Immigration reform can fix it all, argues Myles
(CNS): At the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum for Prospect on Monday, which gave voters on the edge of the capital a chance to hear from the three candidates vying for the seat, Michael Myles struck a chord with popular opinion when he said the key to almost all of Cayman’s troubles was immigration reform and the rollout of a national development plan.
Myles said the Cayman Islands National Party would be a government of “implementors” after decades of government failure to use the information they have to solve problems.
Myles is running with Dan Scott’s group of twelve candidates, none of whom have ever been elected to office. He is challenging the incumbent, Sabrina Turner, who beat Myles in 2021 by just 46 votes when they both ran as independent candidates. This time, Turner is defending her seat as a member of The Cayman Community Party. The third candidate is Crystal Gomez Wilson, who is making her first bid for office and is campaigning with the Progressives.
Answering around a dozen open-ended questions on issues such as immigration, road safety and the private sector pension gap, the candidates appeared well aware of voters’ concerns, but they were less well-versed in exactly how they would resolve the numerous systemic problems Cayman has developed over the last couple of decades. Where the candidates did offer solutions, they gave no indication as to how these would be funded.
Myles raised the problem of the Cayman Islands’ mounting debt throughout the debate and articulated the priorities of the CINP if elected to government, but still failed to outline the costs of his solutions and how he would raise government revenue or alternatively cut spending to fund them.
Myles repeatedly stressed how reforming immigration would help with traffic, overdevelopment, infrastructure issues, job opportunities, the housing crisis, and much more.
When asked about the point system that forms part of the application for permanent residency, Myles said it had never worked for Caymanians and that a CINP government would abolish it. He said the government should return to the Caymanian Protection Law to prioritise local people’s needs because “our kids are buckling under the competition” from foreign labour.
Myles said it was the point system that had made acquiring a home almost impossible for first-time Caymanian buyers because the system effectively allows high-net-worth foreigners to buy residency through property acquisition.
“I don’t think that we have a housing issue; we have an immigration issue,” Myles said, arguing that if immigration is fixed, then everything else will be fixed, too.
Turner stressed the importance of gathering accurate data, which would lead to the development of solid policy. She spoke about the STEP health survey that was carried out when she was health minister, stressing how important it was to fill the data gaps.
In her closing comments, she said she would work for all the people and not for special interests. She also spoke about the work she has done in the constituency, such as road safety solutions and addressing the flooding that plagues Prospect, and promised she would continue her constituency work.
But despite running with the TCCP, Turner barely mentioned the party’s policy platform of greening the economy and the need to protect the environment. It was Myles who spoke about the need to protect the conservation legislation and the National Conservation Council to ensure the Cayman Islands’ natural resources are preserved.
Gomez Wilson spoke frequently about what she was learning on the campaign trail. The first-time candidate struggled during the course of the forum, explaining that she was suffering from the flu and not feeling well. She also admitted to being nervous as she was new to such an event. However, she managed to get through to the end of the forum.
The Chamber Candidate Forums continue this evening when Donna Bush (PPM) meets the incumbent, Heather Bodden (TCCP).
The government-owned station, Radio Cayman, has also introduced a series of debates that began last night.
See the Chamber’s Prospect forum on YouTube below:
Check out the CNS Election Section interactive map to see who is running in each constituency.
See the list of candidates and their party affiliations here.
Category: Election News
Change writes: Every constituency has the same issue when their MP becomes a minister. It is not that they stop caring about their area, but Cabinet members have no choice but to tackle issues at national level, and that takes budget, meetings, reports, travel, conference calls, sitting with lawyers to streamline bills and laws — all […]
Prospect has been mess up around.s
If you look and hear very clearly, you can see how Sabrina Turner had a real nasty attitude over 4 years but she got a next thing coming and what’s good for her and Kathy too! Especially TCCP likes to play games and word “Enough is Enough”
Prospect had a really enough of your mouth of devilishly!
Vote for the right one, Prospect!
Cayman Election time Politicking
Step 1:
“Blame the expats!”
You should probably leave for a year every 4 years or so to avoid this scenario.
Jamaicans are still expats right..?
Fellow voters, please keep in mind that some people have held seats for three, four or more terms. How many years is that? How many finance committees? How many Public Account Committees? How many studies/research/reports/data have crossed their desk. Has anything changed significantly? Look at West Bay Road. Huge buildings, millions’ worth of concessions. Have those concessions helped you or your family in any way? “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.” We are in this mess because of parties and their back room dealings. People who held office and did not dare to challenge the status quo administration after administration. Vote for strong candidates, not in block. Think of our children, our teenagers and young professionals, our elderly. Vote wisely.
Sabrina showed us all who she was right after the votes were counted last election. anybody willing to jump from ship to ship to gain power is someone who’s for sale and someone you should avoid at all cost.
She still showin us who she is by planting questions on talk shows to attack civil servants who can’t say anything to defend themselves. Coward. She is miserable, unapproachable and she has the nerve to talk about mental health when she did nothin in that area- and I don’t just mean poinciana pointe. Our kids dying and not a peep from her. Andre really disappointed teaming up with this bully.
Her blaming of civil servants is enough to show she should be tossed out. She wants them to do things that are illegal and blames them when they refuse to do so.
Some civil servants dont do what they are paid to do – their job. Couple chief officers arent earning their huge salary, but are not disciplined by the DG for underperformance.
To 9:38pm: Contrary to what some people believe, civil servants cannot be given three warnings and let go, like in the private sector. The law and regulations make it nearly impossible! It is terrible for morale, not to mention a poor use of public funds. If you feel that they should be updated, lobby for it with the governor. Only she can change them, and she needs approval from the foreign office.
GovernorsOffice.Cayman@fcdo.gov.uk
I agree with the overall position. I hope Prospect’s voters do not fall for her this time. She might fool others, but many of us know that what any Minister presents in Parliament is the work that civil servants did. Myles is a much better candidate; he would do well to abandon his lone-wolf way of getting things done and rely a bit more on others, but in terms of professionalism, he is way better—and nothing at all against Crystal, except PPM has become a threat to these islands today.
She reads well, I’ll give her that.
Excellent 1.50..
Politicians take note.
Can anyone who was there say whether it is true that at last night’s candidates forum, Michael Myles announced that if elected the CINP would proceed with borrowing money to build a cruise ship mega-port in GT harbour? I am having trouble with believing that but I would like to know what was announced.
CNS: You can watch the YouTube video to see for yourself.
“Turner stressed the importance of gathering accurate data” What happened to the Yolande Forde report? The Auditor General report on Caymanian unemployment? The PAC’s report on WORC? The Commissioner of Police report on crime and expungement? The data from DARE on substance abuse of children as young as 11 years old? Anyone else needs more data to know that since the 90s, subsequent administrations have paid for study after study, yet our problems have grown and keep growing? It is the civil servants, who do the work that ministers take to parliament. I, for one, am tired of “experienced” people whose salaries increase each time they get re-elected, yet and nothing changes. I want our young people to find decent employment; our health care cost to start going down; our 30 somethings to be able to afford a home. I want MPs to make do with a smaller salary, like the rest of us have to.
Every single politician had a first day when they got elected. You knew nothing about politics, or motions and bills or house, cabinet or caucus meetings. It is called learning. Whether you are changing a diaper or trying to change policy to improve the lives of 85,000 people, everyone must start at zero. I have yet to see someone who was born being a pilot, an astronaut or a politician. Whatever the work, you only get experience if you do it. We have multi-million dollar problems that all of these so-called “experienced politicians” (PUT TOGETHER!) have not managed to solve in fifteen, twenty years, so do not fall for the “re-elect me because I am experienced” line. If you look at the budget, there are thousands of dollars allocated for advisors so, as new as anyone can be, if they are humble and ready to learn, there are plenty people to guide them.
Nobody, and I mean nobody who knows ”nothing about politics, or motions and bills or house, cabinet or caucus meetings” should be running for office!
These days large retailers won’t even hire a cashier without some form of cashiering and/or customer service experience and you are trying to tell me that we should elect people who don’t know the basics of sitting in the ”House”!!!
Anyone from office can very well learn these things BEFORE running for an election. The can at least have an understanding of what to expect by reading the various laws, policies, guidelines and regulations publicly available which give insight in to moving motions and runnings of the house!
How can any serious candidate who claims they are running for the betterment of their country want a seat at the legislative table but yet knows nothing about the business of the table!
God help us!
To 4:20pm: I invite you to show us where in section 61 of the Constitution does it say that. You can train skill, but you cannot train attitude! I would rather have intelligent new people with solid work ethics who are not tainted by old practices and cronyism, than a bunch of career politicians who, having been in office in one capacity or another since the 90s, still managed to make matters worse.
Like Bryan, well taught by McKeewa!!
How is, Jon Jon doing for you, still hasn’t learnt a thing and still hasn’t done a thing….except for…cranes, poles, moon, donkeys, multiple languages….
”“our kids are buckling under the competition” from foreign labour”.
No, our kids are buckling under poor parenting and broken families! Caymanians are the first to blame any and every third party for our problems and it all starts in our backyard with parents not teaching proper sex education, birth control and family values to their kids! Caymanian women need to teach their sons to stop spreading seeds when they have no garden to raise them in, for example! Caymanian teen girls need to be made to feel empowered by seeking birth control instead of being ashamed of the fact that they are having sex because it is going to happen!
Too many Caymanians are busy teaching their children that expats are here to take their bread when they should spend time focusing their children’s energy on respect for an education and the tens of millions of dollars spent by our Government annually to educate bratty, ungrateful, Caymanian children!
The Caymanian families (and their children) who are staying focused and who are willing to humble themselves and work up the ladder of education, career and society are doing very well for themselves (or on their way to their idea of success).
I am tired of politicians who try to blame expats and external forces for Caymanian problems simply because they are afraid to lose votes by telling Caymanians to quit the pity party and take advantage of all that is being provided in this country!
Candidates and politicians get on stage and spew hate and division within our community simply for them to get elected, be called ”Honourable” and make a living for themselves. An honest politician would tell Caymanians the truth – and the truth is – we have more than enough opportunity in this country for any serious, hard-working Caymanian to make gains and support themselves if they would look to their own abilities to get by instead of waiting for some elected saviour to solve their own personal problems.
To 1:50pm: I did not agree nor disagree with you because you are right to an extent. Having said that, many parents are not informed of the many opportunities being provided in this country. One candidate in another forum said that we need a national apprenticeship program, meanwhile we have Superior Automotive, the City & Guilds (via public works), the Cadet Corps courses, the UCCI programme, Passport2Success, the nursing school, the beauty school and a couple more. Part of the problem, however, is that our teenagers are not being guided into these fields because many parents do not know they exist.
any parent who does not know about these programs or who is at least willing to do some footwork to find a program relevant to their child’s interests is simply a part of the problem. There are sssooooooo many meaningful activities, clubs and experiences for our young people in Cayman and the information is very often a google search away.
Nailed it 100% 1:50. But you won’t be popular! It’s so much easier to say the kids are being taught by hopeless West Indian teachers, the crime is all being committed by Jamaicans, traffic accidents are caused by foreign drivers who bought their licenses and can’t drive and the jobs are being taken by foreigners.
The Ministry of Education is asleep at the wheel. Only recently did someone realize, “Wait! WORC and the Ministry of Education should be working in tandem.” Duh! There is a huge employment gap where there is very little or no Caymanian presence, and the Ministry is not doing enough to level the playing field.
https://www.auditorgeneral.gov.ky/reports/improving-employment-prospects-for-caymanians