McTaggart promises ‘robust opposition’

| 26/04/2021 | 33 Comments
Cayman News Service
Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart addresses the new Parliament, 23 April 2021

(CNS): After what he said was a stressful six weeks, Roy McTaggart publicly congratulated the new government, as he stood to make his first speech as opposition leader in Parliament on Friday. The PPM leader made a very short address, in which he promised to hold the government to account. McTaggart said his team of seven had an important role to play in holding government accountable to Parliament and the people.

“I promise the good people of these islands that in my role I will be robust, but I will be fair in exercising my duties,” he said, adding that he would be respectful and would not resort to personal attacks. “Any new government will need time to become acquainted with, knowledgeable of, and comfortable in their new roles… The opposition will give them a period of time to do that, in another words to get your feet.”

McTaggart said he was encouraged to have such a strong and seasoned team sitting with him on the opposition benches.

The new leader of the opposition thanked his family, everyone on his campaign and at his former ministry, whom he said he would miss, before wrapping up his very short address.

McTaggart has not issued any public statements since he challenged Wayne Panton’s ability to form a government with just ten members, including McKeeva Bush in the speaker’s chair. Since then, the PACT re-recruited Isaac Rankine and welcomed Juliana O’Connor-Connolly into the fold, which greatly strengthened Panton’s position.

With seven MPs, including five former Cabinet members, now sitting on the opposition benches, McTaggart could achieve what Ezzard Miller tried and failed to do when he was the opposition leader for a short period in the wake of the 2017 election, which is to create a shadow government that can directly hold the administration to account.


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Category: Politics

Comments (33)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Predicting this government’s agenda and actions will be very easy. If it’s woke, it will be on the table. Emotions, feel-good intentions, platitudes and wokness will be priority over results, reality and accountability.

    The UK, EU, US, and Carbon Tax Globalists could not ask for a better outcome. The premier’s office is already taking on the wokness title. Because *clearly* Climate Change is the number 1 priority Caymanians are facing right now. Not the economic shutdown, not the economy and returning jobs, not tourism or finance but “Sustainability and Climate Resiliency”. Straight our of the globalist playbook. https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/eu-climate-action_en

  2. Anonymous says:

    Cayman has never crowned a head of government the way Alden tried to do with Roy. After Mac’s coup he was thrown out in 2005. When Kurt tried to pass over to Alden and they lost the 2009 election, Alden had to serve a term as Leader of the Opposition before becoming Premier. Roy will have to do the same and he better lose that mafia-don vibe he had going in that interview at what I assume is his home office before he tries again. Personally, I have already seen enough of his character when pushed that I do not want him leading Cayman. He lacks charisma and the same leadership skills that made him a good accountant don’t work in politics. He acted like he was conducting an audit of the election, not fighting to win it. He probably just isn’t cut out for the top job – Minister of Finance is his level of competence and he did it brilliantly.

    • Anonymous says:

      8.49am What a clumsy mixed up comment. You started off saying that what Alden tried to do had never been seen in Cayman; then in the very next sentence proved it was a lie by telling us exactly when it had happened before. Get rid of the hateful bias man and you might be able to write a coherent post.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Something quite satisfying about those who thought they were untouchable and above listening to the ordinary folk (Alden in particular) having to chew on some humble pie.

  4. Anonymous says:

    In the words of Boris Johnson, Roy is a great, supine, protoplasmic invertebrate jelly.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Roy couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag.

  6. Anonymous says:

    hard to feel sorry for no-plan-ppm and their lodge cronies….they failed on too many issues.
    however their only way back is to show their ability in opposition and try and hold this shambolic rag-tag bunch of independents to account.
    cayman needs a strong opposition now, more than ever.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Well theyve certainly had plenty experience with robust opposition against the people.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Should be a good time to ride that Donkey now. For its a full Moon now, come on ride it tonight, we all know who.

  9. Right ya so says:

    Roy stop behaving like a petulant child. You lost, get over it and work WITH this government instead of putting a spanner in the works at every opportunity. Yes, we expect you to call out anyone who isn’t performing but you don’t have to do it just to prove you “should” have been Premier.

    • Anonymous says:

      Petulant? Really? Do you expect him to rubberstamp every PACT move and be an extension cord and blind follower like you? His job is to hold the Govt accountable, that doesn’t mean opposing every move but doing so when it is deemed necessary. That is the way our system of Govt is designed to work.

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes, petulant.

        He could have put the country first, but Alden and Joey control him.

        “LEADER” of the party BS.

        Alden is going to have a nice long holiday and come back to be the real leader of the opposition. Watch.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Roy who?

  11. Darlene says:

    With no disrespect our people the public will be gate keepers holding all of our MPs accountable. Our people the public put them there too work for us the people. Sure well they are going too get big salaries. So they must work for it their salaries our money every body money. Government money is all of our money.

  12. Anonymous says:

    I don’t see a robust opposition at all Roy. I see a party that stopped listening to others outside of their tribe and received their comeuppance.

    After all, robust is a Domino’s pizza sauce.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Like he was ‘robust’ with the woman beating speaker?

    • Ironic says:

      Hypocritical comment given the actions of the current premier. He proved that he is also willing to put principles aside for political gains.

      • Anonymous says:

        How can it be hypocritical if an anonymous comment is in response to the comment he made?

      • Anonymous says:

        What a crock.

        The Progressives think people are stupid?

        They DID NOTHING and said NOTHING about the Speaker in 2020. Nada. Zilch.

        Progressives forced PACT to work with McKeeva.

        Roy put party above country. Roy refused to put country first and form a coalition Government.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Not sure why Roy feels the need to sling veiled threats across the floor on day 1 of the assembly of the new Govt’. He obviously doesn’t sit well with being out maneuvered post-election in the forming of a Government, despite him and Alden not being able to do so. A sensible man would recognize this and not feel the need to put their personal feelings on display at the first opportunity .I was kind of hoping he would show more restraint than this , its clearly an Alden McLaughlin trait that we have had years to easily pick out, when something doesn’t go the way you’d hoped for.

  15. Candid says:

    Sometimes even the Chosen One can kind of bite the dust. Let this be a lesson to those who want to anoint successors to what are supposed to be national government posts. A premier is not a monarch. The people must always choose! But then that is the problem with the Westminster system. It does not allow for direct election of the Premier. Wayne is a good pick but, frankly, we did not directly elect him to that post either. But since he is a leader of the independents, who were the majority, I can live with that.

    • Anonymous says:

      Very true. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

    • Anonymous says:

      Independents are no more. They had to give up their independent status and join a group to get anything done, including forming a Govt. BTW Wayne did not campaign as leader of that group. He knew however that a group is the right way to go that is why he campaigned as a team with Heather and Ossie. Next election all these so called independents will be running as PACT.Not true independents but Independent in that case will mean ‘Not a member of a party’ just like John John this time and Tara last time.

  16. The Constitutional Critic says:

    Apart from Roy himself I’m almost certain a “robust opposition” is probably the last thing on Wayne’s mind at the moment with an Opposition team comprising of

    David Wight I couldn’t name a single pertinent point he has made or an issue of focus for Mr Wight despite watching almost every sitting of the LA over the past 5 years

    Barbara Connolly, a woman who couldn’t manage to answer questions at the Chamber forums despite having weeks to prep when they asked essentially the same questions every time for all 19

    And Dwayne “the moon fuels women’s sexual desires” Seymour (need I say more)

    The only real issue I have with our independent government so far is that we have almost certainly been robbed of a competent opposition.

    Alden Mclaighlin, Joey Hew and Moses Kirkconnell have been sullen since the results became clear for a reason, not only are they stuck powerless in the opposition for the next four years but they are stuck with 2 idiots and a woman who can’t read or think on her feet to save her life

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