slowly tightening the noose around their own necks. I love it. Every time they open their mouths…it gets better.
To 10.06am What the Premier said ” My point is that if we did have a Referendum Law in place, Mr. Speaker, it is unlikely that we would be having this debate here today.” According to you a direct quote from the Premier’s speech.
Your spin on what the Premier said ” So the Premier wishes there was a referendum law in place because he would have deliberately constructed such a law so as to further restrict the right of the people to initiate a referendum?”
Apparently you have a problem understanding what you read or you are deliberately altering what was said to suit your own point of view.Nowhere does the Premier say that he would have ‘deliberately constructed such a law’. Perhaps next time you will be careful not to contradict yourself in future posts.
so who was supposed to put the referendum law (that he so wishes was in place) in place? Is that not the job of the law makers, the head of which is the premier. Lord help us all. Why have a opposition If the Premier is just going to go ahead, provide the ammunition and oppose himself. “rolls eyes again and again”.
Alden is so full of sh!t I bet he can taste it.
Franz face says it all!!!!
Old saying Mr Premier, ‘Engage your brain before opening your mouth!’
Why is the Premier bias for his own benifit
Being a representative of all in the Cayman Islands.
Anyone with even basic training in survey research methodology, psychometrics or statistics, knows that you cannot conflate two separate ideas into one, and expect valid results.
The issue needs to be divided into two questions 1. Cruise port and 2. Cargo facilities.
Your position is irrelevant and absurd. The project plans had always wrapped up the cargo facilities and the cruise port into one.
You comment is absurd. The petition never sought to hinder the cargo enhancement. Full stop.
Again, you’re proving my point. It’s irrelevant and absurd to focus merely on what the petition was asking about (the cruise port), when the government has been planning to upgrade both the cargo and cruise port as one development for far longer than the camplaigners. If you pick on one issue, you pick on both.
Wording a petition in a way that picks the whole project part is utterly irrelevant, short-sighted, petty, and ridiculous. Full stop to you!
LOL – Just because you say so doesn’t make it so. Are you saying that if people agree with the cargo “enhancement” they have to agree with the port “enhancement” just because the government has planned to do both? Poppycock!
Sorry, you missed the point. I was referring to the technical points of a good survey question and not the port policy.
Let me try again. If you had an employee survey and the question was “on a scale of 0-5 how satisfied are you with your pay and benefits?”. If the score was “3” does that mean A) they are kind of OK, B) I am happy with my pay but the benefits, such as health insurance and vacation suck, or C) I deserve to be paid better but, I am happy with my benefits?
One question at a time.
This is a video of Eden Rock 2 years ago recorded to youtube. The TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!! https://youtu.be/YFhoGHeeOWQ
Be sure and read the comments.
Moonscape. Heartbreaking!
Compare to BOAT LIFE: Spearfishing with a BABY 5:40 forward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHXg3rFvaVU&t=4s
Here is a webpage that had a video that could be seen from 2004 and now cannot be seen in this country? Amazing and mysteriously isn’t it. But go to: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/05/cayman-islands-coral-reefs-dead/ The page has everything that was said in the video. They thought I copied from Youtube, please inform yourself to see the lies they have been propagating.
Mr Premier, if you believe the sale of alcohol does not affect the outcome, then I hope the bars remain open at the next general election.
5:48 yeah I read the article, and I’m seriously wondering why the Person mentioned in the article does not come out and tell the truth.
I don’t drink but I support this precedent
It makes no difference at all because everyone who wants to get hammered on election day will stock up before hand.
Case in point, that’s my plan
That is the point of the post. The bars can remain open at ANY election!
Maybe someone should remind him that he can still buy his bottles the night before, no need to panic. Geeesh!
Maybe he will get more yes votes if he changes the date.
The Emperor has officially lost his clothing.
Great. Now I’m going to have that image stuck in my mind. Yuck.
Come out and vote yes and get us over the 50% mark. It is the surest way to keep the Port Project on track.Come out and vote yes.
Why should I ?
Let’s build the damn thing! BRACKA.
Won’t affect Brackers so we don’t care…
Build it in the Brac then..Unna go ahead following Moses and Julie…
What have then done other than pave roads to nowhere and bought 4 planes for an island of less than 2000 people?
If they cared they would build a decent port there where they won’t have to do any dredging and allow cruise ships to stop there and improve the Brac economy..
Grand Cayman cannot take much more but Cayman Brac is still undeveloped and 99% of the people work for the Government. Give small businesses a chance to grow on the Brac and leave Grand Cayman alone..
It will. Our bluff will build the cruise docks.
Build it in the BRAC..
I am a Portbot+Kirkbot+Govtbot hybrid and have developed self awareness. I am amused at your personal insults that demonstrate a singular lack of confidence in your own logic.
What an embarrassment he is to the Cayman Islands……..
They all need to shut up and fix the damn dump!
MADGA – Make Alden’s Dump Great Again!
8:10 pm how do you save a harbour, this is the same mentality that have us in the mess we are in right now, imagine if every place that has a harbour said that how expensive this world would be most of us would not be able to live, we need to try and minimize the damage but we cannot completely save everything, this is our harbour and harbour s are made for ship’s
That cargo dock should not even be in GT…
Franz looks happy
He looks like he is going to barf!
Arrogance + stupidity + entitlement. Seem to be a theme amongst elected(not true) leaders.
One of the best speeches by out Premier
You meant to say “our dear leader”, didn’t you?
Shut up Twins!
yep, Tammy does a good job writing them for him, doesn’t she?
8:12 That’s not saying much!
I am all for stopping the port project by any means possible to save our harbour and environment!! What a genius for figuring that out!!!
Alden McLaughlin is a bigger BS artist than McKeeva Bush. He is not to be trusted.
Alden is an incarnate version of Alden..
a sheep in wolf’s clothing