Hew claims PPM will fix public finance crisis
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, leader of the PPM(CNS): The leader of the People’s Progressive Movement, Joey HewJoey 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, has said that if his party wins the election, it will fix the fiscal problems revealed in the Pre-Election Economic and Financial Update (PREFU), which was published recently. However, his party now includes three of the five current Cabinet members who voted for additional spending over the last few months, which turned a CI$55 million operating surplus into a deficit of more than $26 million.
Those same ministers — Juliana O’Connor-Connolly
Juliana O'Connor-Connolly (CBE incumbent) is running with the PPM. She is the current premier and has been minister of education since May 2017. More, 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 and 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 — would almost certainly form part of his Cabinet if the PPM team secures a majority.
Details in the pre-election report and a review of Cabinet meetings going back over the last six months show that this negative turnaround in the country’s public spending was caused by the UPM’s minority five-member Cabinet, which the Progressives have propped up since October.
This enabled O’Connor-Connolly, Bryan and Seymour, who are running for re-election on the PPM platform, as well as Jay Ebanks and Isaac Rankine, both running as independents, to spend an excessive amount of money while failing to implement legislation intended to increase revenue.
In a press release responding to the (PREFU), Hew said the operating deficits over the next two years and the predicted failure to maintain the required 90-day cash reserves were “serious challenges” but not beyond his team’s ability to correct. “The PPM is the only political team with a proven record of sound financial management,” he said.
Hew noted that previous PPM governments had recorded consistent surpluses, maintained healthy reserves, and kept public debt under control. “Budget surpluses are a matter of fact, not opinion, and the fact is that the PPM grew surpluses from $56.4 million in 2013 to $143.8 million in 2019, while reducing public debt from $613 million in 2011 to just $222 million by the end of 2021,” he stated in the release.
He accused PACT, the first coalition government in this last administrative term, of increasing the debt and undoing years of disciplined financial management. However, it was the PPM that secured the borrowing facility before demitting office, as they knew the spending to navigate out of the COVID lockdowns would push the country into difficulties unless it borrowed again.
According to 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, who took over as finance minister in 2021, the outgoing PPM-led administration had failed to account for the stipend programme they left behind to pay tourism workers who had lost jobs and businesses while the borders were closed.
In the 2021 pre-election economic update, the PPM-led government did not include the stipend beyond the end of May, skewing the deficit projections. It demitted office expecting a deficit because of COVID-19 and an increase in borrowing.
It was Saunders who revealed how they had fudged the numbers. When PACT took office, the forecast was for a deficit of $157 million, but there was at least another $35 million in tourism stipend payments, pushing the deficit left by the 2017-2021 government to $192 million.
However, Saunders, who is running as an independent, has now U-turned on his criticisms of the Progressives’ fiscal management and has said on a number of public platforms that he would support them in forming the next government.
Hew has said that managing this new potential deficit “demands proven stable leadership, the kind of leadership that fixes problems”, not leaders who will quit when things get difficult. He was referring to the four UPM government members who resigned in part because they refused to support the spending that has caused the problem.
Given the requirement for Cabinet unity, 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, Katherine Ebanks-Wilks and Sabrina Turner had a stark choice: resign or remain in Cabinet and be part of the problem. If they remained, they would be bound by collective responsibility to support the spending and other policy moves they knew were designed to support certain ministers’ self-interest or the say-so of special interests rather than the public interest.
Hew also claimed that the PACT members, who are now leading members of the TCCP, approved the budgets they are now complaining about and are seeking to blame everyone else. However, the current deficit is not what those members voted for. In 2023, when this current budget cycle was approved, the government was forecasting a CI$55 million surplus.
The PPM has embraced the three members of the UPM who have now joined them, even though they, along with Ebanks and Rankine, appear squarely in the frame for creating the fiscal crisis. Nevertheless, Hew still contends that the PPM will fix the problem and ensure value for every public dollar.
“We will restore good governance and sound finances, for love of country,” Hew said.
Check out the CNS Election Section interactive map to see who is running in each constituency.
See the list of candidates and their party affiliations here.
Category: Election News
Does Joey wake up and think to himself, what can i say that’s even more detached from reality than yesterday? this is pure delusion, maybe we should start a hashtag #helpjoey to get him off to a retreat where he can stare off into the distance and pretend he’s brilliant
Just like Vladimir Putin, he believes the RED army parade makes him invincible.
Hopefully Romelia will rattle his gilded cage to step up to clean up the Chris Saunders Immigration and other board appointments.
They are merely extensions of his way of doing things to benefit his , as well as their own, personal agendas.
Speaking of cleaning up, I was very impressed to see a video of Romelia tackling someone who had dumped garbage in her district.
She made the man clean up his mess and told him about his backside. Poor guy was on a work permit and won’t be disrespecting Cayman anytime soon.
That’s the kind of representation we need.
He should wake up and think to himself
“S$&t I shouldn’t have taken on Kenneth Juju and really Dumb dumb”.!
That decision will cost PPM a lot of votes from people who were looking for a government free of the
UDP/UDPACT/UPMoney parasites.
yep, it also showed complete lack of integrity and instead shed a light on how focused this lot are on re-election at all costs rather than what is best for country
He should cringe in shame for polluting his party with the lowest unprincipled leeches, Kenneth, Dumbest dum and Jujudas. He will soon be adding the even lower forms of life, slimy Saunders and Mac Bush.
I cannot believe that anyone espousing the advancement of Cayman, would so blatantly reveal his personal power hungry ambition to the detriment of the country.
Go away in shame Joey and take your parasites with you…no PPM for me.
Not with JuJu and Kenneth on board.Money will pour down the drain.
Joey, to fix the deficit, it is plain and simple, either decrease spending or raise revenue, or do both. So, tell us where you will decrease spending or where you would raise revenue?
Explain how the second biggest eyesore in Cayman (the old Hyatt) has been allowed to fester all these years?
Explain how the hotel next to the cemetery has not had anyone working on it for 6 months and nothing done about it?
This guy is so far out of touch. He speaks well relative to many candidates (that does not say much) but that’s about it. In way over his head even if he’s wearing heels and so far gone down the political gravy trainline he really can’t see that he’s the problem (along with many of them).
Cayman – fix it.
Chronic liars will say almost anything to redirect attention from themselves and save their hides. Joey has spent his entire career learning from the best. Overpromising and non-delivering every 4 years in rotation. It would be educational for voters to visualize the chart of everything he has promised and sequentially not delivered – sometimes presiding over the polar opposite, during the last 20 years. That’s the proven track record.
They have been asleep at the wheel and have abused this country.
Joey I don’t want a Mac run government of Jujudas, Kenneth , Saunders, Dumbdum, Festa and Mrs GT revitalization plus UDPact leftovers. That is what you are offering us. No thanks.
Not voting PPM.
Saunders and his Jamaican JLP posse of hate and envy should be shunned by PPM not embraced .
Why does Saunders keep going to Jamaica to attend JLP meetings,?
Plotting division and sowing the seeds of an independence movement is what we can look forward to if Saunders is given the time of day.
Like they pay attention to the election signage rules put in place by the NRA & Planning. Max size is to be 128 sq. feet. That is 4 full sheets of plywood for backing.
But now we have PPM signs going up with 6 sheets. Just a sign of “does not apply to us”?
And we wonder why residents do not pay attention to many laws. LACK OF ENFORCEMENT.
Every party has signs that are too big. Stop talking nonsense.
that makes it alright then, got it
JLP Joey taking pure nonsense and BS again. PPM do not have principles or solid plans. They are in rinse and repeat mode again!
Mr. Hew is not qualified to be the Premier or lead our country. The Cayman Islands needs an educated, professional grade and experienced leader with a proven track record of success outside of the political arena.
These are core competencies which he does not possess. We need a person that understands what makes the Cayman Islands successful and will continue to make pertinent decisions for the country thrive for all not just a select few friends, family members, business partners and others that will provide a slice of the pie.
I have seen how Mr. Hew operates with his circle of friends or business partners that all benefit from the schemes. At this rate, we will end up like the Turks & Caicos islands given the unscrupulous behaviour that has gone on in the past and will only get worse if characters like Mr. Hew were to ever assume power.
If given the choice between Mr. Hew, Mr. Dan Scott and Mr. Andre Ebanks as a future Premier it is obvious to many that Mr. Hew is not in the same class or character. The choice for the masses would be simple and thankfully it would not be Mr. Hew.
You obviously don’t understand how cutthroat private business is. You believe Dan Scott is any better? And if you think Andre would be running the country for TCCP, you need a reality check. Wayne is funding that whole party and will be the leader behind the scenes.
Like someone hasn’t been leading the PPM from behind the scenes for decades.
André all the way.
you been drinking too much of Arden cool aid.
F you Joey. I’ve known you since high school and I can say without any reservation that you’ve done nothing for your country and you are a shame to us all.
I wish CNS had a middle finger emoji.
How? Generating income at national level by selling more land, giving out more concessions and approving more work permits, which for Caymanians at street level translates into increased employment hurdles, expensive housing and dependence on government services? Creating more public/private schemes for back room dealing? The PPM fumbled the ball on minimum wage back in 2015, fumbled the ball on pension contribution back in the 90s and fumbled it again when they made owning property the biggest point for PR around 2010. PPM over and out.
How did the PPM fumble pensions in the 90s? They weren’t even established until 2002. More foolish propaganda from a TCCP/CINP paid bot.
To 6:43pm: Am a bot, eh? A bot that watched the GTE forum and noted that McTaggart ADMITTED that professionals recommended 12% contributions on 100% of people’s salaries, yet the PPM opted for 10% on a portion of people’s salary. Result: A cripplingly underfunded pension fund from the get go.
This bot took the time to get the link for you, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl-Cjg4jsFE
You are welcome.
Close! 1998
“We didn’t do anything except sell you out in every way over the last two decades, but if you elect us, *this* will surely be the time that we finally help Caymanians to not be second-class citizens in your own country once again! We’ve got Old’Curtains-Conolly, K.Brizzle (f̶i̶ ̶d̶i̶ ̶y̶u̶t̶e̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶m̶ — oops, wrong target demographic, our bad), and BrainDwayne on board this time after criticizing them for 4 years straight, so you just *know* that we mean business!”
Politicians like Joey and his ship of fools in the PPM need to learn more about governance, leadership, accountability, particularly in so far as that relates to reckless spending and responsibilities when utilising the public purse and misappropriating funds (environmental). Political corruption and conflicts have become so rife and OUR money is being wasted so recklessly that it has become incumbent on we, the public, to educate our government about the needs of Cayman, its population and our precious environment… what little is left after the wanton destruction over the last few decades. Cayman is broke thanks to the same clowns looking more power.
The country cannot trust the PPM. The onboarded Juliana, Kenneth, Dwayne and will add Chris Saunders four Cabinet members that got it wrong as a Premier, Deputy Premiers and Ministers. This is the same gang that cannot and will do the right thing. Joey Hew is not the right person to lead the PPM and the Cayman Islands because we do not trust any of them that are desperate for power.
Well said 3.32…
The PPM team, with its new gang of thieves, is now just one massive Parasitic group of self serving low life.
Don’t vote PPM.
How can you fix it Joey, when those who created it are now an integral part of the PPM, including your Deputy, Smoking Kenny, the walking ashtray?
Joey and his lot have mastered the essentials. Politics in Cayman is pretty simple- just get the most money for yourself, cut lots of side deals, give away concessions to wealthy developers, screw everyone and the environment, make as many sweetheart deals as you can. Then suck up to all the small people at election time and lie – lie – lie.
When that doesn’t work just buy the voters off. Just remember to take care of those fat cats so the bucks keep on rolling in. PPM is bought and paid for again.
He meant to say the created it
Roy will try, but your new UDP friends will all squeal and get rid of him, like they did Wayne .
You mean Roy “i didnt account for the concessions” McTaggart?
I could once have believed Hew, but having Juju and Kenneth with their hands out for their project hand outs….I no longer trust you, so Joey dream on , it ain’t gonna happen with your new mob in tow.
His group is responsible for the mess we are in. If they had not messed up, the voters would not have supported the PACT. They were voted out in 2021 because while they were generating revenue, they were not solving the real problems people had on the ground—I do not think they know how to. They create revenue, but make Caymanians’ life difficult in the process.
Joey being Joey as usual. Not a man to be trusted ever. He defines dodgy in local politics.
He is the King of granting concessions to his lodge, rotary and wealthy special friends in development that give him favors and contracts in return for following their instructions
The CIYacht club cocktail party selfie posting crowd are his main supporters, all looking for government contracts and political favors.
Explain all the janitorial contracts for Hew’s at Camana Bay while representing Dart’s interests in key government projects e.g. ReGen project.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2024/08/ppm-dismisses-responsibility-for-regen-disaster/
Governor? RCIP? ACC?
Any comment?
So it’s PPMs fault that the voters decided to vote for PACT who destroyed government and our finances. And now you want voters to vote for different party again (possibly the same party in TCCP) and you expect a different result? And this would be PPMs fault again? You make zero sense.
To 6:47pm: Neither of these groups will win all seats. That is a given, so I hope we all accept from now that we are in for another coalition government. The PPM will get five or six seats if lucky.
Vote all PPM OUT OUT OUT