The People’s Progressive Movement on Saturday set out its stall for this month’s election with a manifesto leader Joey Hew said was designed for wide appeal and to tackle the islands’ most pressing problems.
The party promised a new broom to sweep away outmoded policies, but also emphasised the party’s record in government, with Kurt Tibbetts, the first PPM leader to form a government, joining the team on stage.
The unveiling of the 48-page document saw hundreds of supporters cheering on candidates as they outlined the highlights of the programme to be implemented if they win power.
Party leader Joey Hew told the event that the country should emulate Caymanian sports stars such as gold-medal winning swimmer Jordan Crooks.
He said, “I stand here tonight with a heart full of hope and a vision for a better future.”
Hew added that he wanted the country to “embrace the spirit of excellence” and also strive to reach the gold standard.
He said if young Caymanians were given the right educational and social tools, “they will be ready to take on the world”.
Hew added that “innovation created progress” and that Cayman should embrace the opportunities presented by new technologies so “entrepreneurs and visionaries” could flourish.
He said, “In our journey towards excellence, unity is our greatest strength, not only as a party, but as a country.
“Our diversity is a source of strength and, embracing our differences, we can become a more inclusive and harmonious society.”
Hew added the country should “go for the gold, not just for us, but for future generations”.
He said, “The path to greatness is not without challenges, but by embracing the spirit of going for gold, we can achieve anything and achieve great success.”
Hew said before the event that the top concerns among voters were “the cost of living, and obviously housing is an issue and then jobs and immigration”.
He added, “Everyone is going to find something in the manifesto — it’s 42 pages packed with information.”
The party said it would also bump up the national minimum wage to $9 an hour from November if it won power, and legislate it to link further increases to inflation.
Hew said, “It was a wonderful evening and I think it went great. I was very happy with all the speakers and having Kurt Tibbetts back on the stage again was the treat of the evening.”
The audience earlier heard that the PPM had drawn up a seven-pronged plan, covering housing, employment, education, the environment and proper control of the public purse among other topics.
Housing
Justin Ebanks, the candidate for North Side, said that Cayman needed to get back to the time when people could afford a house in Cayman.
He added, “The people of this country have opened their doors to the world and are now struggling to own a home in their own country.”
Ebanks said the PPM planned “to make home ownership more affordable” by increasing the number of properties and their affordability.
He committed the party to a revamp of the Government Guaranteed Home Assistance Mortgage programme to make it easier to get a loan, and give extra funding to the National Housing Development Trust to expand the number and range of properties available.
He also promised a “build-your-own-property initiative” to bring more land on to the market for affordable housing.
Ebanks said, “We have to start moving forward with our way of spending and our way of thinking.”
But Ebanks said the party would also look at establishing “a new social landlord scheme” by working with the private sector to create more homes for rent as well.
He added that a “key workers’ housing guarantee” scheme would also be set up to “ensure Caymanian graduates in jobs such as teaching or healthcare can access affordable housing” when they return from studies abroad.
Ebanks said the housing needs of the elderly had not been forgotten and that the PPM would ensure there were “new retirement communities for older people”, which would also free under-occupied homes available for families.
Protecting Caymanians
Party deputy leader Kenneth Bryan said Cayman’s growth had meant there were “too many people competing for housing, transportation, education, jobs and medical care”.
He highlighted that the shortage of housing had pushed up rental costs and that traffic problems had been made worse by “too many cars on our roads”.
Bryan added that Caymanians had also been priced out of jobs because cheaper labour was brought in from overseas.
He pledged that the PPM would clamp down on abuses of the work permit system, such as when people are given a permit for a specific role but do not work in the job for which it was granted.
Bryan said that the PPM would also make sure that “people leave the country after their permits expire”.
He also promised that the PPM would toughen penalties and “remove the trade and business licences of those companies that persistently break the rules”.
And he warned companies that cheated by “fronting” work permit applications and taking a cut would also be targeted.
He said that immigration law would also be amended to “raise the bar” for obtaining permanent residence and that a new multi-agency task force would be set up to crack down on people employed without work permits.
Bryan added that the $9 an hour minimum wage would be introduced “within the first couple of months in office”.
He warned the crowd the country “can’t afford” another administration like the last government of independents.
Bryan said, “I know — I was there.”
He claimed the government had spent “80% of its time bickering” among themselves.
Bryan said global events influenced Cayman, and increasing geopolitical uncertainty among major powers underlined the need for a stable and experienced team.
He added, “Now, more than ever, we need a steady hand to take this country forward for the next four years.”
Bryan said that he backed leader Hew and that he was the right man to lead the country.
He added, “I trust him and I need you to trust him and make him the next premier of the Cayman Islands.”
Economy
Veteran politician and George Town East candidate Roy McTaggart told the crowd that the PPM’s last government had slashed debt and been able to reclaim budget control from the UK, which imposed spending approval after the country spiralled into the red to the tune of $600 million dollars by 2013.
He said financial services and tourism were still the backbone of the economy and that a PPM government would invest more in the financial services body Cayman Finance and open offices in Washington and Brussels, the heart of the EU.
McTaggart promised a “public-facing performance management system” to increase accountability.
He added the PPM would also “expand the economy to become less reliant on financial services and tourism” with a new focus on new technology, supported with a tailor-made regulatory framework.
McTaggart said renewable energy would also be promoted, as well as a broader base for tourism, to include arts and culture, that would provide more employment for Caymanians.
He added that a third underwater communications cable was also needed to keep Cayman at the forefront.
McTaggart added that funding to improve the roads network would not only reduce fuel costs racked up by traffic delays, but by creating faster travel times would cut emissions as well.
He said money would be made available for improvements to the main airport in Grand Cayman and airports on the Sister Islands, which he promised would “not be left out … or left behind”.
McTaggart said the smaller-scale businesses that operated on Little Cayman and the Brac would have their Trade and Business Licence fees waived until the end of 2026, while larger businesses on the Sister Islands would only be required to pay 10% of the fees in that period.
Older people
Donna Bush, the candidate for Savannah, said that senior care would also be a major focus for a PPM government.
She said her daughter worked in care of the elderly and that she and her siblings had experience caring for an elderly mother.
Bush said, “When I talk about senior care, I’m not drawing from policy briefings. I’m drawing from real-life experiences.”
She added that a country should be judged by the way it treated its older people, who deserve to spend their twilight years in comfort and dignity.
Bush said, “Under proven, stable leadership, we refuse to leave our seniors behind.”
She added the pensions system would be reformed, with “automatic annual increases for veterans, seafarers and long-serving civil service pensioners, linked to inflation”.
Bush said, “We will ensure the financial foundation of retirement is responsible and sustainable.”
The PPM added that HSA geriatric clinics would be expanded on all three islands to guarantee a high standard of care and that a “new programme of prevention and treatment” would be set up to reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Bush said, “The way we deal with our elders reveals the true character of our nation. Believe me, it does.”
Young people
Crystal Gomez Wilson, the Prospect hopeful and a first-time candidate, said the PPM would not neglect the young and will work to improve education and give them a fair chance in the workplace.
She said she knew that some young Caymanians had left their homeland because they could not see a future for themselves.
Gomez Wilson added, “You should not have to pack up and leave your home.”
She said the PPM would introduce a free comprehensive healthcare plan for children, which would include mental health care, to be funded in “the first PPM budget”.
Gomez Wilson also promised “more support for parents and caregivers”.
She said, “Raising children shouldn’t feel like a solo mission. It takes a village and it’s time we strengthened ours.”
