Ebanks and Scott aim and fire at Hew in leaders debate
(CNS): André Ebanks
André Ebanks (WBS incumbent) is the leader of The Caymanian Community Party. He has served as financial services minister 2021-2024, and deputy premier 2023-2024. More (TCCP) and Dan Scott
Dan Scott (CBE candidate) is the leader of the Cayman Islands National Party. He was EY regional manager until his retirement in June 2023. More (CINP) did not waste time on attacking each other at the Chamber Party Leaders Debate on Thursday but aimed their political ammunition at Joey Hew
Joey Hew (GTN incumbent) is the leader of the PPM (aka Progressives). He served as opposition leader from October 2024 until the dissolution of parliament. More (PPM) when they met on a public stage for the first time in this election campaign. During a historic head-to-head between the three men all vying to be the next premier, Ebanks and Scott were laser-focused on Hew, the PPM’s legacy and its recent merger with the UPM’s lead players.
In an informative and lively debate, Hew not only had to defend the PPM’s record in office but also had to deflect the blows regarding his party’s embrace of the leading UPM members.
Both Ebanks and Scott fired the first shots at Hew as the debate opened using the recent news of the deficit. Ebanks said the spending that caused the negative turnaround was incurred after he resigned from the UPM government, which he did in part because of his concerns about reckless spending, and those mostly to blame were now members of the PPM.
During the course of the debate, Scott went even further and suggested the PPM and the UPM were and always had been interchangeable.
Scott argued that the public finance crisis facing the next government was “downright scary” and the PPM-led government, as he referred to the outgoing administration, “don’t have the ability to do it. They’ve failed every time they’ve tried, and they will fail again.”
Hew tried to deflect the problem of the financial crisis onto Ebanks, saying that he had supported the premier’s budget in 2023.
However, the details in the report and recent Cabinet notes show that this negative turnaround is associated with the expenditure that led Ebanks and his three colleagues to resign from the UPM last October, as well as the additional appropriations made over the last few months.
However, the PPM leader did not give up the fight and insisted that in the past, his party had a solid track record on managing government finances and had turned around the significant deficit they inherited when they took over the government in 2013. He said they were running a surplus within two years and governed for seven more without additional borrowing.
But Dan ScottDan Scott (CBE candidate) is the leader of the Cayman Islands National Party. He was EY regional manager until his retirement in June 2023. More said that any success the Progressives had repairing public finances was due to the work of their finance minister at the time, Marco Archer, who lost his seat in 2017, the first General Election in the Cayman Islands under the OMOV system in single-member constituencies.
The dire state of public finances dominated the debate, but the men also addressed issues such as financial services, tourism, affordable housing, and infrastructure priorities, including the ReGen deal over waste management, which provided Scott and Ebanks with more ammunition to fire at Hew.
When asked directly how they planned to address the looming deficit, Hew spoke about fiscal prudence, healthcare and pension reforms, and reducing the civil service since over half of the government’s recently recruited employees were expats, he said.
Ebanks spoke about much-needed budget reform and the need to “scale down the current vanity projects for the few and not the many”. Scott said he was not prepared to lay off any Caymanian civil servants because the government needed them to help understand the state of finances and to turn it around.
When it came to the issue of immigration, Scott said the country had been dealing with unfettered immigration. Over the last four years, he said, 74% of new jobs have gone to expatriates, and the CINP would be heavily focused on major immigration reform, including making the path to status more difficult. In the last twelve months government had granted over 1,560 status grants, which was “out of control”.
Hew rejected the idea that his new colleagues (UPM members who have joined the PPM) had anything to do with the excessive status grants. He said the solution to immigration reform lay in enforcement.
Ebanks said the government discussion document on immigration reform released at the end of the last parliament was “electioneering at its best” as he accused the labour minister, 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, of failing to draft a proper bill, given all the work that had gone on during the previous three years and the technocrats’ “basket” of recommendations.
But he said the UPM Cabinet had been far too distracted by ministers’ individual vanity projects and with trying to destroy the National Conservation Act. He said a TCCP government would remove the points for property and create data-sharing to connect locals to jobs.
The leaders were also asked their position on abortion reform. All of them largely agreed that this needed to be a broader public discussion, as none of them supported unrestricted abortion. Ebanks, who is a former member of the Human Rights Commission, implied that he supported extending the current law, which only allows abortion to save the life of the mother, to cases of rape.
All three men also said that they would not be seeking to introduce gay marriage because the Civil Partnership Act has delivered the necessary equality required in the Constitution.
When it came to electoral reform, the three men all said there was public dissatisfaction with the current system. But Hew said the UK would not allow us to go backwards. Ebanks suggested the possibility of a bicameral system, given people’s concerns about the size of the budget and the lack of influence voters have on the make-up of Cabinet. Scott also said it was an issue that he would be looking at once he was elected.
As the men closed the debate, Hew said the PPM, under his leadership, was the only party ready to hit the ground running and claimed to have no side agendas. He accused Ebanks and Scott of being on the same team, saying they had shown no interest in debating each other but only in criticising the PPM, even though they’ve been in opposition for the last four years.
Ebanks said he and Scott were focused on Hew not because they were working together but because they both recognised that the future is not with the Progressives. He said the country wants a new era, free of side deals, vanity projects and those people now all aligned with Hew who had blocked transformative change during the last administration.
Scott said Cayman has had enough of PPM, which he said was to blame for the situation Cayman is now in, and their experience would only bring more of the same, as he urged the country to vote straight for the Cayman Islands National Party.
Watch the full debate 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
If TCCP or CINP somehow managed to win this election, the voting public will be begging for PPM in 3.5 years, the same way they were when the quitters quit.
BS. Those who understand the concept of collective responsibility (aka become an accomplice whether you want to or not) do not see it as quitting. PPM followers are used to doing it, though. Corruption at its best…
What you call quitters, I call people of integrity who could no longer tolerate the self serving spendthrifts wasting our money on their re-election.
Shame on the new PPM for abandoning their principles, and their supporters, who were hoping for a better future for Cayman.
Yawn.
You should get some vitamin D if you’re perpetually tired. I guess there’s not much sunlight down there in your parents’ basement, eh troll?
yawn.
Nobody is going to be begging to be ruled by Kenneth Juju Mac Saunders and the incredibly Dumb one.
Been there done that and have the massive debt to prove it.
Massive debt caused by PACT/TCCP. Educate yourself.
You spelled “UPM/PPM” wrong.
PPM will certainly add to it with borrowing
$450Million for cruise piers , $44Million for Kenny private jet terminal,
$20Million for Kenny beach and God forbid
$200Million for the new Northward resort and Pickleball club.
System is the problem, manifested by the candidates on offer.
But for the love of all we believe in (or not), please do not vote in the PPM to a position of leadership. Joey has had more than his time. Kenny could be in 3 different parties by Christmas. JuJu, well……come on now. Donkey? I’d vote him back in just for entertainment value.
Come on Cayman. if they’ve been in for 10 years before and not done anything, and you’re worse off now than back then, why would you give them each another 200,000 annually for 5 years to not do anything?
This is the chance to change it up.
Well TCCP/PACT had the last term and almost sank our government completely by quitting. They also voted to oust their own Premier, blaming him for the issues first and then brought him back as their Deputy Premier this time around so what does that tell you?
umm? no? get your facts straight.
For the record, the following are the persons who will be elected;
Rolston Anglin -“Ind”
Katherine Ebanks-Wilks- TCCP
Julie Hunter – CINP
Andre Ebanks – TCCP
Joey Hew – PPM
Anthony Ramoon – TCCP
Craig Merren – CINP
Gary Rutty – CINP
Roy McTaggart – PPM
Roy Tatum – PPM
Crystal Gomez – PPM
Wayne Panton – TCCP
Heather Bodden – TCCP
Ossie Bodden – TCCP
Dwayne Seymour “PPM”
Jay Ebanks – “IND”
Isaac Rankine – “IND”
Nikolas DaCosta – CINP
Dan Scott – CINP
TCCP – 6
CINP – 5
PPM – 5
Ind – 3
As you can tell from the above, a shit show is about to ensue, once again.
Dan Scott beating Julianna, Anthony Ramoon beating Kenneth and Ozzie beating Chris Saunders are all doubtful. The rest I would tend to agree with for the most part.
Saunders is a dead man walking, the other two are toss ups.
There are more Jamaicans than Caymanians in Saunders’ voting bloc.
4.17 it would be great if you’re right.
I am.
Im not sure about Crystal, R Tatum, Dan, or Nick DaCosta
All of those are sure bets except for Crystal.
Crystal more likely to win her constituency than Dan Scott. I don’t think you understand the popularity of Julianna. Forget party politics, this is the Brac. Roy and Nick are unknowns, however.
Sabrina is a hard no and Michael is just Bernie Bush reincarnated.
…and either are better choices than Gomez.
Wayne Panton is done! He wont survive this!
As long as Chris Saunders is gone!
Choices, choices, choices, & independents.
Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
Dan and André recognized that the adversary of my adversary is my friend, so it might be the best thing for the country if they join forces. Our finances have become our number one priority overnight, and I do not trust the PPM to manage the public purse. Since the late 90s they focused on increasing revenue through increased work permits approvals, stamp duty, PR/Status grants and building construction, while not addressing education holistically and empowering WORC in order to ensure that Caymanians remained a valued asset for employers. That approach led to the employment, housing and health care crises we face today. In other words, while the PPM consistently increased revenue at national level, our quality of life diminished at street level, which increased our dependency on government assistance. The civil service has untapped talent that can offer innovative and practical solutions, too, but we need candidates who are willing to ask, listen and consider proposals, instead of believing they already have the answer to everything. From that standpoint, a combination of André and Dan’s candidates could get us back on track faster. Our current circumstances require an objective and innovative, yet humble approach.
The only way this will ever happen is if Andre or Dan doesn’t win their constituency. Even if Andre was to lose, there would be a battle between Wayne and Dan for power. They are all to egotistical to give power to one another. Not to mention, the scraps from these two parties forming a government would be an absolute disaster. They have opposite views on a lot of things.
Danny Boy will not be elected, thank god. He’s intelligent but that is overshadowed by his arrogance. And when Andre wins, he will have to learn to be second fiddle to Wayne….again. Anyone who thinks Andre is the real communist party leader is a fool.
To 12:49pm And putting Julianna back in CB is a smart movie?! after having her for three terms, education results are as bad as ever. Teenage mental health issues and self-medcating are increasing, roads are still not fixed, more and more people are pushed into NICE every year, and the woman has approved millions that were not in the budget. If you still think putting back that menace is good for CB, you are part of the problem.
Slick Joey ignores that having brought in Juju, Kenneth and really very Dumb, means he’s no longer in control of the PPM he’s touting.
Praying the voters will see through this and return a Dan/Andre coalition government.
Dan Scott and Andre Ebanks claim they are not working together as they both only attacked Joey Hew so one can say that sounded false.
So Andre are you that dense that you cant figure out that Arden McLean is working with Dan as he endorsed Sterling Ebanks who is running against you?
You put all your energy into attacking PPM when the fox is already in your hen house
Arden McLean looks like an angry prune.
Andre is winning his seat, unless the people voting are moro…oh.
Dwayne is actually an undercover PPM, same as Rolston,Jewel Hydes and Mckeeva. What I don’t understand is why denying it. As said “what’s not worth owning is not worth having”. WB a vote for either of them is a vote for PPM
Jewel Hydes and Mckeeva are not PPM and won’t even get in. I think most people are aware of that so don’t honestly thing PPM are banking on them winning? No.
You realize the reason Wayne managed to form a Government with PACT is because PPM refused to work with Mckeeva and Wayne brought him onboard to get a majority right? What makes you think he won’t tell Andre to try and do the same again? Tbh, I don’t think Mac is getting back in anyway, but you are aligning Mckeeva with the wrong party.
I know there’s no female option here, but men should be having very little input into the abortion issue. Let’s not go back into the dark ages like the USA. It shouldn’t involve churches, either.
Very disappointed with Andre on these issues, thought he was above the BS.
So as a man I have no say in you ending a fetus’ life?
In that case, hope men aren’t expected to pay child support if they wanted to abort a baby the woman wants to keep.
Nope. It’s not your body. You don’t want a female to be carrying your unborn? you have options, starting with abstinence, along with condoms, and vasectomies.
If a female is pregnant, then abortion may be a joint decision, but it sure as hell isn’t the man’s choice.
Same for women who want to get an abortion. There are other options.
Where a condom and stop being a dumbass. From a man.
Jamaican men don’t like condoms, they think it makes them less of a man and they need to spread their seed.
Having done so they move on , for NAU (us) to look after the baby and baby mama.
I totally agree with you. Civil Partnerships are working out smoothly while both abortion and returning to National Vote will likely require national referendums, so I immediately suspected Tammy Sullimman and Wil Pineau’s agenda. Bringing up these subjects at that stage of the game stank of special interests trying to sabotage all three candidates by manipulating religious zealots against any of them who did not pick up their bible right away. Naively, they all fell right into the trap. When the Bill comes, I will be right next to you reminding people about separation of church and estate.
CINICO and other Cayman insurance companies will pay for abortions in the UK (except Northern Ireland) if it deemed medically necessary. Mental health qualifies for “medical necessity” under UK and Cayman law.
For the love of Christ, will this nonsensical personality contest hurry up and end!
If you go home for a year or so every four years, you won’t have to hear about it. <3
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Andre talking about financial responsibility like he wasn’t part of the PACT government. No mention of their terrible spending record. Not a fan of the PPM at all but the TCCP aren’t any better. Dan Scott was a bore also, very underwhelming.
What 5:27 said
PACT and Andre were the first government in Caymans history to double our national debt in less that 18 months after 8 consecutive years of debt reduction by PPM from 2013 to 2021. Go back and take a look at the financials.
It doesn’t matter. All politics is local here. No one is going to vote for a candidate in a district just to put the party in power. This isn’t the UK.
As things stand there is almost no chance of the country electing a functional government on April 30.
Rather it will be another Frankenstein’s monster of a government, cobbling the remnants of groups old and new with some venal independent king-makers holding plum ministries they did not earn and have no clue how to run, holding the whole government to ransom every six months when the party finally finds the balls to cross them or their puppet-masters.
Parties aren’t the problem. Independents aren’t the problem. The system is the problem.
We need to unite around an alternative that can do better ASAP.
Totally agree with you. The system, plus too many voters who are uneducated as to how Cabinet, the civil service and politics work (in general)