Gov’t whips through work in first Parliament of year
(CNS): The government whipped through its business Wednesday, as Parliament met for only the third meeting of the 2021-2022 session and the first time members have attended the House this year. Dealing largely with amendment bills to address problems with some laws and additions to others, the most notable change was to the new Parliament (Management) (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
This formalises the employment of constituency assistants for MPs and constituency office allowances, which were previously administered by the Cabinet Office. The law entitles ministers to employ one part-time and two full-time assistants and all other MPs to employ one part-time and one full-time assistant. Although these roles will be political appointments, their employment will be overseen by the Parliamentary Commission.
The government also dealt with the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which is intended to strengthen the Cayman Islands’ position in international reinsurance and domestic insurance by giving investors more options. Brought by Financial Services Minister André Ebanks, it will introduce capital redemption contracts. The key feature is that they diversify funding sources and reduce the overall costs of funds for large insurance and reinsurance carriers.
The meeting continues tomorrow at 10am, when members will be dealing with the opposition’s business, including a long list of parliamentary questions and a number of private members’ motions.
See the proceedings on CIGTV below:
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- Afraid
So our last Premier SIR Alden really has an IMPORTANT Private Members Motion – to amend the Liquor Licensing Law to allow bar rooms (his favourite watering holes) to play music on Sundays.
SIR Alden is Sunday bar room music that important t you and your buddy bar room operator?
To think we pay you $$$$ hundreds of thousands of dollars and that is all you can come up with in a year?
Every vote for you was a wasted vote.
Someone ask Saunders who runs his office, someone is being paid (family) but the office has never been open. No sign, no office hours and no help!
They had over a year, whole year and at the very first meeting agree to recklessly spend the public purse. That’s all they came up with. Nothing to assist with rising costs, absolutely nothing.
Do these M.P’s need each need two assistants paid for by the taxpayer?, two of them have approx 700 voters and two only 400 voters in their constituencies.They already have a $60,000pa office allowance which is not audited, so they can spend it on what they like.Who selects these “assistants”, will they be family perks?.In the U.K where M.P’have to file details of all expenses, as far as I’m aware they do not get two assistants each,yet the average constituency has in excess of 72,000 voters and a number more than 150,000.
They have already awarded themselves a generous pay increase, is their any oversight of them spending large amounts of taxpayer’s money in this manner?.
“NeverwannabeanMP you’re right, including purchased or leased SUVs for all Ministers and some of their staff.
Ask Avis.
End all restrictions!!!! End it all now.
What ever happened with extending maternity leave for mother’s?????? Did that plan just dissepate into the air?
I believe they fixed it with the ability now for parents to WFH?
Capital redemption contracts should be beneficial to the insurance (and reinsurance) product offerings in the Cayman Islands.
Not sure that any Deeds of Indemnity should be handed out to any and every board (or tribunal), unless it has sound legal standing and proper statutory underpinning — that said, nothing wrong with awarding it to the lawfully authorized Planning Appeals Tribunal members — and such Deeds of Indemnity should not be awarded to cover liability indemnification by CIG on a retroactive basis.
Orrie Merren, I tried to find your petition at a vape shop you mentioned a couple weeks ago. Nope, they haven’t received it yet.
Hard-copies on an online sign-up portal please!!
8th of june and first time parliment meeting????
welcome to wonderland
“Crack that whip
Give the past a slip
Step on a crack
Break your momma’s back
When a problem comes along
You must whip it
Before the cream sets out too long
You must whip it
When something’s going wrong
You must whip it”
– Devo
Q: Are we not men? A: We are Devo!
A PACT of neophytes masquerading as leaders and pretending to govern.
The Civil service run these islands and have supported or destroyed multiple elected governments.
There are zero consequences for poor performances or non-performers in the civil service. It’s all about who you know that hold secrets or favors for each other. That usually leads to promotions and more opportunities to screw up.
The “Peter Principle” is how the system works.
Politicians are held accountable at the polls during elections.
When will the civil service and its management be held accountable?
PACT is a mess…
Worst CI Government for many a year. Quite the achievement that.
That’s just not true. There’s been far worse in recent memory, and that really IS saying something.
Surprised they didn’t give themselves another pay rise like they did while we were all in lockdown struggling financially. I’m sure there will be another one soon to balance out their cost of living expenses while nothing gets done about minimum wage, price gouging, monopoly of electricity and the obvious government pushback on self sustainablilty. Also, why the hell do half of them need assistants? They get paid a fortune to do nothing half of the time.
Half the time! LOL. How often does the House actually sit? How much work do you think the Ministers actually do on a day to day basis in their ministeries?And the non cabinet members don’t even have that responsibility – just to deal with constituents and turn up for the infrequent parliament hearings. Now they get to employ hangers on like Austin Harris. And all for the miserly wage of $150K plus expenses.
This is disgusting! Another way to misuse public funds while the majority suffer. Everything these morons do is to secure votes.
No kidding. This is their 3rd sitting of 2021 in mid June, and I’m going to guess that few prepared very well for it, by reading the materials and offering markups. That would involve a read of these brochure-sized business items.
10.56pm Don’t forget their pensions are COLA adjusted every year so they are immune to increases in the cost of living.
And they double-dip.