Hew: Referendum on cruise won’t settle the issue
(CNS): The new opposition leader, Joey Hew, has said that the proposed government referendum on whether or not Cayman should build cruise berthing facilities will not really settle the issue. Hew said the proposed vote was a smokescreen to deflect from the current government’s failure to take any action to support Cayman’s tourism industry and those who depend upon it. He said this government will be found wanting at the general election next year when held to account for their performance.
He said cruise visitor numbers were at an all time low and there was “no defined plan or path to recovery” as he suggested the referendum was cover up for the government’s failings. During his response to the motion on behalf of the Progressives, Hew said the minister had failed to present a concrete plan but a referendum that would not resolve the matter.
Hew criticised the government for holding a vote in the absence of any facts or defined infrastructure proposal. Echoing comments by those campaigning for a ‘no’ vote, Hew said the referendum does not address where the pier would be, the costs, any long-term benefits or the environmental impact.
“We are being asked to support a question that is at best vague and at worst incomplete,” he said. With no project for voters to properly consider, they don’t have the information needed to weigh the pros and cons and cannot make an informed decision on the proposed question.
Hew also warned that if there is a ‘yes’ vote and a future government goes ahead with a project, it may well still encounter fierce opposition, especially as the minister has downplayed the possible size of any cruise pier that might be proposed.
Those who may have voted ‘yes’ may still not support a specific future project because of the location, scale, costs, ownership, environmental damage or other factors that could emerge in the future, especially given the evolution of cruise tourism away from ports of call to the onboard experience and private islands.
Hew said Bryan’s public statements about a future cruise project, likely to be in George Town, with one pier and no upland development, financed through a Caymanian-only investment fund could have already constrained what might be possible in future.
“This referendum will not resolve the issue, and a referendum that fails to settle matters is largely pointless,” he said. “A lack of clarity undermines the referendum process, creating confusion and uncertainty rather than providing real solutions to the challenges facing Cayman’s tourism sector.”
He accused the government of shirking its responsibility by shifting the burden of such a major decision onto the people instead of developing a comprehensive plan to address the cruise industry decline without doing the necessary groundwork. He said the government should lead with a clear plan, indicating that if the PPM is reelected, they will probably pursue a project regardless of the outcome of the referendum, which is non-binding and merely advisory.
Despite criticising the government’s decision to hold a vote without a project plan, he said the opposition would nevertheless support the motion.
The only other member to speak during the debate was McKeeva Bush MP (WBW), who made it clear he did not think there should be a referendum at all, even though he supported the motion. “I’m not a hypocrite,” he said, adding that while he supported the minister, there was a long way to go, and he was concerned about a referendum.
“Suppose the people say no… what will the government do?” he asked, given that, according to the tourism minister, the situation is dire. “If we are saying that things are so bad and we go to the vote and the CPR… gets the upper hand and the people say no… what happens to all those businesses that are hurting?” Bush asked and repeatedly queried what the government should do “if the naysayers win”.
Bush said the government was elected to lead. He suggested that the Cayman Islands should press ahead with a cruise berthing project regardless of what the people think, as he said being elected to lead was about making decisions even if the people are against them.
See Hew’s contribution to the debate on CIGTV below:
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
This is why we need a cruise ship pier.
https://www.royalgazette.com/local-business/business/article/20241011/cruise-ship-passenger-numbers-a-great-illusion/
Yeah yeah and the referendum proposed has no teeth, the children in Australia know that. What they don’t know and modtva tou seem to forget is that the PPM has been behind having piers for a long time remember even from the Chucksters days as Minister.
All sides of this game have already sold out to their preferred builders so we the people don’t count whoever manages to corns wobble our minds with this scheme wins and wins big times for the Mooooooney is BIIiG Bigger ona hear. So watch the play folks. Watch it!!
Can’t agree more, pointless exercise asking us to vote on an unknown. A lot of people would vote for a port and infrastructure plan that makes sense, doesn’t destroy the environment, doesn’t bring traffic to a halt, and doesn’t make government poorer and a few people and cruise companies rich. But without even an inkling of the plan I’ll vote no so that they can’t use my yes to say I voted for whatever plan they come up with in the future. Or maybe I’ll just write in my own, maybe.
I concur, if I don’t see some details I will definitely vote no.
Here is the deal.
We do not fully know what is happening with the beaches on SMB. Is the sand moving or is the water riding.
If the sand is moving then there is MINOR merit to the concern for piers. What we should do is still do piers BUT impliment something to mitigate damage.
If it is water rising what can you do? The piers are not hurting anything and we need the dollars.
What we also need do is look at having Casinos. This could become the second tourism pillar. This may also allow us to spread our tourism over the year because we could influence the casinos to have tournament during our low season.
You want to look at Casinos? Go to Las Vegas. Take McKeeva with you. Don’t bring him back.
Johan, Johan pure baloney buddy.
https://www.onecaribbean.org/caribbean-tourism-experiences-strong-growth-in-2023-recovery-to-continue-into-2024/
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/caribbean-cruise-boom-seen-extending-through-2024
https://cruising.org/-/media/clia-media/research/2024/2024-state-of-the-cruise-industry-report_updated-050824_web.ashx
https://cruiseoverload.com/surge-in-caribbean-cruise-tourism-marks-a-bright-era-post-pandemic/
Not good of you all to try to destroy an industry that has grown from 1937. It is part of our history and culture. When there was nothing here to make money from our fathers went to sea. We always find money from the sea. Don’t ever forget that. When the 2004 hurricane Ivan the industry we made money from in tourism was the cruise lines. If the whole of sand leaves the beach, the tourists can and will love to go a beach on the south side.
In fact Government should buy several properties on the south for the future of beaches not only for tourism but for locals to have special events.
Dave MillerSr.
Read this Dave
https://www.royalgazette.com/local-business/business/article/20241011/cruise-ship-passenger-numbers-a-great-illusion/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1kX-lZbmgPnbUCjMlXfqF3Fs9efqVCIrGFqii_1o9Tr2HNDanrRoWmN1s_aem_tM6_Fn_O3F65rpvdaVJJRg
CNS: Comment deleted because it was written in all caps.
poison the well, oops we dont have them anymore.
A question which has to be asked is this-
Why did Mr. Panton, when he became premier in the immediate aftermath of the last political prostitute’s emporium of an election cycle, not push forth the people initiated referendum as an immediate matter of course as a matter of national importance which it damn sure was and damn sure is?
Regardless of those so devoid of comprehension that they thought, and some still seemingly do, that the matter of the proposed CBF was settled already, it is a dereliction of duty at the hands of the PACT administration that they did not immediately seek to bring this matter forth as a binding national referendum as a matter of national importance.
These are the results of that dereliction of duty.
I am sure that there are multiple pitiful excuses including the advent of covidiotocy, legal sleezeological obfuscations and obviously contrived reasons why this was not done, including the quality of character and/or the woefully bereft lack thereof, of those who Mr. Panton chose to hitch his politrickial cart up with.
When has political expediency ever been for the good of the people as opposed to the good of the individual?
Even his removal as premier was a foreseeable occurrence.
Regardless of any of that, the binding people’s initiated referendum on the matter of the CBF should have been made one of the PACT (if stated objectives where even remotely genuine) maladministration’s very first objectives but it was not. The reason why said people’s initiated referendum was not initiated is as obvious to any objective eye as is the heinous hypocrisy of the globalist liberal elite whose concept of environmental sustainability is ensconsed and/or otherwise domiciled within their con artist’s ethos of “rules for thee but not for me”.
This is the result, a bag of bullshit with miscreant and disingenuous flubbering charlatans, with their puppet master’s strings firmly and visibly attached, yammering away like poorly contrived excuses for Joseph Goebbel’s duppy.
One also has to ask;
Under what trove of the bullshit artist’s hubris can Mr. Bryan and/or any other politrickian think and/or guarantee that they will be re-elected or that the results of any non binding referendum will have any bearing on any future reshuffling of the deck chairs on the metaphorical Titanic of Cayman’s stuck on repeat maladministration and/or any conceivable brain farted amalgamation of alphabet soup monikers they may choose to pull out of their collectively responsible rectums or that he and/or they are to be believed in the first place?
Uh huh.
This supposed referendum is a ginal’s scam whose only real qualification is as a practitioner of bandulu business, at the expense of and detriment to all and sundry, designed as such, propagandized as such and to be implemented as such.
If the referendum is not at the very least binding, to say nothing of maladministrational high cost propagandizing schemes using the people’s own monies, this is just another boondoggled shitshow as the one and only component of continuity which this present day bout of profligate maladministration has delivered to the people of the Cayman Islands.
These are the poisonous fruits of an institutionalized corruption of the Cayman Islands from the inside out and from the outside in.
Any conceivable wise choice for the Cayman Islands to move forward with, regardless of subject matter of national importance, is predisposed to ultimate failure and negatively consequential fallout due to said institutionalized corruption.
It is this which any Caymanian, or even anyone who really cares about Cayman, has to identify as the causative factor for all of our national woes are the symptomatic effects of. Unless and/or until this reality is taken on as the clear and present threat and danger to the wellbeing of the Cayman Islands and all of her people, then you might as well start trying to figure out where next to stick your collective heads in a sandy beach with your buttocks exposed to abuse when even the sand itself is going, going, gone.
Cayman has no Referendum Law, required by Constitution.
Just another dereliction of duty.
You make too much sense, clearly not a Marl Road listener.
I listen, and sometimes I comment as well.
Sometimes? Bwahahahahahaha
#mo more masks
Man, you like to ramble on.
I am not beholden to your limited attention span.
So many words, so little said. Is that you Kamala?
You win the prize. Dial 1 800 KISSMEBACKFOOT for instructions as to time and place for collection.
when the lack of likes exposes the sad level of reading comprehension skills and/or general unwillingness to read through anything even slightly challenging.
Yes, but we really don’t need to me holding expensive referenda except during a general election, especially without a specific plan in place for cruise piers. If Panton’s government had been pushing a cruise piers project, fine, but it wasn’t. Obviously Kenny’s handlers want a pier, so that’s why it’s an issue again. I am fine with having it with the 2025 election, but who knows what government will emerge from the election or what their stance will be. Just because a referendum says the people are in favor of a cruise pier facility, doesn’t mean any particular government has to build one. The people have been in favor of dealing with the dump for more than two decades, but look where that project is.
Dear Mr Who, nobody has heard from you for 4 years, F*** off back to your cleaning company before you cause irreversible damage to our country. Thanks.
NO, NO, NO to a cruise port. And NO, NO, NO to all PPM candidates.
Don’t understand why we have to have a referendum for cruise ships when there’s no more 7 mile beach. What’s the point guys? There’s nothing left for tourist to enjoy. The final nail in the coffin will be when you destroy the mangroves in the middle of the island for the east west arterial road which eventually will pollute the north sound and destroy sting ray city.
Joey and Kenny should go down to Scranton Park, hold their hands, close their eyes, and toss a quarter over the shoulder into the wishing well, praying their district voters will somehow forget who they have been.
The voters always seem to forget, or are bribed to.
It is amazing to read how much time is spent by elected officials on this topic, especially when our islands have numerous more pressing national matters that could improve the standard of living for many Caymanians.
Any government that potentially surrenders our financial independence via an expensive cruise berthing project (based on 2019 estimates of 250-350m) will now give all leverage to the cruise lines that have built piers in other jurisdictions, e.g. Jamaica, yet their passenger arrival numbers are down over the last few years. This is clear evidence that cruise berthing piers for Cayman are not the panacea they would have us believe.
Did the current leadership of the PPM forget that they were in Cabinet from 2017-2021?
During 2020 and 2021 COVID lockdown years there was collaboration between CIG, the private sector and key stakeholders industry.
At that time the SEAC (Strategic Economic Advisory Council) group for Tourism identified priorities and solutions to address issues in the tourism industry, including cruise-related matters.
The PPM leadership, and MP Hew in particular, had 18-20 months to implement the suggestions/strategies and key initiatives before there was a change in elected government at the end of April 2021.
The reality is that PPM and MP Hew chose to do nothing with the data, information collated and “RECOMMENDATIONS”.
They were given a road map by SEAC in 2020-2021.
If the PPM were really concerned, MP Hew would have taken the necessary actions then. MP Hew and his coalition government colleagues, which included MP McKeeva Bush and other members of the current Cabinet, chose to do nothing with the report and its recommendations.
His current stance and political posturing now rings hollow, particularly when MP Hew was in the position as Cabinet Minister to drive policy changes and implement recommendations from the industry and SEAC.
Has he forgotten all of this already or is he now simply playing politricks?
The new Leader of the Opposition hopefully will learn that reading reports, particularly as the then minister with responsibility for the SEAC program, and using data from public and private sector to form the recommendations intended to help the country is a common practice that many quality leaders in politics or corporate life frequently utilize to help address problems.
Only MP Hew can explain to the public why so much time and money is spent on reports which are commissioned involving public and private sector professionals yet the findings or recommendations are not used to help the various situations in our country that need to be addressed.
If he needs a copy of the SEAC report to refresh his memory, tell him to ask his former Cabinet colleagues, MP Moses Kirkconnell, Sir Alden McLaughlin (then Premier) and the Cabinet Secretary or give me a call and I’ll share a copy.
FYI – The information was widely disseminated and in the public domain.
#STAYWOKE🇰🇾
https://www.caymancompass.com/2020/07/06/what-is-the-special-economic-advisory-committee/
Regards
Johann Moxam
Everything woke turns to sh!t.
Mr. Moxam, I don’t believe reading, much less applying recommendations, is a strong point of Mr. Hew nor his former PPM colleague, the current Premier, JOCC.
Johann if elected will you support the destruction of what remains of our GT harbor to facilitate a cruise pier?
Johann Moxam is one of the leaders of CPR. I respect his courage and consistency on most issues which is greatly appreciated by many. We know where he stands on issues and says so publicly with intelligence and facts to support his positions.
There are a number of people that support a referendum that also support the destruction of GT harbor for a cruise port. You can believe in democracy while also thinking that the port is the way forward. I asked for his opinion stated definitively, not an assumption based on association.
“There are a number of people that support a referendum that also support the destruction of GT harbor for a cruise port.”
That would be the “Yes” voter.
Someone get 1:14 a Darwin Award.
Son, have you smoked yourself retarded?
Shots fired!
Thanks Johan. This is a brilliant summary and an example of holding them all accountable
This is the type of leadership and representation we should expect from our MLA’s.
AMEN!
How many times can I write MP Hew in one post?!! Get over it Johann you are not MP material. You lost me when you advocated for PR Holders getting the right to vote and totally obliterated any redemption when you sat and listened to Aunty scandal your own brother and you made jokes about it and begged for her brownies. Anyone who shows their own brother than much disrespect is a huge ZERO to me bro, port or no port, you dont measure up.
Johan always has so much to say and really has’nt done anything much over the years. Reminds me of Theresa Pitcain..
Johan’s ship still sailing by. Still looking for an anchor to drop.
So let us ignore the salient points which were made.Is that your position?
Johann
Arent you in charge of the Airport runway expansion into the North Sound? Any comment ? Aren’t you chairman of that Board?
There you have it folks, This guy and the PPM will do what’s best for THEM. They don’t give a fack what the vast majority want for this island!
Vote them all out!
Minister Bryan has laid out compelling arguments for a cruise berthing facility and the need for a referendum, just as Leader of the opposition Joey Hew has made strong points against the government’s approach. But let’s not forget—both the PPM and this administration know how vital cruise tourism is. After all, this was the PPM’s plan from the start. If you take a step back, it’s the same arguments being made, just with the roles reversed in Parliament. same voices, different tune!
If that’s not obvious to everyone, well… you might need to check your political glasses, because this is a classic case of the same play, just with new actors. Successive governments, no matter who’s in charge, understand cruise tourism’s value and know the risks of being on the wrong side of the issue. Let’s focus on what really matters for Cayman, not the political ping-pong!
Anyone with half a brain understands that cruise tourism is far from vital. Its economic impact is negligible. Covid proved that. It could go away completely and we’d largely be better off as there would be less congestion and environmental damage.
If cruise ship tourism went away all at once, immediately, some people would undoubtedly lose their jobs. But it won’t, it will simply decrease over time. In the meantime, while that’s happening, affected people can transition to servicing stay-over visitors, which we should spend time and effort on trying to increase.
There may be fewer tours to run but those that are run will be far more profitable as the cruise companies won’t keep any of the revenue.
Let’s be clear – the only people who benefit from cruise tourism are tour operators, a few retail employees and schlocky T-shirt and jewelry business owners, taxis and bus drivers. Even the high-end jewelry store owners who are all constantly maligned on these message boards as being the ones who want cruise tourism will tell you that they make more money selling to locals and stay-over tourists than they do cruise shippers. You think Carnival cruisers are buying $30,000 Rolexes and Patek Philippe watches in any material number?
Some of those big-name downtown duty free shops aren’t even Caymanian-owned. You would be surprised at which ones have LCCLs – look it up on DCI’s website.
If you think these arguments are wrong please, by all means, explain it to me.
Cruise tourism is important to Kirk Freeport and Dart’s duty free stores, so to hell with all you people who are complaining. The rich will get what they want.
Yet, none of them can lay out a case that supports their position. What is the number of Caymanians in cruise tourism? Number of WP holders? Fee revenues generated by CIG? What policies will they put in place to ensure Caymanians benefit from cruise tourism. Growing cruise numbers only to add more WP holders makes no sense. Sell it to me………
You mean when I, and the rest of Cayman, votes no, we still won’t consider the matter settled?
There was no vote on this. There is no Referendum Law providing the framework to devise a question, adjudicate a fair result, or mechanism (required by Constitution) for the people to call one. This was litigated already by Alden and those were the findings. It’s telling that no MP from any bench has sponsored a draft Referendum Bill since 2019.
If its yes they will go ahead with whatever scheme the developers come up with, using the referendum which didnt consider location, cost and impact as a justification for not consulting further.
If its no, they will do it anyway, justifying it based on the the supposed economic imperative and pointing out that a government initiated referendum is only advisory, not binding. And I am not excluding the PPM from that either. Joey is right about it being impossible to an informed yes or no without a specific plan, but that doesnt mean the PPM wont decide to build a pier and/or port if they get into power again – they have pushed for it before.
Heads you lose, tails you lose for anyone opposed to a pier. There is a reason the las government didnt allow a people’s based referendum – all the politicians are arguing about is which group and which ministers get to harvest the benefits from developers, landowners and the cruise shippers.
Fully disagree. There are legal mechanisms to block the activity via the courts. The public can tie up this or any future belligerent government for years. Those that care can flip the script on the expectation of resigned apathy.
do-nothing-ppm or no-plan-pact?????….neither thanks.
direct rule for 2 years while a new raft of political candidates are selected/vetted based on qualifications, experience and integrity. then we have new elections.
Oh do fuck off with your colonizer rhetoric already. If you want direct rule, go back home to the shitshow that is currently taking place in the UK. Ask Scotland how they feel about the way things are being run over there right now.
Believe it or not this is the sentiment of most Brits that live in Cayman. Direct rule so they can take over the islands. You think Caymanians are a minority now? We will sling-shot right back to slavery days.
Exactly. The same ones complaining about how Caymanians think they are entitled are the very ones who believe they should be entitled as colonizers to have full rights here. I have heard too many of them actually say this.
Me too.
That does not solve the foundation problem in Cayman! You do something about it!
very true joey…but we also remember the years and years of failure and inaction by you and the ppm!
Wasn’t it PPM that put in place the financing and a group of investors ,with cruise lines, to build piers…?
Wasn’t it opposed by politicians who weren’t gaining their UDP era commissions ..?
It was opposed by the people.
McKeeva Bush please shut up and try so sit down. At least some of us are old enough to remember that the Foreign Commonwealth Office had to step in and derail a plan that Bush had to push through a port deal with China Harbor outside of proper tendering. As long as you have been an MP you still don’t understand corporate governance.
Kenneth you are failing to provide evidence to support the decline in cruise tourism and/or alternative solutions that don’t include a berthing facility. How will the lack of infrastructure now be remedied and existing overcrowded attractions? Sorry but an EIA study from an overseas firm does not provide the people comfort. They will get paid and not reap any repercussions.
If Macs deal had gone through we would currently be owned by the Chinese.
There seems to be a persistent sentiment of indebtedness. Presumably cheques were cashed, mystery source of funds casino line of credits extended, and honorary degree payments made. McKeeva insists that he be addressed as “Dr”.
I remember hearing of the Chinese gents holed up in a local hotel handing out suitcases of cash to certain politicians. I wonder if they paid the cash back?
Bush Dr.
Only going to vote yes if it’s planned for the North Sound.
Did he actually say this? Good lord. Supposed to be elected by the public not pushing a personal agenda.
Suppose the people say no… what will the government do?” he asked, given that, according to the tourism minister, the situation is dire. “If we are saying that things are so bad and we go to the vote and the CPR… gets the upper hand and the people say no… what happens to all those businesses that are hurting?” Bush asked and repeatedly queried what the government should do “if the naysayers win”.
As I understand it, a failing business will cease to operate. Unfortunately, that’s just life.
What some businesses do, it’s adapt.
These suckers would be wanting zeppelin tours to come here, if that’s what they were told.
Taxi driver? Smarten up your product. Install dash cams, drive as if you’re an actual professional driver, and who knows, you might get regular business with high end clients.
Selling t-shirts made in China for $10 USD…I can’t help you, you just need to find a new niche.
Going from 6 anchoring cruise ships down to just 2 moored along a pier reduces the tourism spenders by 200%. The kicker is that it doesn’t matter. The entire tourism industry including all stay over, and restaurants (skewed up by resident customers) brings in less than 18% of total GDP contributions. Joey and the PPM are tone deaf to how irrelevant these cruise tourism dollars are to our economy. Whether it’s fighting home-grown Caymanian gay families or pushing for cruise piers, you’ll always find the PPM on the wrong side of common sense, flogging a dead horse.
We love you Honorable Joey Hew! PPM forever!
LMAO! Where do you live? Go sit down!
Honorable is predominantly used in 🇺🇸 American (US) English ( en-US ) while honourable is predominantly used in 🇬🇧 British English (used in UK/AU/NZ) ( en-GB ). In the United States, there is a preference for “honorable” over “honourable”
GT pleeeease smarten up and vote this invalid and his over-inflated sense of self-worth out of office. He needs a serious reminder that he works for us.
Sadly he will likely be voted back in