PACT hones policies ahead of key address

| 04/06/2021 | 75 Comments
PACT members take part in a strategy session

(CNS): The new PACT Government is expected to deliver its Strategic Policy Statement next month in line with the budget schedule. Premier Wayne Panton will delivery the key speech in Parliament, which will outline the policy plan for this new administration and define the spending plans that will be delivered later in the year. Given that the eleven members who make up the new government bench largely campaigned separately on different policy platforms, Panton said a recent workshop has helped them align the strategy and outcomes to which they are all committed under the PACT umbrella.

“As a group of individuals who campaigned as independents in the recent General Elections, it was important for us to come together to flesh out our plan for moving forward as a cohesive unit,” he said, following the two and a half day retreat at the Kimpton hotel. “We were already in agreement about many issues, but this was an opportunity to debate, discuss and ultimately solidify our objectives, which will be reflected in the upcoming Strategic Policy Statement that will outline this administration’s policy priorities and inform the budget planning going forward.”

Topics that the group covered included good governance, healthcare, tourism, financial services, sports, social development and protection, education, environment and sustainability, and labour and employment.

Financial Services Minister Andre Ebanks said it was well timed, coming after weeks of civil service briefings detailing the policies and initiatives of the previous administration. “These sessions then allowed us to not only fashion broad strategic objectives but also specify how we would seek to achieve them — time well spent in my opinion,” he said.

The retreat did not include McKeeva Bush, who although he supported PACT so that it could form a government, is supposed to remain politically impartial as speaker of the House and would therefore not be expected to take part in policy development.


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Category: Policy, Politics

Comments (75)

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  1. Patrice says:

    The Premier paid for the retreat out of his own pocket. There was no cost to Government

  2. Patrice says:

    The Premier paid for the retreat out of his own pocket. There was no cost to Government

  3. Patrice says:

    The Premier paid for the retreat out of his own pocket

  4. Anonymous says:

    This what happens when there are no parties. No platform. Just a bunch of individuals with no plan.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Well done PACT!

    I know that a retreat like this can be very expensive, but mind you some of these ministers did not even have a high level manifesto during the election and no clues how they would improve the quality of life for Cayman people if they were elected. I did not see much about preparing for the future from this group during the campaign at all.

    I think in the end this could be money well spent.

    Lets wait for the results over the next 5 to 18 months.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, I distinctly remember all of the independents on the campaign trail saying “I don’t have a plan, but elect independent candidates and we will go on retreats until we can come up with one”.

  6. Annie says:

    Open up to vaccinated persons with Pfizer or Moderna at least. Come one guys. Let’s get a move on!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Next elections..such bullshit. Nothing changes.

  8. Anonymous says:

    What were they supposed to do? Use government facilities to discuss government business? Or is that a bit radical?

  9. Anonymous says:

    6.19 Just remember the part played by those Monaco trips when you hear of the success of financial services

    • Anonymous says:

      We were hoping this lot would be different, that’s the point.

      • Anonymous says:

        The Monaco trips resulted in many wealthy transfers to Cayman.

        • Anonymous says:

          LOL. I did a rain dance last week – that’s why its raining today. I have as much evidence for cause and effect as you do – but my rain dance cost the tax payer nothing.

    • Anonymous says:

      Tell me about the Monaco trips. How many parties did the Cayman Islands put on? What was the cost? What are the successes of the many trips there and why did the Premier have to go their every year??

  10. Anonymous says:

    Didn’t the PPM government have a retreat somewhere in a Caribbean islands. I remember a minister in swimming trunks wading in the water on a tube. Or am i wrong?

  11. Anonymous says:

    Ok Pact, try to do something about the high cost of living and CUC ripping their customers off! (The people elected you to do this job!)

    CUC supplies electricity to the whole island – but Government can’t hold them accountable for charging some customers too much – because they are private owned.

    Caymanians are watching and will show how they feel at the next elections, just like they did with the PPM this election.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Plan? We need a plan? Oh shit!

    • Anonymous says:

      Maybe the PPM should share theirs…not!!! Any new government needs the opportunity to pull together a plan. The PPM did the same thing last time with the Unity Government.

      I don’t know why the PPM supporters expected the PACT government to resolve all of the crap left behind by the PPM in less than a month..

      Oh and by the way..the PPM had no reopening plan..How could they?

  13. Anonymous says:

    I am equally conscious of public spending and strongly encourage our Premier to keep potential wasters on a tight leash; however… remember how many times Juliana requested accommodations for her male associate when it was not warranted? That is but one example of wasted PPM Govt funds. There were many. There were trips that were beneficial for the country, but the number of people that went was not necessary. I think this retreat and the resulting expense made sense.

  14. Anonymous says:

    All I know is they better open the borders or they are going to have a really rough go of it from the public.

  15. Anonymous says:

    So why then are these meetings taking place behind closed doors? Is this not the government of transparency after all? Should not these meetings be taking place in the public domain?

  16. Anonymous says:

    Lots of arm chair experts here who have never led or managed anything and do not have one iota of thinking how to go about strategic planning. Well done PACT show them how team building and bonding is done and how strategic planning is necessary. Cayman needs planning quickly to get us back in control.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your first sentence accurately describes our new Cabinet Ministers. Armchair experts for real.

  17. Anonymous says:

    How long did it take to stage the photograph?

  18. Anonymous says:

    These sessions then allowed us to not only fashion broad strategic objectives but also specify how we would seek to achieve them — time well spent in my opinion,” he said.

    Clearly Andre forgot the difference between the role of a minister and that of a civil servant.

    Come on Andre you know better.

    • Anonymous says:

      Vision, Mission, Strategies (politicians)

      Tactics, Controls, Reporting (civil service)

      Review, Action (politicians)

      Aaaah…. that would be the theory

      The practice? chaos, for many reasons

  19. Anonymous says:

    These PPM members are on here trying to tear down the PACT Government because they spent two days at the Kimpton and rented a room to do their team building and planning.

    How many of you haven’t spent a weekend at the Kimpton since it opened. Big deal. They are the Government, putting them up for two nights at the Kimpton isn’t like sending them to London or Hong Kong first class like the PPM used to do..

    • Anonymous says:

      You are kidding right? I can barely afford a weekend at home this last year. A weekend at the Kimpton was never within my budget even when I was working full time. I don’t think you appreciate the level of poverty on the island.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yep. those sorry ass PPM losers will seize any opportunity to continue to spew their sour grapes.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oh, so because they are not wasting as much money as the last government makes it ok? Riddle me this. Why was it necessary to host the session at ANY private sector venue, let alone a 5 star one, given we have no shortage of conferences rooms and meeting space within government and public authorities real estate? The ideas and strategizing are more proud when accompanied by lunch and refreshments provided at first class prices? SMH.

      • Anonymous says:

        I tend to agree with you on that. Both the ground floor and third floor training rooms at the Govt Admin Bldg. accommodate over 20 people comfortably; they are both fully outfitted to support technology, and the on-site cafeteria could have supplied the food given sufficient prior notice.

  20. Anonymous says:

    Could we please just give them a chance for the love of the of the Cayman Islands???

    • Anonymous says:

      They had their chance, they blew it.

      • Anonymous says:

        Get real, 8:55! What are you talking about? It has not even been three months. Your bitterness requires a healthy dose of acceptance – urgently.
        Seriously 😒

        • Anonymous says:

          Time to move with the times, how’s about asking the public what they want, online voting and the most popular things get sorted first. It’s not difficult to manage a tiny island with a few thousand people

    • Anonymous says:

      Exactly, what the hell do some of these people think? Give them a break! 2 days in the Kimpton as a brand new government to strategize as a team makes perfect sense.

      Instead of putting them down, we should be encouraging to keep up this type of teamwork and togetherness. Our country will be better for it.

    • Anonymous says:

      @6.21…100 thumbs up if I could..

    • Anonymous says:

      It would be easier if they demonstrated any indication that they were going to be different from the last lot. I am sadly reminded about Alden and his attacks on the UDPs travel costs – a brief interlude of restrained and economy class travel soon morphed into whole teams of people being dispatched on jaunts to Monaco and sponsoring royalties charities with tax payers money in exchange for entries to the Monaco jet set. Wayne hasn’t even started off with the honeymoon phase of austerity – moved straight to holding government strategy meetings at a 5 star resort owned by the islands biggest developer – does not bode well for what happens next.

  21. Anonymous says:

    “So, PACT colleagues, this game is an easy play-as-you-go so let’s get this right:

    1. We’ll spend a year wheeling & dealing behind the political scenes (but let’s not focus on combining our collective strategies during that time);

    2. We won’t be transparent and declare particular pre-arranged allegiances to the voting public so as to run as Independents;

    3. Oh great! Now we’ve won a narrow margin at the general elections and can form a government;

    4. Ok, let’s go get our vaccinations before the expiry deadline so it won’t look so band when we encourage people to do the same. Ms. Ju, no need for you to get one, God is protecting you;

    5. Months after winning the public’s confidence and mandate, let’s sit and establish some kind of collective strategy;

    6. We good? Whew! Good thing the Cayman electorate isn’t concerned about any kind of achievement in the first 100 days!

    Step right up folks, Wayne’s World – The Afterthought Farce and Roadshow is kicking-off at the Kimpton and will soon be playing at a House of Parliament near you!!”

    • Anonymous says:

      Sadly, as a PACT supporter I have to agree.

    • Ida says:

      Please limit your crap to one comment, Mr. Troll. We don’t have time for your bull poop.

    • Anonymous says:

      They have only been in office 6 weeks not months. That’s only 42 days and not 100 days. Did the PPM have a reopening plan? the answer is no. How much more transparent do you want them to be? They are most certainly not like the PPM and their many back door deals.

      Here they are in public telling you what they are doing and holding a planning meeting and you you are berating them for not being transparent. Should they have not said and thing publicly and just leave us to wander why they were gathering there.

      Give the Government a chance. It is going to take along time to bring us out of the mess of the PPM and remember that reign was 12 years.

      Let’s give them the 100 days as you say but don’t expect them to do everything in 42 days..

      • anon says:

        2.13pm The PPM had a very detailed manifesto outlining their plans if they were elected.The Independents had zilch, just a bunch of individuals who each promised what they thought would get them votes, which is why they need a “cohesive plan”. As for the hundred days if we get this plan by the end of July, that is right on the button.

  22. KD Koolaid says:

    I wonder if these fools also got some oceanfront rooms from their “two and a half day retreat”.

    Wouldn’t be surprised if uncle Dart “donated” the rooms.

  23. Anonymous says:

    The retreat did not include McKeeva Bush, who although he supported PACT so that it could form a government, is supposed to remain politically impartial as speaker of the House and would therefore not be expected to take part in policy development.

    Also, he might get drunk and beat up the bartender!

  24. anon says:

    The Kimpton. I knew that carpet had looked familiar.

  25. Anonymous says:

    Kimpton ?
    Who is paying?

    • Anonymous says:

      What does that matter to you? Between the Kimpton and the Ritz, check and see how much was spent by the PPM over 8 years..

      If Alden had pulled his people together like this, he would be pulling bush up in East End on his farm now.

      Congrats PACT for showing us that you are working together.

      • Anonymous says:

        If you know, why not provide the numbers, to prove your point? Otherwise you come across as a PACT lackey! And don’t forget, PACT is still on their honeymoon. (I did not vote PPM!)

      • Anonymous says:

        @6.16 “Congrats PACT for showing us that you are working together”. Or maybe they were not getting it together and needed a retreat to try to figure it out.

  26. Anonymous says:

    Or Mango Tree.

  27. Anonymous says:

    No plan PAC, hatching no plan.

  28. Anonymous says:

    god help us.

  29. Cheese Face says:

    Really, the Kimpton? This couldn’t have been done at a town hall or Gov Facility. I had higher hopes for you Wayne.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your words just like ya face

    • Anonymous says:

      Seems like the gravy train has already left the station.

      • Anonymous says:

        Okay for Alden and the PPM to do it though? Sour grapes much?

      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah and PPM mad because they not on the train..

        Why is it that you guys could stand by and watch Alden and gang jet set first class around the world to places like Monaco to ride in a bike race at our expense and you begrudge these from staying two nights in a local hotel to do their strategy plan which is something that will benefit us all?

    • Anonymous says:

      When it’s not their personal money, politicians will always fly first class.
      Besides, some of them won’t ever have been there so it must have been a real treat.

    • Anonymous says:

      Really this was a team building retreat to pull them together to hash out their plan.. What were they supposed to do put down cots to sleep on the Town Hall..Idiots..

      Think about how much the PPM wasted over the years. Remember the Monaco first class trips and all the fancy events held at the Ritz and Kimpton..Oh yeah you weren’t invited were you?

      • Anonymous says:

        Nothing wrong with coming to the town hall during the day to do their team work, ordering in a plate of sandwiches for lunch, then going home to sleep for free in the evenings. This sort of extravagance is unwarranted. Remember, every time the government spends money on themselves, they take it out of our pockets with reduced services, higher costs and lower benefits.

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