Bodden fails to make most of minister’s poor legacy
(CNS): At the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum for Bodden Town East on Friday, Robert Bodden (TCCP) failed to seize the opportunity to remind voters of the incumbent’s poor legacy in office as a minister and the representative for Bodden Town East over the last two terms. Dwayne Seymour
Dwayne Seymour (BTE incumbent) is the Minister for Border Control, Labour, with the UPM and has joined the PPM for this election campaign. More bragged that he’d been a minister every time he was elected, including labour minister for the past two years.
But Bodden missed the chance to point out that Seymour had failed to increase the minimum wage or address the multitude of problems with the current immigration system.
During the forum in which the two candidates were asked twelve easily anticipated questions, neither of them managed to make use of the platform to win an advantage as they rolled out largely ambiguous, vague and predictable answers.
Seymour, who is now campaigning with the Progressives, differed from other candidates in previous forums when he came up with a new idea: he said he wanted to open a government-owned discount grocery shop. He said his colleagues in the current administration did not support this, but undeterred, he said he intended to canvass opinion about it on the campaign trail. However, he did not say whether or not his PPM colleagues are in favour of a state-owned supermarket.
The minister blamed former premier Wayne Panton for his own failed deal with Dart over the waste management contract, ReGen. But Bodden, who is running on The Cayman Community Party ticket with Panton, failed to defend his party colleague.
Seymour also bragged about how he was the minister who had purchased the most land ever for local people, though he did not explain how many Caymanians have directly benefited from the land he claims he bought with public cash.
He said people should vote for him again because he had proven he could work with any government even though he had crossed the floor three times during the PACT/UPM
PACT was a group of independent MPs who came together after the 2021 elections to form a government. It later became the UPM. More administration.
Seymour also dismissed the idea that politicians are corrupt. He said that “we should be careful how we answer” the question since no politicians had been arrested or charged for corruption. He said there was no chance for politicians to be corrupt, as ministers couldn’t even know who was getting contacts, and he suggested that there were many checks and balances that prevented opportunities for corruption.
Bodden, however, said that the people have believed for a long time that their governments are corrupt, including board members, and a code of conduct was needed for MPs as well as more enforcement.
Seymour defended his discussion white paper on immigration released just weeks before the election, suggesting he had wanted to go further, but his colleagues had not supported all he wanted to do.
Although he has run on a promise of immigration reform every time he has run for office since 2009 (he lost his seat in 2013 but regained it in 2017), after two years at the helm, he has not implemented any notable changes to address systemic problems for either employers or employees. Even his Cabinet colleague, Kenneth Bryan
Kenneth Bryan (GTC incumbent) is deputy premier and tourism minister with the UPM while campaigning with the PPM as deputy leader of the party. More, paid for billboards around town calling for ‘immigration reform now’.
Seymour appeared to be backing away from one of the more popular suggestions in that white paper when he said concerns had been raised about the suggested twelve-month break before a permit holder can swap jobs, adding that he was pleased the white paper was getting feedback.
Bodden argued that the white paper didn’t go far enough and called for a moratorium on permits in some sectors to stop the abuse of temporary permits and preserve real estate jobs for locals only — a profession that is Bodden’s own.
Although Seymour’s performance as a minister has been called into question by the public for years, Bodden spent little time on the shortcomings of his opponent, though he did say he had failed to address the very low wages of so many people.
He criticised the historic legacies of governments in general and made commitments to addressing immigration reform, the cost of living, food security and housing by re-zoning in Bodden Town for more dense construction, as well as affordable apartment tower blocks and incentives for developers to build affordable rather than luxury homes.
As the men delivered their closing messages, Bodden asked voters to put the “Bodden back in Bodden Town” and promised he would “not fall asleep at the wheel of the country’s future”, while Seymour, who has had problems at the wheel of his own vehicles, said he was going to keep doing what he has been doing and buying more land for local people.
The next forum will be on Monday night when the spotlight will be on the three candidates for Bodden Town West: Osbourne Bodden (TCCP), Haymond Rankin (CINP) and Chris Saunders
Chris Saunders (BTW incumbent) is running as an independent and has said that a group of independents plans to be part of a coalition government. More (IND).
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
He can brag, blame and dismiss all he likes. He is an utter F**** Clown who shouldn’t be allowed to run a children’s play group, never mind a ministry. Do better BTE! We can’t afford any more Tahoes either!
The issue, in my opinion, is this as it relates to Jon Jon. Ok. He was elected and might be again. Time will tell. The unfortunate thing is that if PPM forms the government, then I assume Jon Jon will once again be appointed minister of something. Now, it is clear that Jon Jon can’t handle that, if the past is to serve as a decision maker. Who came up with the idea of making him Minister of Health? I mean, really. We all know the saying “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. This starts from the head and makes its way downward. Who can blame Jon Jon for taking these opportunities? Who can blame those who put those in his hands? We all have to decide on that
what do you get when u have two clowns and 3 moderators Political circus of idiots
Dwayne needs to answer why he, Vincent and Gary gave so many NHDT Homes to status grant persons?
All the while born Caymanians cant afford a home and those same Caymanians are paying for those NHDT homes that Dwayne, Gary and Vincent gave to the status holders
Status holders aka as Jamaicans….his voter base.
Caymanians need to take back Bodden town.
Only difference between these two jokers is there awful business attire one is use car salesman the other is Area don or local shaman either way how could he possibly attack his political mentor whom he wants to emulate if he gets elected???
I commiserate with BTE’s intelligent voters. It is disheartening that no one but these two, equally lackluster choices came forward to represent your constituency. Having said that, I don’t know Bodden. Who knows? He may turn out to be a hard working MP, just terrible at PR…
DuhWayne will give us continuous embarrassment and little else , other than bringing Mac back to plague Cayman for another 4 years.
The alternative is to elect an honest Caymanian who will be guided by his principled leaders.
BTE, do the entirety of Cayman a favour and do not vote for Jon Jon. Please, the lives of us and our children depend on it.
Perhaps a portion of our woes are attributable to the fact that Jon Jon has,indeed, been a minister.
The man can’t drive, can’t form coherent sentences, can’t declare a conflict of interest, can’t attend caucaus on time (or stay awake), and cries like a baby when times get rough.
Is this truly your representative? If so, then you are all very much the same and I assure you, I have $25 for each of you. I’ll go a step further and even give you a carton of 12 eggs!
The man is an imposter except, he’s actually demonstrably inept so the mask he wears can’t hide his mug.
And if GTE is reading, do the same with KB, he’s even more dangerous and damaging.
All PPM voters should be ashamed of their party for wrangling up these two clowns. Unfortunately for Joey, “lay with dogs and catch ticks” might cost him his seat.
Larry and Moe having a conversation without Curly?
This is true, Robert did not bash the dismal record of the incapable incumbent “Jon Jon” however I would wish and hope the people of BTE have had enough of the national embarrassment as well as being forgotten and left to be a place that time left behind. Robert has not been a career politician pandering to the BTE electorate with tokens while delivering misery and failure.
Time for Jon Jon to go, simple as that, he is a grifter politician who will jump from party to party as long as it benefits him.
Honorable Seymour is an esteemed leader and wonderful generous man. Stay our leader for life, we love you!
I take it you are being sarcastic, 6:28am. Otherwise, you are a menace if you hold a voter’s card.
Try look up the word honourable in the dictionary. You are seriously misguided and most likely have similar IQ as Seymour.
What a dispiriting article.
It seems voters here have a true choice between a rock and a hard place.
I’m not going to lie, your expectations of Robert might have been too high lol CNS. Both of these guys are two cheeks of the same a**. We are just fed up with the national embarrassment of the incumbent Donkey Man. John John has already begun sending people out in the neighbourhoods of BTE, I know as his people already came knocking on my door. Sadly, some people will suffice to the bribes/gifts/etc cause that is all it takes for the foolish voters of BTE to continually put this waste of space back into Government.
Vote buying is the regular for the present incumbent. His peeps are always digging and trying to make in-roads to keep him on his jackass platform. Wise people of BTE vote intelligently.
Trouble is the BTE electorate seems to have an intellectual, moral and ethical deficit.