Stuart Jack

Biodiversity is big in Cayman

Huw Irranca-Davies, the UK’s Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs, was in Cayman last week for the conference of the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum which discussed a wide range of environmental issues facing the OTs. His presence was much appreciated by participants as evidence of the UK Government’s commitment to the environment of the Overseas Territories.

Mr Irranca-Davies saw himself some of the work being carried out here under the UK funded Darwin Initiative and OT Environment Programme to conserve these islands’ biodiversity – the variety of local species of plants and animals – including Cayman’s unique blue iguana and native tree nursery. He was clearly impressed – and said so in his speech at the conference, in which he also announced more money for conservation efforts in the OTs (his speech and a press release on his visit are at www.ukincayman.fco.gov.uk).

The importance of biodiversity is not well understood, for example the need to protect native species like the blue iguana, the Cayman parrot or rare orchids, and to deal with unwelcome invasive species like the lion fish or feral cats in the smaller Sister Islands. The flora and fauna not only help to define what is special about this country but also help humans in myriad practical ways. How many people know that bats play a vital role in the pollination of Cayman’s delicious mangoes?

The Cayman Islands’ new Leader of Government Business, McKeeva Bush, and Environment Minister, Mark Scotland, both made encouraging speeches about their concern for the environment at a reception I hosted for the participants.

It seems a bit of a tradition that Governors of the Cayman Islands become environmental activists. Two former Governors attended the conference – Bruce Dinwiddy and Michael Gore. Sounds to me like a good tradition which itself is worth conserving (together with the bats, iguanas and orchids).

Posted at 05:47 12 June 2009 by Stuart Jack  |  Comments[0]

The beautiful game for the beautiful islands

The Cayman Islands has been honoured to have a visit by Joseph Blatter, President of FIFA, the world governing body for football (soccer as some people call it). On 4 June I was involved with him, a number of other football dignitaries and the new Minister of Sport, Mark Scotland, in the opening of the first stage of a Centre of Excellence for football in the Cayman Islands – a building to act as the hub for the local football association and the first of three new pitches. This is apparently the first inauguration in the Caribbean done by the FIFA President – a tribute to Jeffrey Webb, President of the Cayman Islands Football Association, and his colleagues who have doggedly worked to improve facilities for the sport.

As I said in my speech on this occasion Cayman may be small but we have the potential in our young people and we have the passion for the sport. So with these new facilities to develop higher levels of skills the future of football in these islands looks good.

Swine flu comes to Cayman

On the same day we had some less healthy news: Cayman’s first case of H1N1 influenza was confirmed. Since then there has been a second confirmed case. Both cases have apparently been mild.

There is no need for anyone to panic, though we must expect more cases. The response from the medical authorities has been good. Dr Kumar, Medical Officer of Health, and Dr Hoeksema, the Medical Director of the Health Services Authority, exude competence. And we benefited from the extensive planning we did two years ago for avian flu, something in which my office played an instrumental part together with Dr Kumar and many others.

Posted at 08:52 11 June 2009 by Stuart Jack  |  Comments[0]

New Police and Complaints Commissioners

David Baines, the new Police Commissioner, started on 1 June. I am confident we have chosen the right person for the job – he is committed and highly capable. He has a major task – or several – to restore stability to the Royal Caymans Island Police Service after an unsettled period, to see through the investigations into allegations of corruption in the force, to tackle gun and violent crime, and to increase local confidence in the police. There are many equally committed officers and overall crime is not as bad as in many countries, so we must keep things in perspective.

He will need the support of the community. As part of the selection process we involved local people in focus groups and in the interview panel. We must continue along similar lines and in other ways to ensure he connects with the local community.

This week I also announced a new Complaints Commissioner (called Ombudsman in other countries). Nicola Williams, the new Commissioner, is an impressive person with long experience as a barrister and as a Commissioner in the Independent Police Complaints Commission in England. She has several times been named one of the 100 most influential black people in Britain.

Her predecessor, John Epp, set up this new office and got it off on a strong footing as an independent agency. I am sure that Ms Williams will build on that solid foundation. Neither I nor Ministers can, or should, tell the Commissioner what to do or not to do. But I have supported Mr Epp’s work in particular to ensure all government agencies have proper complaints procedures. That is part of our efforts to ensure good service to the public, which I am trying to encourage through an award scheme for civil servants who excel in customer service.

Posted at 04:11 09 June 2009 by Stuart Jack  |  Comments[1]

We pray no disasters…but we are pretty well prepared

Start of the hurricane season

Hurricane season began on 1 June. In an earlier blog I wrote about Hurricane Paloma that devastated our second island last year. Yesterday the new Leader of Government Business (head of the elected government), McKeeva Bush, and I went to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC). This is where we manage serious incidents from.

The aim was to brief Mr Bush and the media on our state of preparedness for this hurricane season. They were, I believe, impressed. We now have a very professional and well-organised approach, helped greatly by the creation in 2007 of a full time agency, Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) to coordinate preparedness, including public education, and - if a disaster were to threaten or strike - response and recovery. Across government we have plans in place and every season we update and test them in advance, incorporating any lessons from the previous year. Businesses and the public too are generally well aware of what they need to do. That includes hotels and condominiums, where overseas visitors stay.

But there is always more to do. In particular we need more shelter capacity – new public buildings over the next couple of years will help in that respect. And, as and when resources allow, we need a new purpose-built NEOC – the current one, using rooms in the main fire station, works well but is short of space. We also need to look at what we do to help people shutter up their homes.

Now is the time for all of us in the Cayman Islands to check we are prepared.

Lots of information on how to prepare for disasters as well as bulletins in the event of a hurricane can be found at http://www.caymanprepared.gov.ky/portal/page?_pageid=1143,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Air safety

A few days ago there was the tragedy of the French airliner that disappeared over the Atlantic. As many of us travel a lot by air, we all have a real interest that flying is as safe as possible. Apart from cruise ship tourists and a few people on private boats everyone coming to the Cayman Islands or going off on vacation or business relies on air transport.

The safety and security of aviation is a direct responsibility of the Governor, working through the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands. We have a first class CAA and good support from the UK. Our airports and our national flag-carrier, Cayman Airways, have very good safety records, and we are determined to do what we can to keep it that way.

This week we had in town the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch – not because we had an incident to investigate but as part of our efforts to ensure we had good preparations in hand. In the hopefully unlikely event of an incident we can call on their expertise to carry out investigations.

Posted at 05:37 05 June 2009 by Stuart Jack  |  Comments[0]

Swearing In

On 27 May the duty fell to me as Governor to swear in the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs, the local equivalent to MPs or Congressmen) who had been elected a week earlier, the Speaker of the LA, and the Ministers and Official Members of the Cabinet.  As someone brought up with the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy I could appreciate the little bit of pomp and ceremony that was involved, with for example the new Speaker in her wig and gown following behind the Sergeant at Arms with his sword, and the use of language like “I beg to propose…” when nominating and electing office-holders.

But there was also some innovation on this occasion: for the first time the swearing in of both MLAs and the Cabinet took place publicly in front of the LA rather than inside the Chamber. I hope that this is a further sign of greater openness in government. At the same time some care must be taken to ensure that national events like this or National Heroes Day do not acquire too much of a party political flavour.

The new Speaker, Mrs Mary Lawrence, made an excellent speech. She underlined the significance of the responsibilities the elected Members were taking on and the standards of conduct expected of them. She spoke eloquently of uniting to build a better Cayman, of the rights of Members to exercise the cut and thrust of debate, but at the same time of no tolerance on her part for personal attacks.

I fully agree. She was speaking about the conduct of the parliament, but her comments could apply more widely. Sometimes I find that in this small community personalities risk getting in the way of effective government. While there must be strong checks and balances, and that includes an effective Opposition, many of the issues facing these islands will only be solved if people work together.

Mrs Lawrence also made history – as the first Speaker to be elected from outside the LA. Women in the Cayman Islands still face plenty of issues, but they have played and continue to play a major role in public life. Four of the six Speakers have been women.

Posted at 03:52 31 May 2009 by Stuart Jack  |  Comments[0]

Elections and a new Constitution

Voters approve a modernised Constitution…

A healthy majority of electors in the Cayman Islands, in all districts, voted for a new draft Constitution for the islands in the referendum on 20 May. This now goes to the Privy Council in the UK for formal approval.

I am delighted. Getting this far has been a long haul. I am sure that the new Constitution will be better for the Cayman Islands than the present one. It will devolve more powers to the people of these islands while providing better checks and balances and protecting the legitimate interests of the UK. For the first time there will be a Bill of Rights (human rights set out in the Constitution), even if not everyone thinks it perfect. In some areas, for example the rights of women, it will be supplemented by local legislation.

The task – and it will be a major one – for the Governor, the Government and the Legislature will be to implement it: laws and working methods will have to be changed and several new bodies created.

…and a new Government

The general election on the same day resulted in a change of administration from the People’s Progressive Movement to the United Democratic Party (UDP). I, of course, look forward to working with the new Government in the best interests of the Cayman Islands and of the relationship with the UK.

I was pleased to hear the leader of the UDP talk, just after his election success, of uniting the country. Unity in tackling the major economic and other challenges facing us has also been a major theme in the media since 20 May. It was striking how many callers to Cayman’s two radio talk shows expressed a strong wish to get over the divisive rhetoric that we regrettably heard from some quarters during the campaign.

A well-run referendum and election

The Elections Office and the civic-minded members of the community who volunteered to administer the votes did a brilliant job. This was a massive undertaking: the first ever referendum on the same day as a general election and the first ever use of mobile voting. All told about 1200 people were involved, from returning officers to referendum observers, drivers to policemen. Many worked incredibly long hours. I met a lot of dedicated, and very tired, people at the Elections Office (located next to the Governor’s Office) and at the elections command centre after the polls closed and through the next couple of days as the referendum count was also done, the official voting returns prepared and the extensive arrangements dismantled. The country should be very grateful to them.

The Cayman Islands likes to innovate and be the first and best or one of the first and best in this region in various areas, including hurricane preparedness (see my previous blog) and the efficient and fair organisation of elections.

I do not know whether any other jurisdictions in the Caribbean use mobile voting – the polling station coming to you in advance if you cannot get to it on the day – and if so, how they do it. But certainly here in the Cayman Islands even bed-ridden senior citizens could vote, in the comfort of their own home. And using some neat equipment including fold up polling booths to use with chairs or on beds. (Demonstrated below by Mercedes Jackson, employee of the Elections Office, ahead of elections day). 

But still scope for improvement?

As will often happen around the world a few issues did arise in the elections. The qualifications of two candidates have been questioned because of a failure to observe a requirement in the Constitution. I definitely expect candidates to comply fully with the Constitution and applicable laws. I took legal advice on this case. The advice I received was that any question about the validity of the election of an individual is a matter for the courts, not the Governor.

One issue that in my personal view needs a look at before the next election is political financing and the use of money for electoral purposes. Election campaigns obviously cost money. But I believe that elections should not be unfairly influenced by money and that the electorate in the Cayman Islands should have a right to know where political parties and candidates get their funding from and how they use it, not only during the few weeks of the campaign but at other times as well. That is even more important when, as in Cayman, the date of elections is known up to a year in advance.

There may also be further improvements to the election process that might be worth looking at such as the wider use of advance voting – provided that adequate checks are in place to make sure there is no scope for abuse. The aim should be to encourage as many electors to take part as possible.

Posted at 04:53 29 May 2009 by Stuart Jack  |  Comments[0]