Gov’t races through legislation at short meeting
(CNS): A mandatory anti-bullying policy for schools, stricter drinking and driving laws and a historic overhaul of the poor law were just some of the pieces of legislation the PACT Government raced through before adjourning the latest parliamentary meeting in the absence of the opposition. The controversial sitting, which began Friday, wrapped up on Monday night with no future date for the next meeting. The two days focused entirely on government business once the confidence in the government motion was passed.
The Accountants (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Limited Liability Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, intended to boost the accounting sector and the work of corporate service providers, were also steered through by Financial Services Minister André Ebanks.
Ebanks, who also has responsibility for social development, steered through the landmark Financial Assistance Bill, 2022, overhauling the existing Poor Persons Relief Act and laying the legislative foundations for the modernisation of social welfare.
“The Financial Assistance Bill 2022 represents a significant accomplishment in advancing government’s social development agenda and priorities,” he told his colleagues. “It provides a 21st-century legislation for eligible Caymanians who are in need of government’s financial assistance, while building in accountability and legal recourse.”
The framework act outlines and defines for the first time who is eligible for government assistance, namely Caymanians, spouses of a Caymanian or guardians of a Caymanian dependent, all of whom must be resident on island during the time of the application and at least eight of the twelve months preceding the application. It allows for conditions to be attached to financial assistance and creates transparency and accountability for decisions.
Drinking and driving was also tackled with amendments to the traffic law. From now on, the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) for drivers drops from 100 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood (0.1%) to 70 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood (0.07%). The new limit is more stringent than that of the United States, the United Kingdom (other than Scotland which is 0.05%) and Canada.
The bill was steered through by the premier and received unanimous support from the government benches. Panton said that changing the drinking and driving limit was a high priority given the risk factor on the road.
“The proposed amendment within this bill is just the beginning of the PACT Government’s commitment to addressing this social problem, and lowering our maximum legal blood alcohol concentration limit is a step in the right direction towards bringing the Cayman Islands more in line with global best practices,” Panton said.
“There can be no stronger statement of our commitment to public health, safety and saving the lives of our people, including specifically young people for whom road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death globally,” he added.
Police Commissioner Derek Byrne supported the change, saying it emphasises the key road safety message: Do not drink and drive.
“The amendment reflects our intolerance of drunk drivers on our public roadways who choose to endanger themselves and the lives of others. The RCIPS will be actively enforcing the changes to the legal BAC limit, especially as we approach the festive season,” he warned.
See the full two-day meeting on CIGTV’s Youtube in seven parts.
The legislative agenda begins in Part 3 of Monday’s session below:
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Lowering the blood alcohol limit to 0.07% doesn’t put the RCIPS Traffic Unit in their cruisers and deploy them in the community. It could be set to zero, and the enforcement arm still wouldn’t show up. Cayman needs a new CoP.
When was there a change in the law that a Caymanian can no longer land on an expired Cayman Islands Passport?
Does that mean that the Cayman Islands government will be deporting those individuals on arrival or denying them the rights to boarding a flight to return home?
For those who think that Cayman taxi fares are too expensive, please take a taxi from the Miami Airport to the Dolphin Mall and see what it costs. I doubt lower taxi fares and better bus services will stop people from drinking and driving. Not even high alcohol prices is a deterrent to the abuse of alcohol.
Government can not fix government. Its not broken anyways. It was designed this way. You’re a debt slave. Your lot in life is to obey and work.
anti-bullying policy for schools. And should have bee add too the anti-bullying pplicy also. our parliament and all workplaces
For all those Edat who”s talking about getting huber in cayman may i say this to you all that you are in the wrong country.why should the government bring in huber when they already have their taxi service in order,either you hop on and stay on or hop off and stay off.we the caymanaian people dont need it here.
So you speak for all us Caymanians? Im going to say no.
Am I the only that actually listened to the YouTube broadcast? Are some people just being petty? The free breakfast and lunch at the schools is happening. The CUC discount on my light bill during the summer happened. I see the improvements being done at the district civic centers. The Coast Guard is 100% Caymanian and they are getting excellent training overseas. Some things still require work, for sure, but why do I feel like some are just being ingrates?
Tuff. Tha’ wha’ they get. Tax payers don’t pay the opposition to boycott Parliament. If anything, they should have attended stating categorically that they were there against their better judgement. What they did is forfeit the match. Every Cabinet minister was free to detailed what they completed over a year and a half and there was no opposition to offer a counterpoint. Like Julia Roberts said: Bad mistake; bad, bad mistake.
Cracking down on drink driving is a very good thing but how about changing the taxi system so that’s it’s not a complete scam and cartel? How about providing a night bus that runs from West Bay to South Sound at night?
The only real “benefit” from lowering the drunk/driving criteria is more $$$ in the kitty! Nothing else makes sense!
Has ANY Government done ANYTHING which does NOT result in more FEES??!
CIG exists on FEES for Revenues – the more the better for them!!
Lowering the limit does nothing to stop bad driving and most accidents. Stop Yardies overtaking in the turning lane, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic and driving in the right hand lane might help. Also stop exchanging their license for ours. Tighten our Driving tests and insist everyone pass it.
Lock-up is going to be rammed full this weekend.
Still safer at 0.1 than setting foot on a public “bus”. I’ll take my chances
Wonder how many police officers will now be caught drink driving ….
So our government passed laws on the books for extension of drinking hours at the bars, allowed gas stations to sell alcohol and Sunday sales of alcohol. Now they have lowered the BAC limit? Help me make sense why we paying these ministers?
Every bar owner is required to test every patron before and after every drink to ensure they are within the l(BAC) threshold or their liquor license is revoked and 100k fine to allocate to all Mp’s next raise.
😂😂😂😂😂
Hahahaha just kidding! Don’t take it seriously Pact.
Time for affordable Uber
ACCOUNTANTS!!!!!! FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE AMENDMENT BILL!!!
https://legislation.gov.ky/cms/images/LEGISLATION/BILLS/2022/2022-0007/AccountantsAmendmentBill2022.pdf
So now I can only have 8 beers instead of 12 before heading home from work? Thanks a lot PACT!
Premier and DG. My heroes
Me too. Love all DG products. Especially Red Stripe.
Session “adjourned” with business to be reconvened at a future date? Or was business concluded and session closed? “Adjourned” isn’t the correct word to close meetings, if everything was accomplished.
You are wasting electrons.
This is the 2nd sitting of the House of Parliament in 2022 and the House will not sit again until God knows when in 2023 and THIS is what the Govt considers a priority of business after not doing ANYTHING all year?? Considering everything else Caymanians especially and the country’s residents are facing?! Spare me.
Clearly, the PPM policies, budgets and everything else they (PACT Members) campaigned against can’t be all that bad for them to not do anything for the past 18 months.
They have been extremely busy fixing the mess the PPM has made since they assumed office in 2005. I was on their side at first but when they started to go against Caymanians and ignore what we the people wanted they really showed their true colors.
PACT has inherited a real mess and they need to be commended for the strides they have been making under difficult circumstances.
Oh please! Get off the PACT cloud and be real. The most they have done since being elected is plan to form a new government. Stop blaming PPM for PACT’s massive failure!
I’m not gonna thumbs down this or thumbs up this. They are existing at best.
Ha ha, are you for real ? PACT stooge. They have achieved the square route of %$@! all, unless you count squandering obscene amounts of public money on vanity projects, taking lavish trips at the expense of the public purse again and enriching their own pockets. Accepted Caymanian politicians have always done this but please, PACT are a utterly incompetent in addition to the traditional hallmarks of being in government.
@6.11 – please elaborate on what they have actually done or fixed?? …. I’ll wait.
Meanwhile the residents of the eastern districts of Grand Cayman are sitting in traffic for 3 and 4 hours in the evenings trying to get home from work. The extension to the east to west arterial highway that was under construction and stopped the week after the elections are now covered in bush and trees. Please fast track elections if nothing more we may get this long overdue badly needed road built. What a mess.
To Yea I said it 1:36pm: If my memory serves, they meet around Christmas every year so, your conclusion is inaccurate.
PACT getting things done with the babies out of the way!
3 Words – UBER UBER UBER!
Alcoholism and ritual DUI are not caused by dangerous transportation choices. It’s the other way around, before the drinking even starts. Social maturity and responsible moderation are in more serious shortage than Uber. Doesn’t help that “work”, “industry”, and “charity” events all revolve around alcohol. Our whole culture will need to make room now for all the people that can’t legally have more than half a goblet of wine.
We’ll only get UBER if Mac or a close crony gets the franchise.
Until then, they’ll be protecting their Jamaican taxi driver wotes.
With over 200k in salary combined per month and that’s all pact came up with for this sitting? Must be nice to be an MP, here is a nice thought,Instead of coming up with a new financial assistance bill, how about putting that huge monthly salary your receiving to find solutions to help Caymanians become financially secure instead of depending on handouts! At least the Caymanians that willing to work that is, that’s what we paying you for! I begin to think now we are really in trouble.
less government is good.
dui limits had to be reduced. but doing this without bringing in uber or better public transport initiatives is pure madness and will solve nothing.
welcome to wonderland…
All this serves to achieve is to make it much less of a challenge to say, “I blew twice over the limit and still made it home fine”.
The people who crash drunk are usually over the limit significantly. Lowering the threshold means nothing without harsher penalties.
Agreed, and as long as it is merely a traffic offense which does not appear on a criminal record, it’s not even worth comparing our limits to other countries’ limits.
The majority of countries we are comparing our old and new limit to, have DUI/DWI as some level of criminal offense, so we are not comparing apples with apples here.
Lowering the blood alchol level will not achieve anything if the Police are not out enforcing the law. People who are driving over the current limit do not care. Why would they care if the level is dropped?
I would be interested to know how many of the DUI deaths or serious accidents were caused by drivers blowing between 70mg and 100mg? – I’m going to warrant that most were well over the 100mg, in which case this change will not make a huge difference. – FOI anyone? (I would but as I’m in Government there would likely be repercussions).
Whilst this is a sensible step, unfortunately its just another political band-aid which doesn’t properly address the situation.
Proper, practical driving tests for all those coming to Cayman.
Assessment of all driving schools in Cayman to ensure that they are teaching the correct methods of driving (hint- they’re not).
Points on licenses for offences such as speeding, use of cell phone whilst driving, dangerous driving etc, with the eventual loss of driving license.
Enforcement of speeding offences – static cameras / average speed limit zones.
Enforcement of seatbelt wearing.
Enforcement of child seats.
Enforcement of unroadworthy vehicles.
A lot of this comes down to effective deterrent, enforcement and punishment, something our politicians are keen to avoid as it affects their constituents. – Until they get serious about this it will continue.
RCIPS also need to get out there and actually enforce the laws.
Spot on. They’ll do nothing if it affects their woters.
mandatory breath tests fo any traffic stop. and when they do a road block test everyone.
if they are ovrer the limit instant suspension until court.
look at some of Australias drink laws.
Grow up. your proposal sounds like someyhingvout of NAZI Germany or Cuba. I am against it.
We do not live in a dictatorship. I very seldomly drink, and when I do, I do not drive. It would be madness and unconstitutional to mandate a breathalyzer test. Currently, an officer needs reasonable suspicion to conduct the test. i.e. Strong smell of alcohol, Slurring of speech, confession to having consumed any amount of alcohol recently. You can move to Australia if you do not enjoy moving around freely.
First step towards a police state
You can lower the drink limit all you want but until the police actually do their job nothing will change. Whilst I appreciate they cannot be everywhere all the time they are NOWHERE any of the time and I have witnessed police cars time and time again simply driving past offences from people on cell phones, no seatbelts, children in the front not in booster seats or with seat belts on to cars clearly unfit to be on the road (and this questions the integrity of the licensing unit – we all know about the back hand “pay me $$$ and I will pass your car”) … people know they can get away with all this so will continue to do so.
They need to sit in the middle lane around Captains Bakery to catch all the idiots screaming up that lane to beat traffic.
Poor Roy. PACT gave him an open goal, and he really thought he’d walk it in, but he’s scuffed it wide from 3yds out.
his ridiculous fake angst has opened the door for Panton to push through whatever he likes, unopposed, and get full credit for it.
if PPM are this bad in opposition, imagine them in government!
Poor you. You really are think they wouldn’t have been there if there was anything on the agenda they felt they needed to publicly oppose?
Poor you. Still have faith in your elected poltricians.
It’s good to have dreams, pooh bear. BTW, I’m not the person you were responding to, however I couldn’t help returning your condescending reply.
Now that PACT has given itself a 3 month Parliamentary holiday after 2 days of meeting in Parliament, there are no doubt plans for travel by most of them, to exciting destinations at our expense.
The electorate should think of local travel, perhaps to see the giant lump under the carpet somewhere in Cayman – I mean of course the lump associated with the mislaid North Side soil –
https://caymannewsservice.com/2022/07/acc-refers-north-side-soil-scandal-to-prosecutors/
Good point about the missing fill/topsoil.
I wonder why nothing has been done about that ..?
Clearly lump under the carpet would indicate it’s been swept under the rug…but surely even UDPact can’t all be so immoral as to ignore it.
LMAO – funniest comment on this thread
Does the Government have any statistics on the number of crashes/accidents of drivers that were between 0.07% and 0.10% that this new limit will now catch? What is the rationale in making it a different level to the US and UK? Without any information it feels like they have either plucked a number out of their, erm, thin air, or it’s the only compromise number that all the stakeholders could agree on. Before anyone jumps in and says ‘any change is good’, for a law to be effective it must be understood and widely accepted. Sure you could set the level to zero, you could cut the speed limit to 5mph and have a man walking in front of your car with a red flag, neither are practical and neither would be adhered to. What is the risk factor being changed and what benefits can we expect?
Excellent points!
PACT supporters, (both of them), will no doubt applaud the government for opening Parliament for 2 days, and then closings its operations down for at least the next 3 months.
Both those supporters railed against the PPM for refusing to participate in Mac’s farce for 2 days, but think that it is wonderful that the PACT government will not show up in Parliament for months.
To Anonymous 10:01am: “Closing operations”? Whether the MPs are in session or not, parliament itself works every day. The same goes for all the ministries; the civil service works every day, whether their minister is there or not.
Good. I hope these selfish fools who insist on drinking and driving get prosecuted.
Then they’ll be forced to beg a ride for a good while after their driver’s license is taken away by the judge – which is what they should have done in the first place.
I am close with two different people, a friend and my cousin, who were both injured in accidents this year where the other driver was drunk.
I have no sympathy for drunk drivers. NONE.
What about some anti-bullying legislation for Parliamentarians? Or maybe even a code of conduct?
Our MPs bringing anything that will restrict their ability to harass women and say things that outside of Parliament would be an offence???? – That will happen when a cow being harassed by Mac jumps over the full moon shining on that donkey that John John goes on about.
But wait – MAC announced on the Friday when the non confidence vote was illegally squashed that Parliament ( AKA him ) would be running a lecture series on Code of Conduct. What a joke! He is last person who should be telling people about abiding by a code of conduct. Come on Wayne – stop the bs please.
What a stupid waste of time. There will still be less traffic o. Friday evening because everyone has stopped at happy hour and we’ll all still be driving to and from brunch on Sunday because they have refused to address the taxi mafia and woeful public transport system. Nothing has changed.
Agreed. Public transport needs to be improved & taxi rates lowered to encourage people not to use their cars (after drinking or any time!).
I missed the bit of allowing Uber on the island and the improved night time public transport policy.
It’s not just about lowering the BAC, it’s about enforcing the rule and having police officers on the streets. Most of the people who drive drunk don’t actually care about what the limit is, and they keep doing it because they are confident they won’t get caught!