Alric: Without bio-diversity ‘we will die’
(CNS): Alric Lindsay, who is campaigning on an environmental platform to take the George Town South seat from incumbent Barbara Conolly, has made it clear what is at stake for Cayman, as over-development undermines its diverse natural resources. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum Tuesday evening, he said, “We must have biodiversity… if not, we will die.”
Lindsay said it was time to assign a value to our environment and natural capital so that people understand the cost of policy decisions which impact those resources. On the other hand, his opponent seemed utterly flawed when asked what sustainable development meant and what she planned to do about it.
After four years in office, Conolly gave a poor performance and failed to articulate an understanding of what the government had done during this administration, and offered only a vague outline of what voters could expect if they returned her to office or the the PPM Alliance she is running with.
In a very clear contrast, Lindsay gave a well researched and confident performance, demonstrating that over the last four years, since his first try for the seat in 2017, he has been doing the work needed to understand the constituency and the current political landscape.
In almost every case Conolly answered the Chamber forum questions with a written prepared response, even when those prepared responses did not actually address what she was being asked. The only time she seemed to have a real understanding of what she was responding to was when the controversial issue of the Smith Barcadere project came up.
This issue was raised a number of times as it has been an important part of Lindsay’s election campaign. The challenger led the community response to protect the much loved cove at the heart of George Town South when it became apparent that government had grandiose plans for the site which flew in the face of the desires of the community.
During one of the exchanges between the candidates on this issue, Conolly let slip that she had lost control of this project and she appeared to have been kept in the dark about the planning minister’s plans for the site in her own constituency.
Lindsay said the residents were right to raise their concerns over Smith Barcadere and said that even now, things don’t line up and in future there needs to be much more government transparency surrounding these types of projects, given the differences that were revealed through his own freedom of information requests from what government had claimed was happening and the truth of the situation.
He noted the missing minutes of the relevant Cabinet meeting, the misleading information fed to the public and the real budget of millions of dollars rather than the $250,000 that the government had claimed it was planning to spend.
Conolly said she had gone to Cabinet to ask to clean up the underbrush on the land government had acquired and to do some other enhancement work, which started with volunteers.
“We went to Public Works… to do a plan… The plan was very simple at the time but for some reason there were some issues… and we kept enhancing it,” she said, adding that she did not know where the figures Lindsay gave came from.
However, the details were uncovered via the FOI requests and supported his argument that government was far from transparent about this project and the real motivations behind what was going on.
The two candidates addressed a number of other issues, such as education, health insurance, affordable housing and traffic, but the topic of over-development and the impact on the environment was a key theme running through the forum, with the lack of a national plan underscoring many of the issues that both candidates said they wanted to address.
Facing a question about the recall of members of Parliament, Conolly had to rustle through her papers to find the prepared answer, and then read out the PPM line, which is to avoid committing to that proposition and instead promoting the concept of a code of conduct for MPs.
Lindsay, however, said he was in favour of recall, pointing out that this administration had already gutted the power of the standards in public life legislation to prevent MPs from really being held accountable for anything.
On the future of cruise tourism, Lindsay said he still did not trust the current administration’s claim to have abandoned the cruise berthing project, and that it was time for Cayman to re-evaluate its relationship with the cruise sector.
Conolly said that the PPM manifesto did not include plans for a pier, and though she still supported the return of the sector, she accepted that the numbers needed to be managed.
In 2017 five candidates competed for the seat in George Town South. Conolly won with just over 40% of the vote, with Mike Adam, who ran on McKeeva Bush’s CDP platform, coming in second with just over 33% of the count.
Lindsay and the other two contenders failed to reach the 10% threshold to retain their deposits. But now, in a head-to-head race in a constituency that has grown by more than 120 votes since 2017, Lindsay’s prospects have improved immensely.
See the GTS Chamber Forum below:
Category: Election News
I am really looking forward to voting for Alric and having him represent me. He us sensible and balanced.
Well done Alric, you had one of the best debates of 2021 forum, you were very clear in your answers, informative, gave solutions to some of our current problems but I think what impressed me the most is your ability to see a little further down the road. It’s people of the seem mind frame as you that would give future generations a little hope.
Ops! Did I say debate? Sorry but Barbara was so out of it
She reminded me of a ‘chicken with his head cut off’
Best of luck Alric for GTS – the man for the job
Bio Diversity…?
Flavor of the week kissing up to the tree huggers for a few votes, then forget it.
Ladies and gentlemen. Proof that PPM supporters don’t give a rat’s ass about the environment.
We ALL have solutions, having the ream behind you to actually enact those solutions is where Alric will fail.
Idealism is not a solution, hard nosed application of the practical is what we need, and can only expect it from the incumbent backed by a strong committed team…..wether you like them or not.
But the incumbent team has shown a clear lack of political will.
Am sorry for Ms Barbara as she is so out of it. Have you listen to her ad on Facebook, she keeps referring to herself in the 3rd person.
Barbara had more papers in front of her shuffling through then Brandon used to have in his briefcase.
If you can’t answer questions from the heart and need scripts provided to you to read, how are we supposed to know whether what you are saying is true or just a line given to you by the PPM machinery to read?
He cannot do worse than the incumbent.
Of course not, because he has not done anything , never has other than talk the big talk.
He’s not elected yet, you fool.
He’ll be getting my vote
He said he is against the Covid vaccine.. pretty selfish and ignorant wouldn’t you say ?
Is that who you want to represent you, once he buddies up with Mac..?
He is one smart guy….if he did Not take the COVID vaccine, but he will be no threat to you as you have taken your and is NOW IMMUNE TO COVID 🤪😜 ops your vaccine is only experimental and has no guarantees it will work!!! But he never referred to you as the idiot for taking something with no proven record it works. Therefore his decision is Called freedom of choice and his human rights.
BAHHHHH BAHHHH, SHEEP SHUT UP.
Get rid of sleepy Barbara GTS! Please give Alric a chance.