Premier resigned to port project going south
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin has made his most definitive statement yet accepting that the cruise berthing project is “almost certain” to have been lost following the latest court decision. Accepting no responsibility for the $9 million spent on pushing the controversial project, even in the face of clear popular opposition, McLaughlin said he found it “incredible”, given the likely coming recession, that the project is now seriously at risk.
Speaking at the Fidelity Cayman Economic Outlook conference on Friday, the premier still failed to grasp the extent of public sentiment over this project and his own people’s opposition to it.
He said, “We have put ourselves in a position where the recent court decision quashing the Referendum Law means that the project is now seriously at risk because of the resulting delay. My concern is not about the cruise companies; they will be fine should the project fall away. My concern remains where it always has been, to secure the best possible outcome for those thousands of Caymanians and small businesses who rely on cruise tourism for their livelihood.”
McLaughlin persisted with his position that without a cruise berthing pier there would be an inevitable decline in cruise visitor numbers over the next few years. Yet earlier in the speech the premier had noted the increasing fragility of the cruise sector, which has been exposed over the last few weeks in the face of the coronavirus.
“We have already seen a few planned visits from cruise ships being cancelled as Cayman tries to stay infection free. The longer term impact on the cruise industry could be considerable,” he said.
The industry is facing some very stormy seas and no amount of cruise piers will resolve the tumultuous times for this sector. And just after spending the bulk of his address setting the stage for a global recession and rough times ahead, he still spoke of the need to expand the cargo port facilities, when it is evident that with a global downturn will come a decline in imports and population.
Moreover, the increasinly apparent existential crisis regarding climate change will, whether the people are ready for it or not, necessarily demand a reduction in our consumption economy. Nevertheless, McLaughlin said that without cargo enhancements, “we will struggle to import the quantity of goods we will need as our economy develops and our population increases”.
In a contradictory speech about Cayman’s prospects and the persistent and still unjustified claims that without the piers Cayman’s cruise sector will spiral into terminal decline, he said the loss of this deal for the cruise project will mean any future cargo port improvements will have to be funded by the Port Authority, which would see the costs passed on to the consumer.
“The cruise berthing part of this project would secure hundreds of jobs and create numerous business opportunities for Caymanians. The cargo element would secure our ability to import the goods we need as our country grows,” he said.
Yet the government has failed at every turn to properly justify this project. Week after week, evidence has emerged and questions have arisen about the risk that no more than a handful of local tourism stakeholders will benefit from the project. But there is clear evidence that the project poses an enormous risk to the marine environment and the significantly more lucrative overnight tourism sector.
The recently publish report of the Environmental Assessment Board has also revealed even more dangers posed by this particular project. It has questioned the attempts to sell this redesign as much more environmentally friendly when there is no evidence to support the claims as well as the decline in the job numbers that were in government’s original business case.
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Excellent News – now see Government see if you can collectively get together and take some action on the dump.
When do caymanian voters understand, that their politicians are not caring for them.
It must be this pathetic christian heritage that keeps voting the same old garbage in.
Excuse you @6:45 the pathetic Christian heritage as you term it ours indeed you came here and found it. If u don’t like it here and what we believe In leave nah
Thanks JTB et al.
I used to have so much hope for him and the PPM – just look at what was the alternative back then when they were formed? Now …. the alternative from back then is what they have become….
I never TRULY delved deep into the Port’s “Pros & Cons” – it was enough for me to see the weight of the C.I. Government “machine” forcing it down its people’s throat – heavy handed and one sided. All the leaflets, the radio adverts, the videos, the seminars, the community meetings, the biased reports and the pre-ordained findings, the “face-to-face” confirmation as to who signed the referendum petition (which was TOTAL INTIMIDATION, btw) and adding “insult to injury”, all paid for by C.I. Government with the people’s money……some $9m of it …….
That was enough for me object to the Port – whether it, in and of itself, is good or bad, I honestly know not; other than if it ever goes ahead, it would be ill gotten and born out of “bad”.
I am happy that they decided to appeal. While I do not want the port why would we accept such a flawed judgment? One of the worst judgments that I have read.
Thank goodness he finally gets it. Has government now stopped advertising the Port? The ads were still running at the Cinema a few weeks ago…… our money to the tune of 9 million dollars to push something that the people and most importantly the environment did not want. The MLA’s should pay the Government back from all their kick backs over the years which could go towards fixing the land fill.
In WB put a tie on a breadfruit and the only difference would be breadfruit wouldn’t grope or beat women.
The DUMP must be moved !
A proper facility at Bodden Town like Dart was previously going to do needs to be seriously reconsidered.
Cancer is going to take over this population especially the young children if it is kept there !
Not moved – unless it is to your backyard. Remedied at the same site – yes.
If somebody adds a box of squid to the next election ballot, it will get my vote.
I’d be jealous of your box. Need a box O squid to run in West Bay South too.
That O squid of yours that would run in WB South would surely have more backbone than the incumbent…
If Alden had not blocked McKeeva’s plans for the dump years ago, we would not be in this situation! The entire tourism industry is about to go down because of his lack of foresight. Hope the people vote them out. #TakeThemAllOut!
The Best Dressed Chicken Party should run in all 19 Districts. They’d win.
Or, they should win!
It was the FCO that blocked McKeeva from giving George Town to the Chinese/CHEC. This was AFTER a bid to build the port had already been awarded to a U.S. company. Remember??
The premier and the progressive govt has had 8 continuous years to get the port done and they have only themselves to blame for this incompetence. When you allow the DOE, the NCC, the National Trust, the tender operator and the CPR group to run this country and obstruct this important infrastructure project which is the life line to the country and our existence, we will remain in the dark ages. A single restricted draft container berth to support a population soon approaching. This is the same single berth since 1977 and we have made no progress in 43 years, however our population has increased four (4) times over that period. Continue Living in the dark ages Cayman and continue allowing these organization to run this country and when we have serious unemployment just sit back and reflect on the fact that you have caused all the social problems we will endure from a financial industry being black listed, an every shrinking cruise tourism and an evapourating stay over tourism due to corona virus and the highest most expensive tourist destination in the entire region. You have killed the goose that laid the golden egg.
CIG have singularly ignored every DOE, NCC and national Trust report opposing this, and spent $9m trying to fight again CPR. By the way none of the above are in government, they are just opposing this huge waste of money which favours very few except those who are filthy rich already. However, you just spin it to suit your cause rather than us actual facts, why use fact right? It gets in the way of a good fairy tale. Spend the money sorting out that damn dump, it will be a fraction of the cost and help save lives…
Err have you read what is happening to the cruise industry? No need for piers anymore.
Everybody keep calm and do not feed the troll.
Damn that Democracy!! Just spoiled everything for you didn’t it?
Quite right. It is only by the grace of God that there hasn’t yet been a serious accident at the port, the congestion is so bad. If all the nay-sayers had a son or brother working at the port Thursday to Sunday they would shut up and support the expansion lest their relative becomes a casualty of the accident that is waiting to happen.
They just replied to themselves.
What flight you on ?
While I support and applaud all measures which will delay and hopefully stop Government’s plans to re-develop the port (at least per the published plans), I’m not clear what this Court decision means in a general context.
The quashing of the proposed Referendum Law is specific to the proposed referendum on the Port but what about future referenda which the electorate might demand on other subjects?
Can some legal expert please clarify for me? Thanks.
The Judge ruled that the Government must enact a general referendum law setting out basic rules for all referendums, before it can proceed with the port referendum.
This would probably be a relatively easy thing for Government to do, if only they weren’t so unwilling to have a legislative sitting just now, for some unknown reason #McKeeva
hmmm you sound like you understand the law but not the workings of the Legislative Assembly. What’s the use of sitting if they have not re-drafted the law for debate and a vote?
If you read Justice Owen’s ruling, everything you need to draft a referendum law which complies with the constitution is right there.
The Referendum Law was deemed to be repugnant to the Constitution, so the LA needs to start all over by tabling a new Referendum Bill for comment and debate, then vote on whether to amend or pass into Law. The LA can’t convene or operate without a Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Join the movement.
#payitback
Let’s make them pay it back.
9million for the schools, for the mental health ward, or anything else sorely needed.
Together we all can make a difference.
Come on CPR. Pickup on this.
#payitback……….
I own ans operate one of those “small businesses” which the Premier referenced (in the tours and transportation sector) and a small portion of my business comes from cruise tourism. I was never a supporter of the Port expansion and applaud the Court decision and all other actions done to at least delay , if not , cancel the proposed port expansion.
Yes, I may have lost a few dollars in the short-term but I considered the long-term effects:
1. More congestion in and around George Town. I saw Government present no proposed solution to that in their port plans;
2. Environmental damage to the harbour area – since I became an adult (long before these proposed expansion plans) and traveled to many parts of the world I always marveled that our port (though small) was perhaps the only commercial port/harbour where one could still swim and dive in clean water. The proposed expansion would’ve certainly destroyed that!
3. Possible erosion damage to Seven Mile Beach – Our “golden goose” without which there would likely be NO tourism. The Government and their “experts” said “the port re-development will not affect SMB”, and “if there are any signs of damage to SMB we’ll stop it no matter how far on we get” and some other BS justifying their intentions. Meanwhile, I’m just a little “man on the street” no environmental “expert” but I’ve seen what one single sea-wall did to the Marriott’s beach and it doesn’t take an expert to consider, from a common-sense perspective that the same could happen to a lot more sections of SMB if the port is allowed to be re-developed per the Government plans.
Therefore, for the benefit of future generations and not just the few dollars less in my pocket, I signed the Referendum petition and supported the movement against the port re-development. Time will tell which was the best choice.
Meanwhile, Government should spend that proposed $200+ million on developing a good public transport system, improved sewer infrastructure (we haven’t seen real sewerage issues yet), and FIX AND RELOCATE THE DAMN DUMP!!
Please offer some insight on where to relocate the DUMP.
I can answer pretty easily because it is the same place people of GT and West Bay and or businesses located in those districts have always wanted it:
Out of sight and out of mind (i.e the eastern districts)
The issue should be handled where it currently exists, moving it solves nothing
Nor should another district be burdened with another toxic pile of trash seeping into the environment
Its that simple
11.14am West Bay. There’s trash dumped there all over already and plenty of swamp to fill in.
Bodden Town!!!!
Caymanians need to stop arguing over these things and continuing to divide ourselves by districts. Decisions that are the best FOR THE ENTIRE ISLAND going forward need to be made. Otherwise we are just going to keep chasing our tails.
Since the port project is likely the most expensive public infrastructure project ever proposed in Cayman, wouldn’t it have been smarter for government to make sure the people were on board with it FIRST — rather that trying to force-feed it down their throats? Newsflash to government: YOU work for US, not the other way around.
Alden is a joke .. he is still worried about this port project, while the dump continues to burn and burn and burn and burn and burn ….
Not a fair attack. The speech was on Friday. The fire(s) started after the speech had been delivered.
AldeNero fiddles while Cayman burns… So sad…
Poor old capn Moses and his chief bottle washer Stran I guess they will have to concentrate now on the ORIA for those lucrative $$$$ deals to make that big money since the port gone and no big development in CBrac is no longer in the cards. Aaaah boy these ungrateful Grand Caymanians they don’t know their place??
All countries are now interdependent and interconnected, therefore the influence of the coronavirus affects the entire global system.
Will CIG be able to maintain stability even if the situation in the global economy worsens? Were sufficient reserves accumulated to ensure stability in crisis times.
No. There are no capital reserves, or dark pools…just periodic short term budget surpluses (happy surprises) that grab headlines and are almost immediately diverted and consumed towards additional profligate hobby spending or debt service…plus approx $1Bln in unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities and half a Billion in acknowledged public entity serviced debt. We are broke, and that’s why DART (or anyone with $400mln to spend over 20 years) wields such disproportionate political sway around these parts. DART’s $400mln commitment isn’t even enforceable because the CIG are predictably in breech of several clawbacks buried in the NRA Agreement.
We need a cargo port upgrade, Alden said.
We spent $9Million on a cruise port dock and have nothing to show for it, Alden said
Call me petty, but would it not have made more sense to just go ahead and spend the $9 M on upgrading the cargo port?
Exactly! Why did I ever think Alden had sense?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/08/us/politics/cruise-ship-warning.html
Talk about a good kick up to the teeth, well he got it and please close the door on your way out Mr. Arrogant.
Great news to start off the week – and Moses-a-fretting cannot do anything about it.
CNS, you teases!!! Making everybody excited with this headline reading as if this muppet finally resigned.
Anyone else incredibly happy after reading only the first 2 words in the headline.
Aldart has lost the trust of the people and this is another example of how we don’t want him to represent us. The lil guy should step down and accept the job with his benefactor.
PPM were resoundingly ousted at polls in 2017. There was no majority that voted for a second term Alden regime to represent Cayman. We have a coalition govt of persistent remnants of two losing parties. Need to terminate these scheming collectives, and do away with two-party/one-party authoritarianism.
I’ll give Alden Mclaughlin credit where credit is due he has mastered political doublespeak like few others before him have
In one breath he is lauding himself and praising his ‘accomplishments’ in the past 7 years saying that Cayman is well poised to capitalize on the governements good stewardship and prudent oversight and in the other saying that it will all go tits up if we don’t sell our souls to cruise lines with no care in the world for us
Delivered in the usual mindnumbingly monotone and uninspiring presentation that are the hallmarks of all of Alden Mclaughlin’s attempts at public speaking
Its a wonder he ever got elected to the LA much less became leader of a party and then a 2 term Premier, I guess it all works out with the extremely low standard of politician we have in Cayman
Maybe he was trying to put the room to sleep so he could slip out the backdoor and get back to his real passion
Covering for his newfound bestfriend and partner in crime W. Mckeeva Bush ( the W stands for Womanbeater, I don’t make the rules)
The Dump is the Hot news. It has Backfired on PPM and is likely to burn-out itself. There is no way they can put that fore out anytime soon.
Redirect the port money to fix solid waste disposal.
Spent $9mln fighting public. Could have stripped the mountain and lined GT landfill for less.
Heh heh heh. “The cruise companies will be fine” heh heh heh.
Alden, Mr Premier Sir, – seems like you’ve lost the room.
I thought it said he resigned! I was about to celebrate in the street! Lol
It is time for Alden to walk out of the Premier’s Office he is not capable of holding the post and has lost any shred of credibility he had.
And who else would you recommend for the job
Lots of Caymanian voters still love Bush. Even more now that he beat up and woman expat.
Compared to him? Anyone (except Mac).
How about Slocum?
While Alden fiddles, Cayman burns….
This Government continues to waste our money and they are falling apart at the seams..
Alden spent $9M promoting the cruise berthing and didn’t bother telling us anything until he accidentally spilled it in a meeting.
We still have Barbara out there trying to see if she can sneak in her $2M to destroy Smith Barcadere.
Mckeeva is soon to be arrested..
None of the Women in the Unity Government have spoken out against the Mckeeva incident..Today is International Women’s Day…not a word from any of them..
There is no Speaker or Deputy Speaker so we can’t have a meeting of the Legislative Assembly called..
The Dump is burning out of control and people are being evacuated from their homes and schools are closing..
The Coronavirus is at our door steps and we only have one small area at the hospital for quarantine and no test kits to even confirm the virus..
Two of the founders of the PPM party have resigned with indication that more will follow..
I could go on….
Alden needs to be a leader and resign now and call for and early election. The PPM/CDP/IND Coalition has become nothing short of total failure..
The dump burning up and all he cares about is a cruise ship port… the public wouldn’t be against you Alden if you had any good ideas in that small brain of yours.
He is so pompous and full of himself…Glad he is finally seeing the end to this foolishness with the cruise pier…
Noe he needs to go out and find someone that will give us $200M to fix the damn dump that is burning and exposing everyone to its toxins…
It really does make you wonder, just what in the hell our elected leaders are doing.
Dump has been a problem for a long time. If Verdant Isle wants to do something to benefit our community – why not spend money on a long-term solution for the dump.
I don’t understand the infinite wisdom of Alden and Moses-a-fretting by not moving the dump, period. Hmmn what a bunch of incompetent politicians who basically are doing nothing.
So let me see if I got this straight. The dump is not far from Seven Mile Beach and George Town – which is basically a large portion of our tourism and finance industry.
Absolutely brilliant idea.
Solution – move it east and inward – got to be some area owned by a politician or one of their lackeys who can sell it to government and then quickly get road gazette to it.
We must be the most wasteful country in the entire world. Financial resources are used and used and used to the detriment of the public purse for self motivational gain yet not a sole is held accountable.
Such truth really makes me a shame to know that whatever the public says must be done or not done, we know all to well the elected government is going to do what they want regardless of the consequences to our country.
People who are elected to represent the people of the country and carryout what is in the best interest of the country MUST BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE when millions and millions of the public purse is wasted on doing the opposite.
ACCOUNTABLE MUST BE THE NEW WAY FORWARD!!!!!!
Fiddling while the dump burns spewing cancer causing elements. Am I the only person who wants to cry?
No
The super-heated soot, tar and chemicals from the blaze are carried off on the wind a mile or two, then cools and goes right into the sea. Looks like rain…but it’s far worse. Unity/Dart let it burn for 48hrs to reduce remediation material before suddenly taking it seriously at 5pm Sunday…they won’t be satisfied until all our reef is dead and we have cement to the sea.
He has to resign now.
McKeeva Bush must be arrested and charged with battery
The entire MLA must be facing charges for criminal negligence and willful disregard of legal duty to protect health and wellbeing of Cayman residents from The Dump’ hazard.
Sorry but this headline is confusing.
It brought me a moment of delight.
Thank you I thought he resigned!
With the US now advising it’s citizens NOT to get on cruise ships, this project and Caymans blinkered vision of day visit tourism is dead in the water.
Over reliance on cruise ship passengers was always doomed as the spend per head was never enough to support tourism businesses long term. Day trip operators are extremely exposed to this collapse and some may never recover.
Corona virus will now wage a terrible toll on Caymans tourism product. CIG need to revisit their plans for sustainable and progressive solutions before we see a major impact to the economy and employment.
I said long ago he would find a way to back away from the port. This is the first step. The port is indeed dead and Alden is glad as this gives home time to reposition himself in time for the next election.
Oh hell NO! He is done come May 2021..
Lots of posters on here scream ‘Roll on 2021’ ‘Drain the swamp’. Who exactly is going to take their places in the LA? We don’t have the depth of talent here to sweep them all out and put an entire LA back together. Whether we like it or not, we are stuck with some of these ‘politicians’.
And everyone laughed at me 10 years ago when I wanted to import monkeys and turn them loose. HA!
Oh, we have the breadth and depth of talent here alright…they are just forbidden from running for office, as Caymanians, BUT “by Plane and not by Pain”.
Well, finally something.
As far as the 9 million goes, the MLA’s, special interests groups and the many bussiness groups that pushed so hard need to stand up and do the right thing now. PAY THE 9 MILLION WASTED BACK.
If the groups were SO CONCERNED about Cayman’s financial welfare then it is only LOGICAL that they now ensure that the failed Port Bid does not add any additional unnecessary hardships to the CAYMAN ECONOMY BECAUSE THEY WANTED THE CRUISE PORT.
This gesture would show the population that they were GENUINE in their concern for Cayman’s finacial welfare and not just their own pockets, as was their continued adverts claimed.
Anything less just PROVES the latter as FACTS.
So which is it guys GREED OR GENUINE CONCERN……………
If it was greed then I hope their is legal redress to recoup the costs and an investigation by an ethics committee to uncover those responsible who are then prosecuted and any personal wealth seized and forfeited to recoup costs.
Saying the port will create hundreds of jobs is true, but saying it will create hundreds of jobs for Caymanians is FALSE. I haven’t seen one Caymanian working in the tourism sector yet. All the hotels are filled with expats, the airport too, (I’ve read a review by a tourist also saying that they were disappointed not to see any native Caymanians working at the hotels, they wanted to have a true Caymanian feel!)
So you mean to tell me you can’t find a Caymanian to scan a few passports and press some buttons? Anyway we know the port jobs would’ve gone straight to Filipinos and Jamaicans, so you’re not fooling anyone.
What do cruise ships have to do with hotels? SMH.
Thanks to the current unity government. They are rampantly approving work permits for tourism industry. The only thing CIG care about is the income of funds to their coffers.
Would Alden like to present us/the ACC with a full breakdown on how they spent $9mln over 7 years? That seems like a colossal amount of squandered money, that could have been used for dozens of more important things, with just a very dated PEIA brochure to show for it. How many millions were spent on their YouTube, misinformation and counter-public interest, pro-port Eastern European media influencers? There should be a full inquest into how a loosing unelected coalition govt could be under the false impression that they had a public mandate to spend anything like this amount.
Do you really believe funding for this would go ahead from the cruise lines when they are about to experience the most serious down turn in their industry?. That is the REAL reason this would not ahead. Covid-19 is about to all but put them out of business!
Did he happen to mention anything about the fact that the Honorable speaker of the house got trashed and attacked a woman in public then used his dead daughter to try and avoid the consequences, and has only been given a fully paid vacation despite the whole country being up in arms? Did he mention two of his party defecting? Any update on the blacklisting? Any update on the court case determining that the government’s anti-gay policies are illegal?
No
I got really excited when I first glimpsed the headline. I thought the Premier had resigned!
Resign!!!!!!