UPM sacks six NCC members, including experts
(CNS): The UPM has fired all of the appointed experts from the National Conservation Council in what appears to be a shocking act of revenge against the NCC members, who advocated against the government’s attempts to gut the National Conservation Act and successfully challenged errors by the Central Planning Authority in court several times.
Just three weeks before Nomination Day and the period when Cabinet can no longer execute new policy, the UPM has replaced the scientists with former politicians and political supporters. All of those who have been fired were due to serve until August of this year.
Even though the law requires experts on the council, the UPM has sacked Stuart Mailer, the NCC’s chairman, replacing him with Gilbert McLean, who has no environmental or conservation credentials.
According to a notice on the government gazette posted Wednesday, former MPs Arden McLean and Ezzard Miller, both long-time opponents of the conservation law who have no relevant experience or expertise, are two new “Technical” appointees, replacing Lisa Hurlston and Patricia Bradly, both qualified scientists.
Former District Commissioner Kenny Ryan is replacing the late Captain Harrison Bothwell as a Cayman Brac/technical representative.
Steve McField, Paula Tathum and Captain Eugene Ebanks have been placed on the council as district representatives. Only Ian Kirkham, who has a background in environmental science, has survived the mass firing. Even Lucille Seymour, the aunt of Dwayne Seymour, who took over responsibility for the sustainability ministry in November, has been pushed off the council.
Frank Roulstone, the National Trust representative, also remains as Cabinet cannot fire him given the conservation law guarantees a seat for the trust.
The NCC has just three more meetings before the election, one of which will be public. But if the remaining members of the UPM retain office and lead a post-election coalition, the new appointees, who are clearly inappropriate for any government serious about protecting the environment, could all remain on the council.
Local environmental activists began describing the move on social media as “truly alarming”. Katrina Jurn, one of Cayman’s leading environmental scientists, posted that this was an explicit “slap in the face” to those who have “stood up for our conservation act, good governance and against the development cabal” and a retaliation against the NCC for defending itself against the UPM’s proposed amendments and for the courtroom vindication.
Check back to CNS for more on this story tomorrow.
See the gazettal of the appointments and the official firing of the experts here or below:
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Category: development, Local News, Politics
THIS IS A RIDICULE THE POLITICIANS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES BUT THEY HAVE NO SHAME FOR ANYTHING THEY DO!!! Mark my words your dirty maneuvers do not go unnoticed by the Cayman populace! You all will get the boot come election time and you all know it so try to get in your deeds now!
The ”UPM” Government will do whatever madness it wants until nomination day because voters won’t remember the actual ‘MPs’ responsible… they will only remember the UPM was responsible. A party that basically no longer exists and that will not be fielding candidates.
Voters better take note of all the politicians on this so-called ‘party’ UPM – because each one is sure to rebrand themselves under one of the new parties or under the PPM umbrella.
Food For Thought
The NCC still retains all of its statutory appointees, who have a wide range of technical and scientific knowledge e.g. the Direct of DoE etc. and most importantly they all have voting powers. The change only affected the district representatives and whilst it is stated they have no technical knowledge, they hold vast knowledge of the Cayman landmass, historical sites, and more. A majority of the comments here are of negative nature, but as a generational Caymanian, I welcome the change as the council now comprises of members who are persons of the soil, know the Cayman landscape and are a better representation of Caymanians. I encourage all persons to read the law and understand its provisions before commenting because most comments appear to only be based on the content of this article which on the face presents a bias. Lastly for those who are unfamiliar with the public sector, processes are in place, and I am fairly confident legal advice would have been sought before such a change was made to ensure everything was on the up and up.
Absolute rubbish – “The NCC still retains all of its statutory appointees, who have a wide range of technical and scientific knowledge e.g. the Direct of DoE etc. and most importantly they all have voting powers.”
As the release clearly states the people with scientific knowledge are ‘ex officio’ not ‘voting members’.
Please refer to sec. (3)2 of the NCC law it states 13 voting members
Did you read the same article as the rest of us???
Mind you choke on your thought. Are you trying to say that Lisa Hurlston, Piere Foster or Lucille Seymour MBE are not persons of the soil? And dont even try to compare intelligence and commitment to the country. Better representation of Caymanians..really! When Mr McFarlane Conolly was chair of the NCC the same group of scoundrels that remain there apparently berated that gentleman and he passed with the knowledge that these people had told lies on him and were determined to lie and twist the facts to deliver for the special interests, not for our people! All of North Side, East End, Bodden Town East and George Town Central would hang their heads in SHAME if they knew.
Ian Kirkman connection to a certain company in a certain district which pays homage to a certain Rick Ross like minister pays dividends aaaaah Cayman Everyday I am hustlin everyday I’m hustlin !
Is that rapper Rick Ross or ‘Highway’ Rick Ross
Can CNS please confirm though; headlines keep generalizing all the replaced members as ‘experts’ but when actually reading the various articles , it would seem that only TWO replaced members technically had any formal ‘expert’ or ‘scientific’ qualifications. I guess it all comes down to what the current requirements are to be considered an ‘expert’
Good riddance globalist puppets.
So are Ezzard, Arden, Gilbert , Capt Eugene, and Steve not running for election then?
When and where is the next public meeting of this sham organization ? ?
How is this even legal. How can the “UDP” nee JOC even sack the entire council? What next? Sack all of the DOE because the have the uncomfortable habit of speaking out against environmental atrocities?
another example of a tiny Caribbean country sold out by a corrupt cadre running a kleptocracy
Why was Ian Kirkham reappointed?
Well he arranged for the Fish Shack to be demolished at the dead of night without any warning and is responsible for the ugly glass buildings that replaced it. So he is not for conservation.
Land parcels 49B234, 49B235 and 49B236 would be a good place to commence your investigation
So they got rid of Wayne’s politically appointed persons and replaced them with their own. Big whoop. Surprised it took so long quite frankly.
Clearly this was done out of spite, an act of revenge. Proof these politicians are not working for the people, but watch them get voted right back in. Pay in kind or cash, votes are bought.
You needed more proof?
How do we organise crowd sourcing for a judicial review? I would gladly contribute to that.
13 @ 2.15pm Yes! I’d be onboard. Definitely needed and they have mistaken many of us as sheep.
Any Constitutional lawyers/scholars
out there can chime in.
Steve McField is a constitutional lawyer. I heard him say so on the radio, so it must be true.
any comment ppm?
any comment Mrs governor?
PPM?
The only comment you’ll get from them on this os’ “awesome – JoCC saved us from looking like the bad guys”
This is ridiculous!!
Is Juliana learning from Trump or wha?
What a bunch of clowns…aaahh experts
How did is the PPM responsible ? This decision was made by Cabinet and last time i checked the PPM do not sit in Cabinet. Stop spraying lies!!!
13 @ 1.16pm – Sorry but it’s voters like you who have us here!
PPM is the Opposition! Their responsibilities do NOT include bending over to help a minority Government, which was supposedly lame-duck until elections in April. Thats what they did…gave carte blanche to UPM for the next two months. Imagine how much pet projects will get approved and waste of OUR money in that time! Worse that they’re sending invitations to the some of the main prepretators of this mess were in.
But you wouldn’t get it. Get that fridge n turkey, though? Enjoy!
PPM wasn’t the only set of MPs to support having a minority, caretaker government to see us through without early elections. In fact, Andre and his merry band of migrants (to the other side of the aisle) also supported maintaining a functioning Cabinet. I doubt any of them are particularly pleased about the way they’ve now engaged in executive function, but to avoid disenfranchising newly registered voters they need to make it a bit longer without dissolving Parliament.
The PPM have agreed to prop up the current government until the election
By definition they are cosigning everything the government does as long as they continue to prop them up.
Food for thought.
There are still several statutory government appointees with expertise and voting power, the newly elected persons have historical knowledge of the Cayman landmass. Further anyone with an understanding of how the government works, wouldn’t one assume that legal advice was obtained before making such a move. I encourage everyone to read the law to be more informed and not simply go off of the contents of the article before commenting. Please and thanks.
Voting power ???? Have you read the PAA? or the NCA???
Like most of the public’s check and balance rigging, the deck has now been loaded with environmentally vapid political appointees, ready to approve damaging projects through sensitive zones. Read the reporting.
Corrupt, self-serving scum. Plain and simple.
Developers money well spent. Cayman MLA’s make me feel sick. They don’t even try and hide it.