MPs urged not to vote down public consultation on bills
(CNS): Campaigners objecting to the undefined referendum on cruise berthing facilities have written an open letter to all 19 MPs urging them not to support any attempt by the government to bring a proposed bill for the national poll or to amend the conservation act without the constitutionally required 28 day public consultation. “These two bills address issues of significant national importance and are highly contentious,” the local activist group CPR has said in its letter to the members asking them not to vote for the waiver the premier will need is she brings these bills to parliament next month.
“Given the current state of the government, which is operating under a quorum, but remains in disarray, it
would be unjustifiable and a violation of good governance principles to waive the constitutionally mandated 28-day notice and public consultation process,” they write in the letter echoing the sentiments of Andre Ebanks MP and his three colleagues who have said they will not support waiving the 28 days.
“Full transparency and public engagement are essential for critical matters of such gravity, and these processes must not be undermined,” the CPR have said.
The two contentious bills have still not yet been published.
However if the UPM beleaguered administration is hoping to waive the 28 day notice period then the bills could be gazetted at any time and if the Speaker agrees they will be placed on the order paper. It will then be down to the members to vote on whether or not the public get a say on what are undoubtedly very controversial issues.
Neither of the pieces of legislation have gone through any pre-drafting consultation with the public. But in the case of the conservation amendment bill it is understood there have been closed door discussions between some Cabinet ministers and selected developers. Even the department of the environment, CNS understands, has been kept out of the loop on the proposed draft bill.
At this stage however, there have been public comments from the minority UPM, especially by the tourism minister, Kenneth Bryan that he still wants to see both bills brought before the house before the election.
The CPR group are very concerned that the cruise question, “Should the Cayman Islands develop cruise berthing infrastructure?” is vague and lacks substance and the public cannot reasonably be asked to vote on a matter without critical details. From the proposed financial model design and costs to the environmental questions, not to mention the lack of a proposed location, this basic question will resolve very little in the realm of public opinion as the project cannot be based on principle alone. The where, what and how on a cruise berthing project are fundamental to its support or not.
“The logistical implications of accommodating two to three million cruise passengers annually must be addressed,” the non-profit told MPs as they questioned how such an influx will be managed alongside the cost of the supporting infrastructure. “Currently, George Town and the main tourist attractions lack the capacity to absorb such an increase without significant strain,” they wrote, adding that the question must be fact-based and clear. “The question must be unambiguous, straightforward, and clearly articulated, with transparency about the project’s beneficiaries and its broader impact on the Cayman Islands.”
CPR also pointed out that the government has still not developed standalone referendum legislation governing both Government and People Initiated Referendums in line with international best practice.
The constitution envisions a standalone referendum law and while the outcome of the appeal of Roulstone v CIG may not compel the government to have stand alone legislation, it is undoubtedly in the best interest of Cayman’s democracy, to have such a framework to guide the many intricacies of any national ballot.
“CPR is also concerned about the lack of any constitutional commissioners at this time and the absence of an independent body to provide oversight on constitutional matters like referendums,” they wrote in the letter.
Urging the MPS to insist on the 28-day notice period, particularly for the Referendum and National Conservation Amendment bills the activists said these are not routine legislative matters “but pivotal decisions that will shape the Cayman Islands’ future” they said adding that the public deserve clarity, transparency and meaningful participation in the decision-making process.
THe clock is running out for this administration to fulfil any of the commitments it has made on the catalog of unresolved and critical issues that thee original PACT group had said they were committed to dealing with at the beginning of their term. Instead almost from the get-go the members of this disjointed coalition were fighting among themselves and have struggled throughout to agree on a policy agenda and have sought to undermine each other throughout the last four years.
The push now when the government is in the minority to be able to claim some success is very late in the day and should any significant legislation that has not been through the usual full pre-final draft consultation with stakeholders and then through the open month long public consultation is more than likely to result in very bad laws that will need to be fixed by the next administration.
Even if the government steers through the referendum bill with support from the official PPM opposition the result is not binding and the next administration whatever form it takes can simply dismiss the result.
See the CPR letter in full below
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Category: Local News
How about introducing the DISTRICT COUNCILS as the Constitution has directed for years now!!! Huhh. Crickets#
Isn’t the level of moral condescension of the present government just … astounding ?
Disband OfReg and create in its place a consumer protection agency that can set performance deadlines and cancel licenses. There’s too much fleecing from all quarters in Cayman. We pay the highest per capita telecom rates in the western world for LTE data speeds circa 2010.
Tell me you don’t know how the rule of law works, without telling me you don’t know how the rule of law works.
Good luck with the Port Mr. Bryan. Without the Red Spot Beach you cannot do an extended port and you know full well it is not for sale. Try seizing it and spend two years in various courts.
Thanks Chris. But to speak truthfully, I would rather he attempt to seize Red Spot Beach than to destroy our reefs and environment by trying to dredge/dig a safe inland harbour somewhere along the south coast. Of course, there are many influential people who will reap windfall profits on such a project.
By talking about Red Spot Beach it then makes the alternative more palatable. A Trumpian move by his handlers.
Cruise ships will not go away if we don’t have berthing facilities, these are scare tactics. What they want is more bigger cruise ships which means more cheap imported labour in the Cayman Islands. Our infrastructure can’t cope with the current number of people. Just look at the roads.
They will go away, it’s just a matter of time. Small cruise ships will phase out rather soon and Cayman will be left behind. There are many more exciting ports in the region with proper berthing facilities. Forget about permit holders for a second and think beyond.
Has it behooved you that if everyone rode bicycles in flat Cayman like Amsterdam then everything fine and the roads can be converted to more solar condos
Do people in Amsterdam need SPF2000 or a shower upon arriving at their destination when biking everywhere? what kind of comparison is this?
Why do we bother with lawmakers at all given that we live in a lawless society?
All good grovelling but since when did our rogue ministers ever adhere to principles of good governance. Besides they are deaf and ignorant most of the time.
vote No !
#cprwho
Sign your names or the objections are irrelevant.
No one behind CPR is hiding, they have been very vocal and on the radio. Shirley put her name and face for all when she took the government to court.
Where is the Governor? Where is the good governance? We heading back to the black list!!
She is sitting in the Premier’s lap being a good little lap doggy!
Vote NO Weed. NO Ganja.
NO Gummies n Vapes to jill more brain cells.
How can the public Vote on su h are vage destructive and divisive issue when NO EXPLANATIONS on how it will work are being presented
Florida Vited NO this month!!
I will vote to ban whatever substance causes people to write incoherently.
You read it though. Seen
Haha you think the MP’s care about what the people think? Only time they interested is when they want your vote. As a pensioner on a little over 1k a month and unable to get anymore despite working all my life and complying with the law it is the GOVERNMENT that prevents me from getting anymore. I am voting for none of them they are all corrupt and in it for themselves.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/27/tourism-cruise-ships-royal-caribbean-disney-carnival-bahamas-celebration-key-resort-environment-wildlife
Call an election NOW. Stop them putting any more bills through. They are a minority Government, an ILLEGITIMATE one.
This can’t continue. This government no longer has a mandate to rule. governor!! Do something!!!
The governor will not do a dam thing as she is JOCC little lap dog
there’s nothing illegitimate about a minority government, they’re quite common and perfectly legal nd workable in short to medium time frames.
that’s not saying anything about the competence of the members though frankly there’s questions regarding competence of all 19
Actually, it is an illegitimate one by a couple of popular definitions.
Absence of Popular Consent:
A government that lacks the support or acceptance of a significant portion of its population, leading to claims that it does not represent the will of the people.
Going to struggle to palm that one off when the population did not vote for UPM propped up by the PPM. This Government is about as illegitimate as it can get short of taking power with AK47s. It’s this simple, this Government is not in a coalition, it is actively conspiring with the opposition to force through changes to laws in violation of good Governance principles that would apply anywhere else.
In any other well Governed nation the opposition would kill UPM off right now and force an election.
The major problem is our corrupt politicians believe they have a mandate from God first, and the population second. That’s the major problem and has no place in this century or the last for that matter.
VOTE NO to the cruise port referendum, Kenny Bryant, UPM, PPM, Mac Bush, and the other waste man elected as mla’s
Well said cpr
Thank you CPR Cayman for all your efforts over the years.
The proposed cruise berthing facility referendum is an expensive and very bad idea for the country because the question and process has no substance to guide voters. The project will never satisfy the key value for money considerations.
Cayman has other more substantive priorities than becoming indebted to cruise lines over cruise infrastructure. Cruise lines will always come into the Cayman Islands given our key geographical location in the Western Caribbean.