Politicians bid farewell to LA, hello to parliament
(CNS): The Cayman Islands’ politicians talked into the small hours of Tuesday morning as they bid farewell to the Legislative Assembly and hello to what will become a parliament later this month. The UK Privy Council is expected to confirm the agreed changes to the Cayman Islands Constitution that will include the upgrade for the political institution. MLAs will become members of parliament (MPs) at the next meeting in December, and the politicians took the time to mark the historic occasion.
The name change follows the passage of the Legislative Assembly Management Bill during this meeting, which created an independent commission to carry out the management of what will now be a parliament and a separate authority from the civil service.
there were fears that the constitutional change would be shelved as England goes into another lockdown as a result of the unrelenting spread of the coronavirus in the UK, but Premier Alden McLaughlin said that he had been given assurances that it was going to be approved. He said the change marked another major milestone in the advancement of Cayman’s political growth and maturity.
See McLaughlin’s address regarding the history of the LA and the transition to a parliament in the CNS Library.
Or watch it below on CIGTV:
Category: Politics
Cayman Islands are still the best place on earth to work and raise a family. Thats why its so many different people here and every one in the world wants and trying to come here
I am so disappointed. I thought this was going to read “bid farewell” to Alden. Now that would have been fantastic news.
The doctrine of the separation of powers in the Westminster system is usually regarded as one of the most fundamental tenets of liberal democracy. … Each branch’s independence helps keep the others from exceeding their power, thus ensuring the rule of law and protecting individual rights.
Well done MLAs at least you lot get it!
This little piggy went to market…
Not surprised by all the anti-Cayman, anti-Caymanian jabs here. The UK is arguably worse as Westminster is a swamp that needs to be drained badly.
Can you cite examples as opposed to an opinion?
My 42 years of living in the U.K. MPs only care about ripping off the public and living off the state
Hope since the c-virus is raging in the U k and they going in another lock down, that all BA flights will be cancelled until further notice
Glad you pointed out that its the VIRUS thats raging but not so much the disease. Im so proud that Cayman was clear in identifying that most cases were/are asymptomatic. Never really seen a diffrentiation shown in other countrys’ or territorys’ statistics.
11.22 No. The other countries just need to grow a pair and split from the UK. But Wales don’t have the bottle or inclination and Norn Irn is full of loyalist bigots who love the Crown. The only country with the desire to do it is Scotland. Saor Alba. Alba Gu Brath!!!
Alright Braveheart.
Agree with you my friend!
50 sourpussies can always be found.
No matter the cause.
The comments section here on CNS is dominated by Cayman haters. These are the ungrateful ones who are envious and hate us because they had to leave home and come here to improve their quality of life. Most expats do not fit into this group but are grateful for the opportunity.
They are the intelligent ones who are tired of having to pay the high taxes to live here without any representation. They are getting tired of working hard and giving up part of their pay to subsidize the lazy and incompetent ones. Caymanians who live off of expat money and jobs are the ungrateful ones. And No. We do not plan to be around to save you when the money you got from us runs out. Be thankful that you can move to the UK when you finish trashing this place.
Wow .. what an ingrate
You say ingrate we say intelligent.
I believe 7:09 is right we do not need him in particular and his similarly minded cohorts around us. They are all cynical no count bastards in their own country . We have given them much more than they would have obtained in their idyllic countries ( haha) and they have the gall to be critical of us. I guess you have that right huh, well I suggest the quicker you get back to your rat and Covid infested countries the air will be cleaner with out you. Sayonara
Huh?
Sounds like you didn’t come here with enough money to get your way sorry 🙁
Pray tell how much money are they giving up for high taxes. Besides their work permit which is normally paid by the employer, all other fees are consumption fees which you would have to pay at home or wherever you choose to live. consumption fees are determined by how lavish you decide to live, e.g. Steaks instead of ground beef. The big question is how much can you save because of your nice income tax savings while you live here. You do realise that you are not forced to stay and pay the imaginary “high taxes” . Also please explain exactly how much you pay to subsidize Caymanians. If you are renting your landlord will probably have to use half of the rent money from you to repair the property after you are gone. it looks like ” six of one and half dozen of the other” I read an article this week stating that the U.K. Is broke so please don’t encourage anyone to move there while you stay here. The majority of Caymanians would prefer to stay here I believe. I have had my EU passport now for about 20 years, I have been to the U.K. twice, , on my way to Switzerland and on my way back. I stayed a few days and enjoyed being there but have no desire to move there permanently.
What % of your government revenues are from expatriates?
High taxes to live here 😂
You need to make more money
Westminster, where one MP lost their seat then got jailed for groping women, and another also jailed for lying about who was driving their car when speeding. Cayman, where an LA member survived not only being caught on video groping a waitress but is still in their seat despite being charged with assaulting a bar manager, and without even a word of condemnation from their fellow, honourable parliamentarians. Where another LA member was found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend, and yet another of selling drugs to an undercover police officer. Which swamp is deeper I wonder.
Did Alden say political and maturity in the same sentence?
Is that an oxymoron?
10.31 Not an oxy. Moron
A two week course on integrity and ethics should be made *mandatory* for any MP effective immediately. And decrease their debate time from two hours to one. If someone cannot state their position and the basis for it in 60 minutes, they obviously do not know what they are doing — and we pay for every hour they waste in there.
Delusions of grandeur. Realistically this could be a part-time job similar to a town or small city council.
Call it what you want, we have a desperate need for leadership and competence across Parliament and the Civil Service.
Getting rid of the ridiculous “qualified Caymanian” rules might be a start to broaden the field and improve the quality of MLA candidates.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/1379/schedule/2/part/IV/made/data.xht?view=snippet&wrap=true
@12.52pm Just because you come from foreign doesn’t make you any better or smarter than a local; hint..look at UK and US right now.
So if my child is raised from birth in the Cayman Islands and educated there they can’t stand for MLA because they will also have Canadian and UK citizenship? (see full wording below)
That doesn’t seem right or fair, does it?
It’s an indefensible xenophobic policy that results in a backward apartheidesque electoral system with weak second-tier MLAs.
To stand for office in the UK or Canada you are only required to become a citizen.
>>>
For the purposes of subsection (1)(d), a qualified citizen is a British overseas territories citizen by virtue of a connection with the Cayman Islands, who either—
(a)at the date of his or her nomination for election possesses no other citizenship and is pursuing no claim to any other citizenship for which he or she may be eligible; or
(b)was born outside the Cayman Islands, has or had at least one parent or grandparent who was born in the Cayman Islands and is a Caymanian (or if deceased would if alive have been a Caymanian at the date of nomination for election), and who at the date of his or her nomination for election possesses no other citizenship save for any right he or she may have to some other citizenship by virtue of his or her birth outside the Cayman Islands;
Let them be. They dont want solidarity. They want to keep us being divided by “indigenous”, “generational”, “paper” etc…
Their division and rules will cause “real” Caymanians to become more and more a minority until they are extinct and by time they wise up to this, it will be too late.
What’s a real Caymanian? Should it not be adherence to some set of shared civic values rather than an accident of birth?
YES. But try telling that to a “real” Caymanian – I am not one apparently. Conceived here and brought back here at 2 weeks of age after being born in Jamaica for medical reasons. No Caymanian parents/grandparents. Ive lived here going on 48 years now. Still NOT and will never be considered Caymanian.
Also allowing everyone who is a legal tax-paying resident to vote would improve accountability
I say, Whoa Nellie, Can you make that “a desperate need for REAL leadership and REAL competence across Parliament and the Civil Service”? We have had enough of the “Snout-in-the-Trough” bunch!!!
8:42. Jealousy is such a sad thing. I almost feel sorry for you. I suspect you wake every morning wishing you were a Caymanian.
Mate, I hate to break it to you but you are not living in a country.
You are a citizen of a British Overseas Territory.
Not for long I hope!!
banon @6:35pm.
I am Caymanian, under 30 and continually disappointed by our “leadership”.
Where we were born is a characteristic not a qualification.
Every election we hope for better but the same people are continually recycled.
Haha this means nothing. The day a Brit can be premier of cayman is when equality and growth will really happen
That’s entirely possible now. I would imagine most in the LA have British Passports and thus are as “Brit” as anyone else in the world.
So Cayman Status Holders are Caymanian and allowed to run for office in LA or now Parliament and be Premier (or Prime Minister) and Speaker of House?
A turd can be rebranded as a diamond but at the end of the day, it doesn’t change the irrefutable fact that it is, in fact, a steaming pile of S£%t.
10.20pm We don’t allow turds in the LA at present so you will have to wait.
Instead of sitting there until the early hours drinking Kool Aid they should have been sorting out this countries mess. Starting with getting rid of Mac.
But then on $200k per year who is the mug.
Sweetheart, when you ever see Mac drink Kool-Ade?! If he had ordered that over what’s on the top shelf we could have peace and quiet, and West Bay would get a lil bit of representation!
no doubt they will demand an increase in wage due to the new “prestigious” title change
I smell independence creeping on us.. please no!
Every time these idiots mention independence, another 5 investors pull back, 10 purchasers look elsewhere, and would be wealthy residents think twice about making Cayman their home.
They’ll get independence from prosperity.
Lies. This topic is kicked around every election season and investors keep doing what they are doing. They have their tax exemption certificates, their money isnt even in Cayman. They come from the US and UK and CAD where their governments have carried out the worst atrocities known to mankind. They are fine
Dude trust me, if this wasn’t an overseas “British” territory NO ONE is buying million-dollar properties and supporting your social program with their taxes
12:58;pm, that’s what u said about the Bahamas. But they doing fine now that they are free of U k
Doing fine? Seen the unemployment there? You do realize Caymans financial services industry kicked off when the Bahamas attempts to establish offshore collapsed post independence?
The Canadians have carried the worst atrocities known to man? The Canadians? Lol.
Does mixing cheese curds with gravy and putting it on fries count as an atrocity?
Political growth & maturity? And as for those wanting Independence, need you be reminded that our politicians are essentially still preschoolers regardless of the classroom name change. Cayman must be the capital of rebranding, that’s all this is.
Calling themselves members of parliament changes nothing except their egos. This rogue bunch of wannabe leaders we have right now have set a fine example of good governance. Going forward, things can only get worse if these idiots somehow get re elected again and are allowed to perpetuate their so called transparency and legal skullduggery.
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Everything they are doing is indicating that they’re preparing us for independence and we are so not ready for that socially, educationally or politically. Smh.
This is the only thing they will ever get from England, fancy titles that mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. It amazes how these useless politicians are so enthralled with these things..
So tired of these egotistical politicians..
Separation of powers please stop sounding so ignorant. An independent Parliament is a requirement for a healthy democracy
So is an informed and educated citizenry
What is it “a healthy democracy”?
Follow Doctors Express trial. THE culmination of what is wrong with “democracy” in the Cayman Islands.
A positive, albeit slow progression. Administrator to Commissioner to Governor. Vestrymen/women to MLAs to Members of Parliament. What is wrong with that? Why should our Representatives still be referred to as MLAs especially when they travel to regional and international conferences/meetings and every other jurisdiction refers to their reps as Member of Parliament.? Also why do we in the Cayman Islands always bad talk and denigrate our own? Everyone of these Members of Parliament,whether you like them or not, were duly elected by persons in their constituency and every four years each of you have the opportunity to change them if you so desire. There are somepast elected persons who get together on certain radio shows ecery week to just criticize and drag down current elected persons instead of offering meaningful ideas and information that might positively help the current ones. I hope they soon realise that they come across as being angry, jealous and seld-loathing. Pat yourselves on the back, you did the best you could with the circumstances you were faced with. You had your time now it is someone else’s turn. Why still suck on sour grapes? Reach out and mentor those who are now in the trenches instead of speaking all manner of evil against them. By doing so your legacy will continue to grow and thrive through them. None of us are perfect so instead of criticizing everything and everyone we should learn to appreciate and become part of the solution. Let us all work to make these Beloved Isles better instead of tearing everything down! EACH ONE TEACH ONE!!
You should quit smoking that stuff, 11:50 a.m.
Or at least tell me where I can get some 😉
To 11:50am: Oh, each one teach one is a great idea. But you know what? If they will teach bad things, I rather the new MPs learn by themselves.
11:50 THANKS.
A requirement??? I can’t remember us ever having one! Oh! That’s right……… We never have.
So we’ll (finally) see a separation from church too I assume?