Minority CIG publishes contentious referendum bill
(CNS): The UPM were looking for a Christmas miracle on Monday evening when the government published the referendum bill in the Gazette. The legislation sets out three questions that would, if the legislation passes, be put to voters on General Election Day, which is set for 30 April. However, the chance of the bill passing is slim as the PPM and independent members of the opposition have all raised concerns that the minority UPM government should not be attempting to pass last-minute controversial bills.
The opposition has offered its support only to keep the business of government functioning until the election.
The bill proposes asking voters whether or not they support the concept of cruise berthing facilities, the provision of a national lottery and the decriminalisation of consumption and possession of an undefined quantity of ganja.
The bill has been spearheaded by Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan, who has made it clear he is determined to push the legislation through and challenge the PPM opposition to support it, given that they have supported building cruise berthing facilities almost since the party was founded and had backed the government motion that paved the way for the bill.
The government clearly intends to put the bills to the vote when parliament meets in January, even though most opposition MPs have said they will not support the bill at this time. While the various opposition factions differ over why they are choosing not to support the bill, they share common ground in the belief that this bill should not be passed so close to the election and without an education and awareness campaign, especially regarding the cruise port question.
The bill has no provision relating to campaign financing. Given that the government, with all its financial resources, intends to promote a ‘yes’ vote on cruise berthing, campaigners for the ‘no’ vote, who oppose the idea of building a dock and have concerns about asking the people such a vague question, have noted the inequity.
The Cruise Port Referendum campaign, the main activist group opposing it, will have to find their own cash to oppose the port, creating a very uneven playing field for such a critically important proposal.
The four MPs who recently resigned from the UPM, Andre Ebanks, Kathy-Ebanks-Wilks, Sabrina Turner and Heather Bodden, as well as former premier Wayne Panton, have all joined forces to run as a team in next year’s election. They explained their opposition to the government’s attempt to pass the controversial bill.
“We are all deeply concerned about the minority government attempting to advance and finalise significant and controversial matters that require parliamentary approval,” they told CNS. “These highlight key reasons why four of us chose to resign. The transactions and bills currently under consideration were being contemplated prior to four of us resigning and we did not wish to be associated with or advocate for them.”
The five MPs oppose the referendum bill, the MOU with Dart, and the proposed amendments to the National Conservation Act — another very contentious piece of legislation that the UPM wants to ram through before parliament is prorogued.
While that bill has not yet been published, it’s understood to have been drafted and is due to be published in the coming days while voters are distracted by the Christmas Holidays and spending time with loved ones.
“Despite its diminished numbers, the minority government appears determined to proceed with these matters before the end of its term, for reasons that remain unclear,” they added. “Such important decisions should be handled by a new government with a clear electoral majority. It would be more appropriate for the current minority government to focus solely on day-to-day operations until the April 2025 election.”
Panton also told CNS that some people would consider the bill’s other questions contentious, and a minority government, whose ability to govern could be stripped away at any time, should not be able to dictate what issues get dealt with.
He said that unless they can get at least three opposition MPs to support them, “they are going to have, in theory, embarrassing defeats”, as he pointed to the unified position that he believes the opposition is taking.
It is understood that Chris Saunders, the independent opposition member for Bodden Town West, will also oppose the referendum bill for similar reasons and believes the government should not be trying to cut significant deals or pass important legislation as they no longer have a mandate.
Meanwhile, the PPM has stated on several occasions that while they support the principle of a cruise pier, this is not the time to put the vote to the country, given that the government has not yet begun the promised education campaign.
“With the government losing its majority and former members, including ex-Premier Panton, now firmly opposing the referendum bills, these have become controversial and should not be introduced,” a spokesperson for the PPM told CNS.
“The situation has been worsened by the government’s delay in publishing the referendum bills until the very last minute and its failure to initiate the promised and necessary education campaign. The situation has been worsened by the government’s delay in publishing the referendum bill at the very last minute and its failure to initiate the promised and necessary education campaign.”
Without the five seated PPM members or the other six independent MPs willing to back the bill for the national poll, the bill will likely fail.
Nevertheless, CPR hopes that, despite the festive distractions, people will still lobby their MPs against the legislation.
CNS has contacted Saunders since the referendum bill was published to enquire about his views on the bill, and we are awaiting a response.
See the draft bill below.
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i think those that are against a new cruise port are looking at this the wrong way, have the vote and put this thing to rest once and for all. the majority will either say we need it or not that way we will know if we either have a smaller number fighting down the port or a smaller number wanting a port.
What are we voting on?
The questions on the ballot.
We’re voting for the removal of Kenny’s latest yellow billboard portrait of him and his sleazy pencil moustache.
The Financial Pillar will not stay off sanctions lists, and we can’t combat the illegal smuggling economy, gangs, weapons, ammo, people. and money laundering, if we are essentially deciding to legitimize narco trafficking. There has to be a better plan than “let the boats through”, operating under generous and naive assumptions that it’ll just be some innocent spliffs on board. That there isn’t even a rough sketch of an operational framework for consideration, tells you everything you need to know about this regime, their backers, their endorsement of crime, gangs, and indifference to the obvious social decay.
Kenny B cannot see the wood for the trees. We need long term and wealthy visitors. They are not to be found on cruise ships. Forget expanding the port. FIX THE BEACH.
STOP PROCRASTINATING. AND MAKE SURE YOU USE THE TENDERS COMMITTEE.
Yes and FIX THE BEACH.
Again the headlines keep coming and the mental institution at 33 Fort Street amazes ! The Adeptus Ridiculous painted perfectly the complete picture of what we have coming our way and whether the public says yay or nay will not even make a difference in the outcome! The cost will probably creep up from 200 Millions to at least 600 Millions and saddle the island with a debt load it won’t be able to service!
The present lunatics including the Grand Lunatic in Chief whom receives constantly from the higher powers what is good for the island (not to mention her parish , sorry her circonscription , or should we say her fiefdom nowadays ? )
The bunch of drunken sailors at the helm are already using emergency credit facilities to pay the Public Circus personnel , trying desperately to shore up their incumbency with more fees , ensuring the loss of attractiveness prime source of revenues!
Not to mention bowing as so low as wiping the floorboards with their eyebrows to the FATF , the OECD and the ICIJ , the last mentioned lacking a spark of accountability nor respect lest you finance / purchase massive amounts of advertising from their otherwise dying publications that in the name of DEI some most talentless graduates that did not make it into the video game industry.
If you wondered how come games have become since Covid , lectures about Social Justice, look no further! (Dustbourne Veilguard Star Wars outlaws and the list goes on !)
The present set of jesters having oh so little idea about what they are doing and what is coming our way no matter what are only interested into buying votes hand over fist to secure another term guzzling Swil Stroganoff.
The ministers and MLAs that exited in a hurry aren’t anymore honest than the present ones as they let the madness go on for as long as possible, (well, until they realized their responsibility would be remembered by their respective electorates , leaving them to have no support and therefore little to salvage their careers especially since they only got crumbs from the otherwise extreme largess the other districts benefited from ! And I implore, don’t get me started on the 4 ministers that fled the sinking ship ! (as their own electorate realized they were only left with the crumbs of the otherwise extreme largess with the public purse others benefited from!)
This can only lead to the shredding of the FFR and plunge the island as a financial center into a hole deeper than the trench and as for the DART supporters let us be extremely clear when you’re going to scream “Save us!” your beloved benevolent benefactor will be very much in the position to whisper “NO!” as it would make very little sense to further dispense his largesse to an island that despite the polite front despises him ! All the more than having played the long game he already masters the whole board !
Our “elites” have shown time and again either a level of cluelessness or so corruptible by the grant of never monitored concessions, land deals that he has every intention to capitalize upon that it almost comical if the consequences weren’t so tragic (loss of wildlife habitat , destruction of mangroves, not to mention the potential contamination that will impact the marine environment during the construction phase)
Good night and good luck for am afraid that we will probably have much to worry and as much of the latter as we could possibly get !
What is the purpose of rushing a defective Referendum Law structured around this Government’s three overly-generalized and multi-pronged questions, for an unelected party, whose membership is being dissolved anyway via both official retirements and district voter booth losses? If they are lobbying hard for other parties, and want to add corruption arrests to that list, the ACC should open the investigations and grant them their wish. The Cayman Islands isn’t a NYSE-listed cruise company. It shouldn’t be buying their ships, paying for traffic, subsidizing ferries, or building their infrastructure to increase the profits of those exploiting businesses and shareholders. We need leadership that understands the central revenue equation and supports that mission with a restoration of anti-corruption efforts, accountability, transparency, and due process. Pretty much the opposite wiring of this government.
There are three primary reasons why a port cannot be built even is the entire island wanted it. First and foremost the country cannot afford the cost and the project would saddle this island with a generational debt that would cripple the government and future generations preventing government from pursuing much needed capital projects in infrastructure, education and health. Second GT infrastructure cannot support the high volume of disembarking visitors. The sidewalks are not wide enough and the roads aren’t big enough to accommodate the rapid unloading of masses of passengers and the port and GT would be crippled for years during construction driving current operators out of business during construction and third, no one has the slightest ideas what a huge pier or piers will do to the environment. Activists on both sides have their opinions but in truth the impact is too complicated and unpredictable to say with any certainty. With West Bay beach already experiencing erosion caused by failed planning policies, does anybody want to take the risk that this might (will probably) worsen and accelerate erosion not to mention the result in thedestruction of some of the world’s most impressive coral skeletons. Sorry but sometimes the answer is “no”. In this case Kenny has to go back to the cruise lobbies and say “sorry but we can’t afford it, we can’t accommodate the volumes and we can’t risk our natural resources. Let’s find another solution or just agree that this isn’t for us.” Cayman – the only way a cruise port can feasibly be built is if it’s financed (and owned by non- government interests) and it’s built on some other part of the island that can be designed to accommodate the large volume of passengers disembarking simultaneously. Regrettably for the pro port lobbies this location does not exist. So the answer is simple it’s a “no”; it just cannot be done in Cayman. Sorry but that’s the unpleasant reality that Kenny needs to accept.
Kenny’s inevitable successor needs to be qualified, possessing the basic understanding that the Cayman Islands isn’t a NYSE-listed cruise line company. Cayman and DoT shouldn’t be concerned at all about building cruise ships, maximizing utilization, cabin layouts, restaurant schedules, port construction, coast guard and ADA codes, dividend yields, or any of a liner’s normal operational, revenue, and analyst coverage business items. Those aren’t for us, as the hosting destination. Both Moses and Kenny have been infected with the FCCA virus that makes simpleton Tourism Ministers believe these Fortune 500 concerns are now suddenly flipped onto the host island’s operational scope, cost and problem lists when they aren’t and never should be. Their actions on our collective behalf, demonstrate how manifestly unqualified they are to be fielding these phone calls in a leadership role, or negotiating anything. Thankfully, relegation of career dummies will again be on the ballot.
Agree. Just stick with the current lighter volume, “smaller” ships and live with it. Miss out on the new and future megaships, but so what.
We will still earn some passenger taxes and there will be some business for local operators that cater to cruise shippers.
I think that Kenneth Bryan should focus more on returning the Seven Mile Public Beach back to its original beauty and purpose as well as Cardinal Avenue, instead of trying to muckup another part of the island. What is going on in this man’s head any way? Isn’t two unsightly “monument to his crazy legacy ” enough for him? George Town was an attractive, quaint place where businesses flourished and pedestrians could move around. Why did he think that tiling the streets would be appealing to locals or visitors? Cardinal Avenue now sticks out as a misplaced roadway and it it ghastly looking. Kenneth please stop now, you have done enough!.
What’s he done with the beach property he bought? Crickets …
Kenny Bryan shouldn’t be in politics. Voters need to end this latest career misfire as soon as possible, among many others. The entire Parliament should be dissolved until after the election.
Simple: Timmy, Elio and Captain Marvin’s need more people to visit tbe Caves, Turtles and Stingtays!
Agree country can’t afford it, but at the moment consultants being paid over $8Million working on a new woke $200Million prison which we also cannot afford…where’s the referendum for that waste.?
Arguably a new pier will at least generate some income, the new prison will only enrich the consultants .
…except it won’t be $200m…It’ll bee $600m plus (that they will be able to account for)…take any of the myriad of previous Auditor General Reports, typex out the title and slap in “Cruise Berthing Port” and add $200m for increased scale, BoBo tax, “inflation”, change orders, vanity add-on etc., etc. et al….
AND THE ISLANDS WILL BE BROKE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME…(just now, “officially” broke)……
Add the $200Million prison and that should be the final nail in Cayman’s financial coffin.
For marijuana decriminalization, this should be accompanied by legalization. Decriminalization will inevitably lead to more use by Caymanians and expats. But legalization would allow for licensed retailers to sell regulated, safe and approved products, that are apporpriately packaged, labeled etc by licensed growers (mainly from the US and Canada).
Otherwise, people will just by impure, potentially unsafe junk brought in on boats from Jamaica.
WTF? Although the church will inevitably object, if it were legalised we can regulate, grow and export our own thanks v. much. Why on earth would we still want to import it?
Decriminalization and legalization are two separate stages down a longer continuum. Caymanians have long-lamented the real or imagined “lives/careers ruined” by having a small possession conviction. Decriminalization with retroactive expungement for small amounts, would clean those records and get Little Johnny back into the work force. The problem is that many of these Caymanians, whose own lives they ruined themselves, were caught in the act of smuggling, moving substantial quantities, and in doing so, would never (or shouldn’t) qualify for expungement.
The other fable is that legalization leads to a weed economy boom, or at least some additional tax revenue. Not necessarily true. Narcos (who don’t play by the rules) don’t just roll over and cede market share to new participants, they go to war, and/or exploit the new hole. Weed is cheaper than ever in Canada and USA, and the illegal dealers are thriving by undercutting legitimate dispensaries, except now they can buy a legit producer with crypto and launder enterprise funds via the legitimized grow-op. Residing on the active Caribbean highway of narco and human trafficking, that’s a much more existential problem for the Cayman Islands than say, Revelstoke BC. Some of our leaders have long-dreamed of (again) running weekly tonnage via the port, for a cut of the action.
Put these questions to a referendum already. The results are not binding but at least we get an idea about support/opposition instead of just getting anecdotal views.
If, say, 70% of people are against the concept of a new port (for the main purpose of expanding/maintaining cruise ships), then it will be a dead issue going forward.
I am not supporter of the current government at all, but I think these questions should be put before the people.
(Conceptually, there should always be a few referendum questions at election time).
“If, say, 70% of people are against the concept of a new port…”
Why not a simple 50.1% majority of those who actually take the time to show up and vote?
For such a country-altering project to the benefit of so few, we must ensure that the questions are clear and concise, that there is no option to abstain from any of the questions, and that we cannot count non-voters as an “effective vote” towards either side.
Section 3 of the Bill does not specify that the referendum will be on election day.
There is a 30 day notice period but Cabinet can set the referendum date whenever they think that they have best odds of getting the result that they want – or not having a referendum at all if it does not look like that they can buy the result that they want.
Spend $200M in cruise berthing to support 50 Caymanian taxi drivers and 5 multi-millionaires?
538 Jamaican taxi drivers. Only 43 from Cayman.
As many as 50? I doubt it. Not Caymanians.
Hey everybody, do yourselves a favour and read the Referendum Bill linked above. It may be enlightening. I now know what I want to do with the rest of my life: I shall endeavour to become appointed a “scrutineer”. Perhaps the position comes with a snappy wide-brimmed hat, or a shirt with epaulettes.
Merry Christmas. Be safe out there.
Question to add to the referendum- should we lock up Kenny and JoCC and MaC and throw away the keys?
No, No ,No to the decriminalizing of ganja.
Definitely do not support the decriminalizing of ganja.no,no,no
Which of your family members sell locally?
Where is the bill to protect personal data on the electoral register? This data is protected under the Data Protection Act [which is also binding on the crown]….yet CIG civil servants deny us the protection. No wonder a number of Gen Z’s refuse to register to vote as they value their privacy.
When you’ve had the chance to read the Data Protection Act and realize why you’re wrong, please feel free to come back and revisit your comment.
A CIG senior civil servant was on CMR show a few weeks ago acknowledging that the CI Omsbudman also agees that the elections law violated data protection. Apparently plans are afoot to fix this.
No
Yes
Yes
PPM playing the game for now but Joey is no different than Kenneth. They deserve each other. God help the Cayman Islands.
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.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2024/10/hew-referendum-on-cruise-wont-settle-the-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-658929
Voting in a referendum on a cruise port with no details and plans sums up the vision of the Minister of Tourism or lack thereof
Kenneth Bryant needs to go and retire with Julie
The Governor and ACC need to uncover why they are so blindingly preoccupied with this mission and show the FATF that Cayman is serious about tackling corruption. This is the perfect test case.
Most of the elected officials we now have are the poster child for the tragedy of non educated, undisciplined, unexposed, unteachable person colliding with too much power and authority. That combination always results in chaos and destruction. The only remedy is to cancel and reset.
Juju’s UPM minority government is a deadly collection of egos that have lost grip of reality. Kenny lives in a bubble ignoring all sense of reality. Time to vote them out before they bankrupt Cayman.
No, no, and no.
At least they’re making it easy.
Definitely DO NOT SUPPORT cruise berthing in any shape or form. FULL STOP!
Vote no then. Assuming you are eligible.
Thirdworlders gonna thirdworld.
The people should be allowed to decide, not the minority that are CPR.
CPR Cayman has always stated that it supports the referendum process.
However, the process, the question plus the important information and all facts must be fully disclosed to the people of the Cayman Islands and voters in order to make an informed decision.
Voting on any infrastructure project in Cayman without all details in the public domain seems illogical and rife with issues when viewed objectively.
CPR secured over 6500 eligible voter signatures in 2019 that represented over 25% of the voters on the electoral roll. This triggered Cayman’s first People’s Initiated Referendum primarily because of the misinformation campaign by the PPM.
Facts: CPR wants the process done properly and exercised their rights in accordance with the Constitution and all relevant legislation.
Facts: CPR support and the numbers of eligible voters disillusioned by both the PPM and now the UPM has grown given the legitimate concerns regarding the process, lack of information and the question.
Thanks CPR for show real grass roots leadership and consistency.
Fact: CPR blocked the referendum from taking place. Fact: not all 6500 of those signatures were no voters.
Fact: the only way to find out is to hold the referendum which the voters have asked for.
Minority you say? Read the room pal.
11 members of CPR so far do not think that the voters should be allowed to decide.
Please try again.
What you have stated is NOT true plus that is not the official position of CPR Cayman.
No weed, no vote. Legalise it.
Vote yes on proposition 420!
Vote the No Weed, No Vote guy for Cayman Brac East – not the other guy who made his living in Grand Cayman and has recently decided to show face, sponsor a couple of events and try to buy everybody before declaring for election. Truth. Decriminalize the ganja, stop to building port BS.
Us in Cayman Brac East want one of us who has lived here, worked here throughout all the years – not some guy who after decades of living off the island all of a sudden decided it is the best place to be.