Governor Martyn Roper has distanced himself from MP Chris Saunders’ sudden departure from the PACT administration, saying his row with the former deputy premier was not the source of his exit from the Cabinet on Tuesday.
No explanation has been given for Saunders’ departure from the front bench and Premier Wayne Panton maintained his silence Friday amid a frenzy of social media speculation.
Since members of the media were blocked from asking questions about the political upheaval in a live broadcast ‘press briefing’ this week, written questions submitted after the event remain unanswered. Responses to repeated attempts to obtain an official comment from the premier and his office have not been forthcoming.
A portion of an email exchange between the governor and the former deputy premier, seen by the Compass, remains the only credible and verifiable information on what has been playing out behind closed doors between the islands’ leaders – and what played a part in the split between the Bodden Town West MP and the Panton government.
Governor: ‘Separate’ issue, not tension with Saunders, led to departure
Roper, speaking on government station Radio Cayman on the ‘For The Record’ show Friday, said the factors leading to Saunders no longer being in the Cabinet were “separate” from the tensions between himself and Saunders.
“I think it’s completely separate to what has happened between the premier and Chris Saunders. Obviously, there’s not much I can say about that, it’s a matter for the premier. But the issues which led to MP Chris Saunders no longer being in Cabinet were very separate from what happened and what happened was back in December, and also January,” he said.
He was unable to share the full picture, however.
“I think it’s up to the premier and others, if they wish to, to say more on that, not for me,” the governor said.
The Compass revealed details of a terse email exchange following Cabinet meetings during which Roper had raised concerns about MPs’ decision not to vote to pass legislation increasing penalties for illegal gambling, but instead send it to a select committee.
Saunders took offence to the governor’s remarks, including an apparent insinuation about links to criminals, describing that position as “racist”. In the email chain, Roper claims he was told to “go home, the sooner the better”.
He did not speak in detail about the spat during his radio appearance Friday and declined to comment to the Compass.
In the on-air interview, he added, “Just being clear that for me, this was about standing up and speaking up for the people of these islands around my responsibilities for law and order and security,” he said.
And he insisted that his disagreement with the deputy premier was unconnected to Saunders’ departure from office
He said that after the outburst, “many people around that table apologised to me… were embarrassed and frankly I think even people close to him didn’t really believe or accept what he was saying”.
PACT of silence
The premier himself has said nothing about the reasons for Saunders’ departure, who, as finance minister, was midway through the preparation of the Strategic Policy Statement – which is expected to set the tone for government’s spending and policy plan for the rest of its term.
In a brief press release Tuesday, Panton described the situation as a “Cabinet reshuffle”.
He said there have been “several changes to the Ministers of Cabinet in order to create better synergies and improve delivery of results in the PACT Government’s stated priority areas”.
Saunders himself has alluded to “ideological differences” but has not gone into any detail.
In the interim, government has sent out press releases on a 5k run, repairs at Old Man Bay dock and the monitoring of sargassum seaweed, among others, but has remained resolutely silent on the remaining questions surrounding the departure of the premier’s former deputy.
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