‘Fierce advocate’ leaving after eight years at OAG helm
(CNS): After eight years as auditor general of the Cayman Islands, Sue Winspear will be stepping down from the post before the end of the year. Governor Jane Owen described the first woman to take on the challenging role as “a fierce advocate” who held people to account over the expenditure of public cash. Winspear is moving back to the UK as she has been battling cancer for over a year.
Winspear has continued to work through her health issues and intends to help in the transition to a new auditor general before she departs on a date yet to be confirmed. According to a press release, the recruitment process is set to begin shortly.
As she accepted Winspear’s resignation, Owen expressed admiration for her as well as gratitude for her contribution to Cayman.
“Sue Winspear is the first woman to be appointed auditor general within the Cayman Islands,” Owen said in the release. “During her tenure, she has been a fierce advocate on behalf of our people, demanding good value for money in the ways public bodies procure goods and services, and insisting on strong accountability in their policy mandates.”
The governor credited Winspear with strengthening the office during her tenure and said she had earned the respect and confidence of all stakeholders, including the Public Accounts Committee, the diverse range of ministries and public bodies, the local accounting profession, and fellow audit bodies regionally and internationally.
“Her team has repeatedly achieved some of the highest employee engagement scores within the civil service, and the office has been independently assessed as performing to the highest standard in many areas of the global performance framework,” Owen said. “It has been a great pleasure to benefit from Sue’s leadership, hard work and advice, and I wish her all the best for the future.”
Winspear led the office through the unexpected challenge of COVID-19 as well as the challenges that relate to the use of public cash. She has often ruffled senior feathers and has not been afraid to document the problems that still surround accountability for an annual government budget of more than one billion dollars.
Since 2016, she has addressed financial management and reporting head-on, which has gradually improved.
The most recent 2023 financial audit cycle saw 39 out of 46 public sector entity audits completed by the 30 April statutory deadline, all with clean audit opinions which was the best-ever performance in the Cayman Islands though she has continued to highlight myriad issues that continue to prevent the government from properly accounting for what it spends and collects from taxpayers.
Winspear’s audit work has led to legislative changes that were made in response to audit recommendations, such as the Procurement Act and supporting regulations. This has improved the value from public spending by reducing poor procurement practices, such as contract awards being made without competition.
The Standards in Public Life Act was introduced in 2017 after repeated audit recommendations, and the Public Authorities Act has improved many aspects of governance in statutory authorities and government companies
The auditor general’s recommendations through audits and special investigations have also led to the government issuing new guidance to further strengthen the way that it operates.
One recommendation that will come into practice next year, in the run-up to the 2025 General Election, is guidance for public servants that prevents the government from signing new contracts or the development of new policies after an election has been called.
This has been seen as a major step in improving accountability. It was largely triggered by the fallout after the PPM administration engaged in a number of problematic contracts, such as the waste-management project and the overseas offices debacle, just weeks before the last general election.
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Category: Government Finance, Politics
Thank you for your service Sue, your bravery and dedication is commendable. You have a few reports coming out this year, end with a bang, especially that one on governance. We really need some house-cleaning on some of these Government Boards.
Thank you for your outstanding service to these Cayman Islands. May you be blessed with a complete healing and recovery, and enjoy a long and happy life.
A great loss to Cayman.
I wish her well with hopes of a full recovery from her illness.
thanks sue. now bring back the cowboy dan dugay….a man who was doing such a great job ..mac got rid of him!..what a badge of honour!
LOL. I am honored to be thought of but I am happy in my retirement.Ms. Winspear has done a great job and I like so many others, will be sorry to see her go. I know how difficult the job can be and I believe that Cayman was lucky to have such a fierce advocate. I wish her well in her future endeavors
Fierce advocate you damn right Madam Governor for Decent Caymanians and their interest but a pestilence for the corrupt principles and their proxies in the public sector ,who will be no doubt overjoyed by her departure so they can get back to Status Quo ! Especially those Who desperately tried to reign her in to protect their corruption. We got your back Mrs Sue Winspear had they removed you at that Saturday morning meeting some believe was secret there was going to be some real trouble up in yah for Dem Excellent job girl and well done they are giving every piece of Driftwood status I can’t see why you cannot be given it too, that’s if you even want it .You simply have done more for transparency in government than any political or government minion in past 100 years on this rock.
In the Charlie Brown analogy, Sue endured 8 years of a Frans Manderson “Lucy” yanking her football away so she could never truly connect materially, even on sensible ideas. It’s a tragic shame for all of us. We should all appreciate what she did try to accomplish, the fierce resistance she had to endure along the way, and most importantly: that despite her considerable efforts, the behaviour and mentality of CIG continues, largely uncompliant.
9:24. What an ignorant comment. You do realize that everyone of The AG’s accomplishments was done with our DG support.
The AG recommends and the DG delivers. Go and hate up the DG but the facts are facts.
Thank you AG for your service. We pray for a complete recovery.
Yes 830pm God made ugly but he don’t like it. I will put your naivety down to blind ignorance. or is it willful??
It is disheartening to see some thumbs down on this lady’s accomplishments and service to the people of the Cayman Islands. To them I say shame on you and to Sue I say they do not represent the majority of us.
While her team has brought light and conversation to the public of the performance of the government entities, it does fall on some deaf ears for political expediency.
Hopefully her replacement can at least walk in one of her shoes.
Thank you Sue. You will be missed
The thumbs down are clear evidence that at least a few of corrupt politicians and their cronies read CNS.
Sue was the latest in a series of external hires to successfully raise alarms on spending, transparency issues, cronyism and even internal corruption – but mostly powerless to tackle any of it, since enforcement division happily sat on their hands, without much objection from the public. It is truly sad that Caymanians won’t fight as hard for what’s right, even when it comes to how their own capital for now and future generations is wasted – forgoing decades of positive social and happiness opportunities in the process.
It’s all downhill from here. And fast. What a brilliant woman!
Having known almost all of our Auditor Generals over the past 50 years I can say that we have been blessed with many good ones indeed, some of whom were outstanding. One or two were more outgoing than others but that is not the point. The role of an auditor in Government, in my opinion is far more difficult than one in practice. It requires diplomacy at the highest level, a strong personality and the ability to keep continually up to date with the many laws that are enacted each year.
Mrs Winspear’s contribution to the well-being of our islands has been outstanding and I do hope that her successor meets the same high standards that she has set in her role as AG.
Thank you Mrs Winspear for a job well done.
Ms. Winspear, may God heal you (lots of great chemotherapies are available now) and may you enjoy a long and healthy retirement. Thank you for your stalwart services to Cayman; thanks for your professionalism and tenacity in reminding public officials of their obligations with “value for (public) money”.
Too bad you were talking to morons who don’t care to understand…..that’s not on you.
Godspeed, Ms. Winspear!
Prayers for you, Ms. Winspear. Thank you for standing up to entrenched power and defending the people of Cayman. May a worthy successor be appointed who will have the backbone to do the same.
Am I correct in remembering that we went through one Auditor General per year for years until she came along?
That would be incorrect
Thank you for your efforts. We hope you win your battle. Good luck.
What Neanderthal(s) could give a thumbs down to the 7:36 comment?
probably corrupt politicians who feel aggrieved at foregone proceeds of crime
a shining light on the incompetence and failures of cig and the civil service generally.
thank you.
shame on cig for ignoring literally all of her advice and reports.
…and the voters who hold all the power.
well done Sue, always keeping those political rascals in check!
She had no enforcement power to keep them in check. In fact, CIG regimes saw fit to dilute her recommendations, including the SIPLA, to a trickle of what is originally was. Juju went even further to essentially indemnify her Cabinet from any recourse, while also introducing $150mln in unbudgeted “Nation Building” activities, including her KYD$50mln Brac school. Crickets from the voting public.
Rascals? Need a much stronger word
Great loss of a professional who has done an excellent job and held people to account. Wishing you all the best and hope you can win your health battle as you did in your job. Good luck and Bless you.
She definitely raised her hand, but the enforcement branches fumbled the ball every time.
All the very best Ms Winspear. You have been a splendid Auditor General who did not fall into the trap of grandstanding as one of your predecessors did, whereby the press conference was more about him and his powers than about the findings and recommendations. You will be welcomed back in Cayman any time you choose to visit in the future.
Sue, you are a legend!