Saunders signals significant immigration changes
(CNS): Changes are coming to the point system and other parts of the immigration law to “make sure that Caymanians return to their rightful place”, Deputy Premier Chris Saunders told Parliament Monday, as he urged the opposition to “save their fighting”. Heralding policy changes that would put local people ahead of guest workers and responding to opposition criticisms about changes to the immigration law mandating vaccines for work permit holders and some categories of residents, Saunders said these changes were to protect Caymanians.
Following a peaceful rally on Saturday and a second protest outside Parliament before proceedings began Monday morning by those who oppose the introduction of any vaccine mandates for anyone, PPM Leader Roy McTaggart and his team, in particular the member for Red Bay, Alden McLaughlin, challenged the legislation as discriminatory, unnecessary and divisive.
But Saunders, who is the minister for labour, said that the aim was to protect local people as much as possible without mandating any vaccines for Caymanians. He questioned why people were so quick to oppose something that was for the benefit of Caymanians.
“The minute that you put something down that is for the benefit of Caymanians it becomes a problem in this country,” he said. “I am going to serve notice now… and when you see the changes that will be coming to the point system and other changes to the immigration law that will make sure that Caymanians assume and return to their rightful place in this country, I am going to tell you save your fighting for that time because that legislation is coming.”
Saunders said governments have a responsibility to preserve the life of their people and that Cayman could not make the mistakes made by other countries when it comes to the preservation of life.
He said that he had seen the protest emails that were circulating which criticise the government’s plans for the vaccine requirement because it would upset the balance between expatriates and Caymanians.
“Has anyone taken a look at the cost of land in this country or the land banking going on… the housing crisis? What balance are we talking about?” he asked, alluding to concerns that the requirement for foreign workers to acquire property in order to get points for permanent residency applications has fuelled an inflated market that has priced out local people.
Saunders stressed that Caymanians have the right to refuse the vaccination; therefore, in order to ensure that vaccination numbers are as high as possible, government must introduce the mandate for every single additional person who comes into Cayman.
When the borders reopen there will be more permit holders and the risk is that allowing in unvaccinated permit holders will bring down the vaccination rate, as there are pockets in some local communities where this is still low.
Saunders revealed that the contacting tracing in North Side following the first confirmed community transmission had revealed that only 60% of those tested in relation to that outbreak were vaccinated, illustrating the concerns that the numbers were still too low to risk reopening.
“This government needs to make the hard decision that every single person that comes inside here is vaccinated,” he said. “We need to be extra careful. Our goal here is to make sure we do not attend funerals for our people.”
But, he said, it was also important to reopen the borders, as he asked people to accept the fact that if we are to reopen successfully, the government had to take a differ approach.
The deputy premier stressed that vaccination worked but no local people would be forced to have the shots. However, that meant it was a bigger priority to make sure those passing through the country would have to be vaccinated.
He confirmed that committee stage amendments were being made to ensure that no Caymanian dependents were caught up in the legislation, which was aimed only at those choosing to come to work or reside here who could then choose to be vaccinated to stay.
Saunders pointed out that all visitors to Cayman are required to be vaccinated and many other countries have introduced vaccine requirements for their own citizens, especially in this region, such as Turks and Caicos, where people welcomed the mandates, given how many people have died there.
He said that because Cayman had been in a bubble for so long, not everyone is taking the pandemic as seriously as they should.
“We are talking about people’s lives,” he said. “The two primary defences that we have against this COVID-19 pandemic is vaccine and quarantine… If we are going to do away with quarantine to reopen this country, we need to make sure that the one primary defence we have, which is vaccination, is one of the most robust in the world… We are trying to do what no country that has reopened has successfully done.” He added that Cayman needed to learn from the mistakes from other countries.
Saunders noted that there are many Caymanians who cannot take the vaccine because of medical reasons or their age as well as those who choose not to take it, which is their right. But, he said, the government still had a responsibility to protect them, so everyone else coming in who does not have to be here should be vaccinated.
Saunders said that work permit holders are not that different from guests who come as tourists, in that they do not need to be here but choose to be.
See Saunders on CIGTV below:
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Checking the like% dislike% luckily what comes out is that the Cayman Islands have a vast majority of residents and nationals that are educated and rational people. As opposed to a very few ignorant nationals. Come on Cayman! 👍🏼
This issue throws up interesting (but yet different) perspective, which has two extreme opposing viewpoints (both which have merit), and, in a modern democratic society, it’s important that everyone be entitled to exercise their freedom of expression (s.11, Bill of Rights) and be able to scrutinize governmental decisions and acts (including failures to act), which is a hallmark of a democratic society seeking to uphold the rule of law.
It’s important that issues be scrutinized, because that’s how an educated decision is best utilized: by considering all perspectives that are relevant. Things are not always what they seem, and what appears to be a textbook example as clear and logical begins too loose its sharpness when applied to a concrete problem—this certainly is the case here, because there are good arguments on both sides but decision-makers are tasked with responsibility that may be popular or unpopular (or, as here, a combination of both).
The recurring themes are between personal autonomy (individual-based) and protection (population-based), as well as between justifiable discrimination (rational and proportionate) and unjustifiable discrimination (irrational and disproportionate). There is a Constitutional explanation of this in our Bill of Rights — I think it is important to reason this through the “Constitutional Eye of Justice”.
The right to privacy (most notably private life) gives individuals personal autonomy to choose and be left alone (s.9(1)-(2), BoR), which has has to be balanced against the interest of public health (s.9(3)(a), BoR) and to regulate the right to enter and remain in the Cayman Islands (s.9(3)(e), BoR).
Lawful administrative action, which requires governmental decisions to be “lawful, rational, proportionate and procedurally fair” (s.19, BoR), is a responsibility of government and corresponding rights of every person against government (s.1(2)(b), BoR).
So, what is the determining constitutional answer in our Bill of Rights? Unjustifiable discriminatory treatment “shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision…with respect to the entry into or exclusion from, or the employment, engaging in business or profession, movement or residence within, the Cayman Islands of persons who are not Caymanian” (s.16(4)(b), BoR).
As such, our Constitution’s Bill of Rights (under s.16(4)(b), BoR) provides that, specifically in the Cayman Islands, laws that discriminate against non-Caymanians (and in favour of Caymanians) with respect to immigration access (i.e. “entry into or exclusion from”) or profit-earning activities (i.e. “employment, engaging in any business or profession”) as well as “movement or residence within” the Cayman Islands.
Therefore, when considered from a human rights perspective, Caymanians are treated with more protection and freedom over and above non-Caymanians as relates to the Cayman Islands — it is probably not surprising that citizens (for certain purposes) have certain special rights and protections in their own country than non-citizens do not have.
This is why in 1971 three pieces of companion primary legislation, which have the core focus of protection and favoring Caymanians, were promulgated: they are the “Trade and Business Licensing Law”, the “Local Companies (Control) Law” and the “Caymanian Protection Law” (the latter morphed into the “Immigration Law” and is now the “Customs and Border Control Act”).
Over the course of time, these three laws, which are primarily concerned with protecting Caymanians and ensuring that Caymanian citizens have certain superior rights (but only) in the Cayman Islands, were either diluted, ignored and/or not enforced (or a blind eye was turned).
Therefore, from a legal perspective, if amendments to legislation are introduced that give Caymanians more freedom and protection, this is (without doubt) constitutional and accords with upholding the rule of law.
Whilst I am a patriotic multi-Caymanian, it is also important to never discount the significant contribution and benefit that non-Caymanians have made (and are still making) to the Cayman Islands — some of whom have now become Caymanians, permanent residents or general residents. On the flip side, Caymanian citizens being afforded favourable treatment in our own country is not a novel concept— many other countries/jurisdictions are entitled to favour their citizens over and above non-citizens — especially where the population growth has presented disadvantages to Caymanians as a by-product of our jurisdictional growing pains.
So, as it stands, I am sympathetic to the views of non-Caymanians (especially those that have given some of the best years of their lives to the embitterment of the Caymanian people and the Cayman Islands jurisdiction). However, the Cayman Islands rightly should put its Caymanian citizens first in certain situations, which (in certain instances) has not been the case for sometime now.
That being said, we are all citizens of the world, from a magnified view. And, it’s important to ensure that all people (whether Caymanian or non-Caymanian) are afforded, at least, a minimal level of respect, human dignity, equality and freedom.
These are unprecedented and difficult times globally in which we now find ourselves and, although Caymanians are constitutionally entitled to certain favour (especially) in the Cayman Islands, we need to do our best to respect one another and support one another.
I think it’s important that we all have the opportunity to express our views, where it’s completely acceptable for us to agree to disagree, but (in doing so) there is wisdom in us aiming to do so respectfully and constructively.
I wish the best of health, happiness, blessings and prosperity to all persons in our society (both Caymanian and non-Caymanian). And, I pray that God bless the Cayman Islands and, most of all, our precious Caymanian people and residents.
Well said.
Unique and insightful perspective.
I’m an expat and totally agree with this man. I have only been here for 4 years but even within the company that I work, I see the discrimination by our HR team even when there are good qualified Caymanians, they find some excuse not to hire them. It is shocking that a company of our size and with international exposure so blatantly does this and is apparently sanctioned by our top managers. I have asked the team why on multiple occasions and their response has always been that they are likely to cause trouble for the company or as one said to me, they are educated and qualified on paper but lazy on the job. I guess we will never find out. I can say this with all confidence that any of the Caymanians sent into my office to interview with me after being selected by the HR Team have been outstanding and it is a shame that they are railroaded in such a manner and never hired.
It is heartbreaking to see this as the educated and qualified Caymanians will never see upward mobility if this continues. In the US where I am from this type of discriminatory practice would be met head on. It’s crazy that there is no way of stopping it here.
I love the Cayman Islands and its people and I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here whilst the world around us has gone mad. I live in Bodden Town and I have meet many Caymanians and they are simply just down to earth good people. I’m not saying there are not some bad ones, every country in the world has some but I have never felt more at home and at ease and safe in my little house in Bodden Town.
I never respond back to any post made to any of mine, but (in this instance) I just want to say thank you for your honesty and shared perspective. God bless you and your family.
Mandatory Roll over or exceptional circumstances to prove the individual needs to be this key employee. If not, then off on your way for three years and return. None of this working holiday for one year. That just gave expats a year off of work or allowed them to work remotely.
Also will this truly affect the wealthy? Or is this just going to affect the small businesses and the lower income individuals that support the mom and pop shops?
I don’t think you understand – for the vast majority of high paid expat jobs there are no caymanians capable or qualified to fill their jobs. It takes generations of gover,ent educated their people, which does not happen here to international standards
@06/10/2021 at 8:12 pm – I almost choked when I read this because I was laughing so hard! “No caymanians(sic) capable or qualified to fill their jobs”. Wow. Not only are we NOT qualified (as always), but now we’re not even capable either. Thanks! “It takes generations of gover,ent(sic) educated(sic) their people, which does not happen here to international standards”. While that might be true of our public school system to a certain extent, our private schools are actually quite good, some exceeding the international standards that you speak of. You do realize that many Caymanians are private school educated, right? But I guess those Caymanians aren’t “capable” either. Must be a genetic thing.
Then if these expats are here for 8 years. It should be 8 years of training someone for that job. The person will be a Caymanian starting out with a degree in the field. Not that difficult as many Caymanians have degrees. If it is a matter of a very specialized skill, then that is a handful. In the interim that can be communicated to all the schools, both public and private that these opportunities for careers exist. Students then can explore the idea of taking these highly specialized positions into consideration when choosing their studies for university.
Many Caymanians have dual citizenship and can obtain overseas training and education to fill these gaps. The majority of the time, roles are advertised for a very specific person who has already been hired for the role awaiting the rubber stamp of the work permit.
I watched many expats over the years with no experience in the financial industry get promoted very quickly due to their country of origin. I am an expat.
12.53am Ivworked in that industry for 45 ars and I also saw many expats who were dumb as doorposts but they always occupied the Manager position. It was up to the Caymanian under them to catch their errors and actually manage the dept.
When is Govt going to change all the benefits spouses of Caymanians/Staus holders enjoy immediately after the marriage of convenuence. Far too much abuse within this area. Make them stay married at least 5 years before any special rights.
Read these comments Mr. Saunder and take heed to who the PPM have now made the entitled in Cayman…it’s no longer the citizens as the rightful case of other nations.
Foolish, ignorant, unscientific and ethically wrong! What has our world become? If you don’t follow the evolving science your left hurting your own. How can inoculating expats (By CDC and WHO definition this is no longer a “vaccine” because it does NOT prevent the disease) protect unvaccinated Caymanians?
Logically and scientifically impossible. So by not letting your own people not be inoculated you are actually putting them in harms way!!! The complete OPPOSITE of what you claim you are doing.
Use some common sense and read the evolving science. The inoculation does not protect anyone other than the person who gets it! And even then the effectiveness is becoming less and less. Therefore the gvmt is misleading you! Letting you believe they are helping “open the borders” and keeping you safe. There are bigger agendas at play here. Playing us all like puppets.
We’re in for a rude awakening when the PACT keeps trying to run instead of facing this head on using Science as their guide. I question who is their advisor?
Mark my words…deaths of people with comorbidities and the elderly are coming…borders will close again…isolation and quarantine will continue…as it progresses to spread the PACT will squander, try to isolate the country again and possibly lockdown. Economic turmoil is inevitable with this decision.
Wow look who got a thesaurus for christmas.
LOL. This guy. Looking at the North Side outbreak and school closures I can see it’s obviously expats who are the problem and need to get vaxxed.
To the historically privileged, equality will feel like oppression.
That could have been said about some Caymanians who historically benefitted from protectionist immigration laws, when employers started exploiting ways to circumvent those laws, and when those in power chose not to enforce those laws.
To the historically privileged, equality will feel like oppression.
This can now be said about some expats, who have benefitted from those laws largely being ignored in recent years, if those laws start to be enforced again.
This isn’t a knock on Caymanians or expats. Just a statement of fact to add a little perspective.
Agreed.
Good luck with this….Alden and his chipmunks have taken away all protections for permit revenues and their own personal interests…..the companies here no longer even have managers that know how, or believe they need, to comply with our rules and regulations. No longer do you need to be the best qualified Caymanian but the best qualified applicant in the world or the good friend of the hiring manager. No other country allows this. Hope new regulation includes getting rid of the slimy recruitment agents whose only purpose new seems to be chumming the water to develop permit requirements outside of available Caymanians.
So once we get rid of the recruitment worms, how about some significant penalties and sanctions for the companies that continuously abuse the rules? If they can’t comply with our rules their companies wont leave…tjey will find managers (probably non_”uncle tom” caymanians) that can.
Close all recruiting firms – main source of work place corruption and nepotism in the financial sector . Have seen it at close quarters for 20 years .
I still don’t get that Caymanians do not need to be vaccinated. I understand the National pride. I understand WPH need the vax. However, considering that most countries are mandating vaccines for travel…does that mean that Caymanians won’t be traveling again? Yes, I know Caymanians can choose to get vaccinated to travel, but the underlying messages and tactics by the PACT are obvious. Man up and create other policies to take back the country,but don’t use vaccines as the way to do it. What would you all have to make Caymanians a priority if there was no covid?
Lastly, to all the people who said Chris had Jamaican heritage and he was using Jamaican style politics…please stop! Chris is not loyal to us as Caymanians neither is he loyal to his Jamaican fanbase. He just gets up and say a lot of things that he thinks makes sense.
The fact that he was vaccine hesitant for so long gives eliminates him from being the spokesperson about who should be vaccinated or who shouldn’t be.
Chris was VERY against vaccines when he was a back bencher but he got a little power and switched lanes really quick. Told me himself he wouldn’t take it, then I see him on CMR doing a video of himself getting the jab. lmao If that ain’t some fake shit I dunno what to call it. BTW, I am vaccinated but I do believe in people’s right to chose what goes in to their bodies.
I do believe in people’s right to chose what goes in to their bodies.
So all recreational drugs should be legal then, as its the persons choice as to what goes into their body?
By the way, you have little choice about what is going into your body.
Do some research on PFA’s, like Teflon. The class of chemicals do not occur naturally and are man-made. They take thousands of years to breakdown and accumulate in the body and food supply.
It is now everywhere in the world in water supplies, clothing, food packaging, etc.
And most people know nothing about it.
Yes, all recreational drugs should be legal.
Hindering imigration that’s a great idea.Where has that ever worked? The government fails to provide adequate education including still no trade school. Then blame hard working migrants for coming here to better themselves and society. This is so bad
Hard-working migrants? so how long have you worked alongside them to make that general assumption?
Yes, business owners keep lazy immigrants around because they can’t get rid of them. Oh wait…
So long as the migrant is from the Philippines, I agree with you.
You’re an idiot..which country has not controlled their immigration and put their citizens at the front of the line?
I don’t think he wants to hinder it. I think his focus is towards level the play field for us Caymanians.
Maybe you should go to epaci.ky and read the demands and ridicule about Caymanians and then maybe you would understand better.
We should get rid of all expats for 12 months and then take stock. It’ll be a quick counting exercise…
And the finance industry would collapse which would take away 90 per cent of government revenues. Great idea!
No it wouldn’t. Steve McField and Alden McLaughlin could take the place of Walkers and Maples. Easy.
I’ve heard Steve say that the only reason he doesn’t get those billion dollar investment fund instructions is racism, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. And Alden is a QC, remember.
LOL
To be fair, Steve got Dwayne off using a defence unknown to legal precedent ( outside of South Park). Innovative, and as he always reminds the presiding magistrate in traffic court, the most senior lawyer in the Cayman Islands.
A lot of money comes to this island because of the PEOPLE who are managing the wealth not the financial institution/ Fund it’s in. Just so you know !
@Paul 05/10/2021 at 8:30 pm. Hi Paul. I don’t think anyone can dispute the economic contributions made over the years to this country by expats working in the financial industry who spend their money locally. No argument there whatsoever. The problem occurs when some of those professional expats (most likely the minority, but a very influential and powerful minority) do not make any other significant contribution to the betterment of Caymanians. You might ask, “Well, why should they?”. Well, that is the trade off. Expats have a path to citizenship which requires significant and meaningful contributions to society and economy alike (its in the Acts). For many, that social contribution aspect has simply been a tick-the-box exercise. Walk some dogs at the Humane Society, volunteer at Meals on Wheels, etc. And all of that is well and good. But how about more meaningful contributions to their adopted society? Mentoring underprivileged young Caymanians, hiring young (and older) Caymanians and being supportive of their success. When expats become citizens, and become successful and start their own firms, how about making contributions to educating young Caymanians so that they too can enter the financial industry. These are just some examples, and I know a great many expats over the years have done exactly that. We just need EVERYONE to do the same.
After all, this is their adopted community and making it better for all of us will only benefit them as well with less unemployment, less crime, etc. And for the record, I’m that there are some Caymanians that do not take advantage of their opportunities that they already have, and that more opportunities will not motivate them. Every society around the globe has people who don’t want to work. That is not a uniquely Caymanian thing.
That’s a good lecture. Which would sit better with those expats you are chucking rocks at if we saw caymanians esposuing those same values. as it is, you expect the expats to meet a community spirit bar that is way higher than the community expects of native Caymanians.
@06/10/2021 at 9:56 am. People like you are part of the problem. Where exactly did the commenter “chuck rocks” at anyone? The commenter clearly stated that he/she was not referring to all expats. And how exactly is it that YOU know that native Caymanians do not espouse the same values? Your comment only foments division and animosity, while the commenter that you lambast is pointing out the flaw and how it can be addressed.
People like me eh? Without knowing diddly squat about me, other than I dared to make a critical comment. But in answer to you question the comment “ for many (expats) that is a tick the box exercise does sound awfully like rock chucking.
@6/10/2021 at 5:59 pm – You don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about mate. You must be new here.
Caymanians lecturing expats on how to be good citizens!?? Lol!
Apparently expats social contributions are only a box ticking exercise to get points for PR. Not to worry – Chris is going to get the points system changed tho to stop that.
Yeah. All expats are good citizens. Got it. In the USA you can be shot to death for simply insisting that people wear masks in your place of business.
Did you see the US Capitol insurrection? I bet you think those violent bigots, desperate to hold on to their privilege were all “Good Citizens”.
Well said. All those who choose an adopted country are morally obliged to contribute to its wellbeing. Certainly that was the case when I arrived in the 60s. We all got involved with service clubs and sports clubs working shoulder to shoulder with Caymanians.
Sadly many expats nowadays contribute nothing to society.
And how many expats were there then compared to now?
Well said, Chris.
9:10, How about Caymanians help themselves by graduating students who have a grasp of basic math and English?
How can Caymanians enter the financial industry when the majority of young people don’t have the basics of education?
The public school system here is a joke in terms of turning out people who can work in the financial industry.
Caymanians need to help themselves first by improving their public education system radically. Stop asking expats to do it.
I work with some Caymanian school leavers. Lovely, diligent kids but it’s so apparent that their education was sub-par.
Their own government are too inept to actually help them and would rather blame expats for their plight.
Well, my children went through the education system here went to Universities in the USA and have Electrical Engineering degrees so I guess the school system isn’t so bad here. They just need to apply themselves. Many of the children that graduated with them are very successful lawyers and accountants.
@6/10/21 at 10:54 am. I agree with your point that our public school system is a big part of the problem, and that is on us. I disagree with your comment that expats are to blame. The public school education here is woefully inept, particularly when you consider what we spend per student to educate them. Many underprivileged Caymanian families do not understand that THEY PAY TAXES, which in turn is used to educate their public school kids. If more understood THAT, they would demand better returns on their money. Caymanians need to hold our political leaders accountable here!
And I would like to point out that there are plenty of professional Caymanians working in finance. I myself am one of them. I also mentor young Caymanians, donate my time to worthwhile charities including volunteering at public schools to help kids with their math skills, and I encourage young Caymanians to prepare themselves for a career in finance whenever I can. It is very unfair to insist that all Caymanians fit the stereotype.
@6/10/2021 at 10:54 am. No one is asking “expats” to do anything. The commenter is asking newly minted “Caymanians”, expats who have taken the path to citizenship, to CONTINUE to contribute to their adopted country, and not stop contributing once they’ve earned enough points for PR or status. Take a real interest in your adopted society. It’s YOUR’S now. Keep trying to make it better.
If you take away the property investment element of PR, won’t those expats just invest that cash outside cayman more often instead whilst rich developers buy the properties instead and charge the same rental rates? Given the huge work permit fees, employers would rather employ caymanians, The way to change it is to improve the education and skills of the caymanians wanting the high skilled expat jobs that they are not qualified to do.
Careful. They don’t like admitting their own government is failing them.
11.34am It’s actually the parents that are failing the kids more than the Govt.
No people like to work with others that speak, think and look like them. So when the expats become Caymanian, they hire their own and then that lot becomes Caymanian. They ‘train’ the young Caymanians, with the wrong things and say the Caymanian can’t learn or isn’t interested. Well who would put up with poor treatment? No one. So the expat trains their own kind and says look! An expat can do the job. Well that person was given ample training and better treatment. This happens over and over.
Whoever can deny the following and show evidence, please do: In the 80s we had Caymanian bank managers, hotel and condo managers, HR managers, contractors, architects, maintenance managers. They turned up for work every day and worked hard and the quality of their work was their brand. All of a sudden, the 90s came and this perception that Caymanians were lazy or could not be trained started to permeate the labour force. Suddenly a Caymanian at the helm was not good enough anymore; it had to be a foreigner on a work permit. Then around 2008 a Caymanian aspiring slave owner had the bright idea to bring in employees paying them nearly $7 dollars less than a Caymanian who had a mortgage. Then the Government of the day decided that owning property was required to be eligible for PR and that there was such a thing as a “key employee” on work permit. All of the above contributed to the mess we have today. I am not anti-expat, I am simply pro-Caymanian.
World standards caught up with Cayman and the local education standards did not…that’s why most Caymanians can’t cut the mustard.
You expats keep threatening that but it never happens.
The trade off is that they (expats) couldn’t cut the mustard back in their own countries where they were bottom of the barrel and earned chicken feed money, so they hop on the Cayman wagon. In turn, they degrade us when they came where we are running from their homelands for the best standard of living they’ve ever enjoyed. smdh
It is sad that there is such divisiveness. Cayman has a strong history of its people having to leave the country for work due to a lack of opportunities. This country was built on men having to leave to “go to sea”. There is a reason why certain countries such as Honduras have areas with persons of Caymanian descent. Many persons in their 50s and 60s were born or schooled in Jamaica due to the lack of resources and infrastructure here. Some persons actually settled there.
Are you saying those people didn’t cut the mustard. Cayman has not always enjoyed the standard of living that it does now. Yes Caymanians should have preference in their country but to look down on people because they are trying for a better life is horrible. It’s a good thing that the other countries that that Caymanians ventured to in the past did not treat them with such disdain.
To 8:48am. You lost me; threatening what, please?
To cut the mustard, obviously!
Our local education standards are what holds us back. One has to have basic math and English skills to succeed and that is our problem with our public educational system.
Education standards are really no worse in Cayman than anywhere else in the world. USA, UK, and every other country is filled with uneducated criminal youth and high-school dropouts. In Cayman, because of the small population and relative affluence, those that you call yokels, yobs, or whatever back in your native country and which you have apparently forgotten about, are a part of our society so suck it up cupcake.
I would say that Canada has the worst education until you get to university.
Yeah 4:41, that is why parents from around the world send their kids to the Canadian public high school school system, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia.
Such an awful system. 👨🎓👨🎓🧑🏾🎓
People are only sending their children to Canada at a younger age as a path to immigration. It is easier to learn English once you live in an English speaking country. Canada has a very easy immigration system if you have enough points and money or go through the path of education. Canada is just a ghetto version of the US. Canadians only think they are better because they don’t have to pay for healthcare. However, the healthcare system there is terrible. When Canadians leave and go somewhere else and experience real healthcare treatment, then they know the difference
10:52, In 2020 in the USA 60% of all personal bankruptcies were directly related to paying healthcare costs. In Canada in 2020 0% of all bankruptcies were related to health care costs.
On top of that, for the past 10 years life expectancy in Canada has been going up compared to America while in the last 2 years life expectancy numbers have dropped in America.
Canada must be doing something right.
Showed up ever day minus their 10 days sick leave
To at 8:14 pm: I missed the point. Are you implying that non-Caymanian employees never get sick and therefore do not use any of their 10 days’ sick leave? Are they robots, then?
I am an expat at a big finance firm and haven’t used a sick day in 12 years. It’s just not the done thing to put time off to sick days to sue your ‘quota’.
Nothing happens suddenly. New generations came into a play, they have different beliefs, values and expectations.
This is very close to the truth in the 80s and early 90s there where good qualified Caymanians working side by side on equal terms and equally skilled ..you couldn’t get off the plane unless you had a valid work permit approved there was no temp permit that allows you to wander around and find work .you had to prove you had sufficient funds for your length of stay .your permit was renewed every year subject to approval …the sad thing is it worked well until the Caymanians in power changed it that’s the sad thing
Perhaps if they could be bothered to improve the road infrastructure, they might alleviate the massive price bubble that’s been allowed to form west of Hurleys.
If it didn’t take hours to get to Hurleys they might find more people would move east which would ease / distribute prices rather than having thousands competing for properties in a small area. Not rocket science.
A functional public transport system would benefit Cayman immensely.
First time in a long time that a Minister (or Member) of Parliament has fought for Caymanians. Well done Minister Saunders- Keep up the Good work.
#Cayman4caymanians.
We love everyone but Caymanians should be given priority.. I will also say this.. Caymanians standbup and be counted as well.
I am all for Caymanians as I am myself but my late father always said never expect others to do what you yourself would not do.
That said why do we not demand of our own what we demand of others.
Question. Who are we seeking to protect? Is it not our children, parents and grand parents? Why are we not forcing our own to get vaccinated.
This is where I fall afoul with this.
I have no issue with requiring new and renewal permits to require vaccination. Have no issue with tourist vaccine mandate. I do have issue that we are not forcing our own to get vaccinated.
Its now a do as I say not as I do country.
We’ve tried to stand up and be counted but with governments prioritizing work permit and PR revenues there is no one to listen…definitely not WORC whose main objective seems to be structuring the process to allow abuses and fast tracking work permit issuances.
You do not have to have had the vaccine if you work in George Town Hospital. You could work with Covid patients and not need to be vaccinated. You do not need to be vaccinated to drive the people from the airport to the Quarantine facilities.
You do have to be vaccinated if you work from home on a work permit….
Sounds rational to me.
Last Zion this is too much for Chris Saunders to understand.
All he is doing is making sure the court system is tied up for years by those who feel they have been wrongfully treated/coerced/bullied .
Its a lot simpler – if you cant vote, you have to get vaccinated,. if you can vote, its your choice. Now its rational – sleazy, but rational. Its not about controlling spread, its about not offending your voter base.
Ignore the crocodile tears and gaslighting folks.
Just like racism, it’s only a problem when it affects them.
And for the most part, its the racists that sees racism everywhere and calls everyone else racists.
Thank God we finally got a Government that is for Caymanians way to go PACT.
The borders have been closed for almost two years jobs advertised through worc still vacant positions. Keep with your ranting saunders those so called foreigners is what is keeping your island from not going under during covid
Lol. It’s all talk. Their bank accounts rely on expats.
About time those changes come. We have had the flood gates open long enough. Time to stop the mass influx that only destroys the environment.
I agree we should stop the influx…of economic NAU dependents.
It is plain foolish populist politics to stop those who wish to buy property and invest here without working/taking jobs. Those are the people who spend and contribute to the economy and create jobs.
Introduce a small annual property tax for non-Caymanian property owners. That will produce a windfall of revenue to CIG and effectively take care of the “land banking” problem. Most foreigners are used to paying taxes in their home countries. If they don’t like it they are free to put their property on the market. We can’t take anymore import duty increases.
Nope. Its a slippery slope that will do far more harm than good.
Today small. In 5 years who knows.
What a great idea! And while we’re at it, income tax on expats only, sales tax- VAT – on cars and boats for expats only, triple the work permit and repatriation fees and enforce the stamp duty on leases for expats only (removing the stipulation for Caymanians, since we don’t pay it anyway!).
Do it! And see Cayman return to being a banana Republic. Watch all the niceties disappear with the expats.
I saw the sarcasm.looks like plenty didn’t.
Good job. At least someone is paying attention!
I’ll only add the owners you wish to tax had their units built by people who got exemptions from the construction material duty. Ironic.
No taxation without representation
Now that’s a foolish statement.
People pay takes all of the time, all over this globe, in many different countries where they don’t have representation.
…. pay TAXES…
How would Cayman survive? It would not.
You can’t tax the only people who can’t vote and don’t get the benefits of those taxes.
Should also have separate lines at Fosters and Kirks with different prices for Caymanians.
Hahaha segregation much.
9.09pmActually the supermarkets all have lower prices for non Caymanians as they work there.
Raising more revenue would be fine if you could be assured of transparency by the government that would be spending it. When was the last time (ever?) a Cayman government produced clean audited financial statements…..?
The main reason so many foreigners invest here is that there are NO taxes for property owners.
If you tax them , then why come here when we become no different to anywhere else.
Agreed, it is Caymanians right not to take it, but then you forfeit your right to show up at HSA when you get sick. I am Caymanian and I am not paying for your choice.
Aim is to protect Caymanians as much as possible” – by mandating that non Caymanians get vaccinated.
“The minute that you put something down that is for the benefit of Caymanians it becomes a problem in this country”
No truer words could have been said. The Cayman Islands is one of those unique countries where the locals are second class in their own country and are be discriminated against with impunity and with the tacit support from the business community and their lobby groups. nobody has had the courage to stand up for locals out of fear but hopefully that is changing.
I thought the Cayman Islands was a Territory not. Country!
Definitely not a country which is why being Caymanian is a status not a citizenship.
It is also a characteristic and not a qualification but people lose site of that too.
SIGHT
immense value add by the spelling and grammar police here.
Every bit helps to improve the communication skills of those whose education falls short of basic requirements.
Think of it as a free service, a civic duty even, and a simple
“thank you” would suffice.
they you probably shouldn’t have written SIGHT in all caps, that is wrong as well 🙂
Have a nice day
THEN
We’s gots to has sum standerds, ya no.
Such a frightfully unintelligent comeback
Not true. This populist rhetoric is getting out of control. There are so many protectionisms for Caymanians which discriminate against residents. I, like many others are quietly watching to see what happens over the next few months (not like we can speak publicly anyway, out of fear of being thrown out). If it continues going this way I’ll happily board a one way flight out of here, shutting down my business and selling my assets. I can hear you say ´don’t let the door kick you on your way out´ but brain drain is a real thing, the world is a big place and the Cayman Islands are a small country with many bigger enemies abroad that are desperate to shut us down. The people on this island are your friends, keep your friends close.
So Saunders wants to change the PR system to “correct” the “inflated” housing market so Caymanians can afford a home.
This man should resign if he thinks the PR system has more to do with house prices than the free money and ultra low interest rate policy the major Central Banks are following.
He could accomplish a lot more if they changed zoning to allow smaller lot sizes and more density in housing.
Then he might want to address standards for rental housing given how some landlords behave here.
Saunders is embarrassingly showing his lack of understanding of simple economic free market facts.
As our “minister of finance” I would have expected more measured, if not responsible utterances from him, instead we get populist garbage.
Well said by Chris saunders cannot get it no clearer,what a bam bam
60% is a piss-poor rate in NS so hopefully people are getting with the program now.
It would have probably helped if those now sitting in Parliament had all be vaccinated prior to the election instead of needing to be coerced into it.
what a bunch of nonsense….this passes for debate in the la??
1.28pm Correction, it’s no longer the LA, its the HC (House of Cards).
Chris is talking absolute nonsense about the workforce and vaccine percentages
“….putting local people ahead of Guest workers….”
Let’s see how that works out, the local people who don’t have a job are the same people who don’t want or need a job. Why? Cause they’ve been living off our Welfare State since they were born along with their parents. We can try and eny it all we want, but it’s a fact.
Now as regards Northside’s transmissions. “…. only 60% of those tested in relation to that outbreak were vaccinated, illustrating the concerns that the numbers are still too LOW to risk reopening……..”
He’d want you to believe that one small bracket or group of people should effect the reopening of our country.
The politicians and there families have steady income and have not suffered one ****** iota with lockdowns, and are not worried one bit about the common Caymanian or expat on our islands.
There you have it. Our minister for Labour who doesn’t understand numbers and statistics.
Looks like we won’t be opening until March ‘22
Enough is enough. Looks like mass civil disobedience (of the peaceful type) is our only way of getting our borders to open. That or Direct Rule from the UK.
You want direct rule so that cayman will be forced to reopen its borders?. It just go to show how valuable our platform of sea air and land is to some people. Location, location, location. All you have to do is be of a certain heritage, get a privileged loan from the bank, set up house and sell from the one of the most welcoming and beautiful platforms on earth. Just don’t close the gates, be dammed the risks.
Our politicians haven’t listened to the science ! They choosed fear instead, they said that themselves!! What part don’t you understand?
So what other choice do we have of getting the border opened…….well?
Thank you Chris for the first to take a meaningful stance. You judge a country on the way they take care of the people, and animals.
But for most its about the the big dollars in their pockets.
Thank you
So true. Well said.
Also foreign nationals came to the Cayman Islands and found some success that they could obtain in their own countries. FACTS!
“Saunders noted that there are many Caymanians who cannot take the vaccine because of medical reasons or their age as well as those who choose not to take it, which is their right”. – Outright garbage and lies.
Is sloth a medical reason?
Covid will take care of them
Saunders, how many of 60% were ineligible for the vaccine?
maybe 4
basically a bunch of selfish dimwits that caused necessary spread.
Nothing wrong with this – most countries around the world promote the interests of their own citizens first and rightly so! However, PACT, please do not implement measures which will be, or appear to be, blatantly discriminatory in favour of Caymanians.
Enforce existing statutes, such as employers being required to train Caymanian to assume certain posts within reasonable time-lines. Avoid “protectionism” for the sake of simply being Caymanian but push measures which will benefit qualified, capable and ambitious Caymanians.
Strengthen our public education system which will provide qualified, capable and ambitions Caymanians as real options to employers!!
We CAN be pro-Caymanian WITHOUT being anti-foreigner!
Signed – born Caymanian who has seen Cayman go BACKWARDS over the past 50 years!!
So true. And, in most instances, it’s the bad foreign nationals (not the good ones). But, it is Caymanians, such as Alden McLaughlin, that have destroyed the lives of Caymanians and the future of our children.
So, Alden, take your dumb hairstyle, which you are so sensitive about and hyper-focused on, to a barber and chop it off.
12.47am Alden? Have you conveniently forgotten all Mac has done. He changed the face of Cayman with one fell swoop of the pen.
Sounds like Chris has got it figured out. Rather than doing something about cheap imported labour, he’s interested in discouraging investment into Cayman so that property values go down. Pure genius.
Agreed. A reduction in property prices can only be a good thing for most Caymanians and for that matter anyone that is committed to the islands
To the sweet baby Jesus that you are being double sarcastic here…
I do not believe property prices will go down in Cayman. Maybe level out is our best hope. A worldwide financial crisis MIGHT drive prices down but could be devastating for most people who could not then afford anything. Real estate prices are going up in most of the desirable places in the world.Investment is skyrocketing in most of the Caribbean.The CIG should consider building duplexes or multi unit structures instead of the single family homes. This could help more Caymanians become owners and more people could qualify to purchase as construction costs per unit would be less.
Then unpeg the Cayman Dollar from the US Dollar and see how standing on your own works. That would bring lots of things down.
It’s pegged because CIMA holds the necessary US denominated reserves to keep it that way.
To unpeg, as you call it, CIMA would need to have a fire sale on all of its US dollars and instruments denominated in same.
If CIMA can’t afford these reserves then your un-pegging would occur naturally.
You think what CIMA holds is in any way shape or form material to global markets?
I continue to be amazed at the sheer ignorance of multiple comments on here.
Genuine question, do they really? CIMA has USD reserves to cover the entire KYD money supply? Who manages that portfolio? Any links to a resource backing this up?
These are FACTS!
Hold up…you barely have a leg to stand on.
Wait two weeks.
If the US defaults on its loans, it may unpeg itself.
Paper tiger tactics…zzzz
Will change nothing. Unemployable Caymanians will continue to be unemployable. The rest have no interest is working. This too shall not change.
Just alienating expats and PRs some who have been here up to 15 years. Disappointed to call Cayman home and ready to move on. I know “dont let the door hit you…”
Funny how alienation is now only a problem. Seems more like advocation to me.
No, it’s OK. You can let the door hit you. This crap has gone on for too long. The treatment of Caymanians by too many has been derisory. What did you expect would happen?
12:38pm, you’re an idiot for making such a statement. I have lived here for 23 years, and work with many Caymanians who are intelligent and show great interest in their duties.
Statements like that are why some (yes only some) Caymanians feel that some( yes some) expats are what they believe then to be….like you.
Youre in La-La land.
He/she said “unemployable Caymanians” not all Caymanians.
Maybe that would have been fine but they then said that the other Caymanians do not want to work.
So that isn’t a very constructive comment.
Comes off as pretty asinine.
Truth hurts but can’t be hidden from everyone.
Thank goodness this man’s comments make 100% sense except if you are a PPM supporter. Those donkeys just oppose everything for the sake of opposing and complaining, all part of Alden’s plan!
You know it’s Alden’s World. We all are just living in it.