We will get a good dose of reality Saturday when tradition will go out the window, at least for the moment.
Pomp and circumstance will be the order of the day Saturday morning when officials gather on the steps of the Legislative Assembly to officially celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
But contrary to tradition, the annual garden party won’t be held afterward at the Governor’s House on Seven Mile Beach.
Is it possibly because he’s off the Island and out of the country? No. We’ve had that scenario in the past and the deputy governor stepped up to the plate.
And it’s not that Deputy Governor Donovan Ebanks doesn’t want to play host on Saturday.
The reason is quite basic and reasonable – our country doesn’t need to be spending money on a party that many people don’t show up for anyway.
It shows that at least the Governor’s office is sticking to the words uttered by Governor Duncan Taylor during his Throne Speech last month when he told us all that “we continue to live beyond our means”, speaking about the Cayman Islands.
“Government had to commit to a three-year plan demonstrating incrementally reducing expenditure year on year. We need to meet the commitments we have made. We are on the right trajectory, but it is vital that we keep to the task. I am afraid that means more tough decisions,” the governor said.
One of the ways to prove to the Mother Country that we are serious about getting our budget balanced is to stop throwing extravagant parties and costly events on the government’s dole.
A good place to start is with the annual Queen’s Birthday garden party.
Surely Government can find other events to either cancel or pare down to help balance the budget and show the United Kingdom that we are financially responsible.
We would bet that many business owners would like to see the Monday bank holiday celebrating the Queen’s Birthday cancelled altogether as was done in Bermuda.
It is expensive to pay staff for a holiday that the majority of the country isn’t celebrating anyway.
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