On a huge billboard at a busy junction on Crewe Road, Minister of Tourism Kenneth Bryan has demanded immediate immigration reform from his own government.
The George Town Central MP confirmed to the Compass on Wednesday, 13 Sept., that he had posted the sign which reads, ‘Immigration reform now! To protect our country, to protect our people.’
He did not respond to a request for further information.
It is not clear what reforms Bryan is seeking specifically, however, in May, he and Minister of Border Control and Labour Dwayne Seymour called for a freeze on granting Caymanian status through certain methods of application.
Speaking in what he said was a personal capacity and not as a minister on Radio Cayman’s ‘For the Record’, Bryan said he felt it was time for Cayman “to lock the gate”.
Their suggested moratorium would restrict those seeking status through Cabinet or through their length of stay in Cayman, and not those applying for status by birth, descent or marriage.
Bryan said one of the reasons for suggesting a halt on the creation of new status holders who have the right to vote, was managing the future balance of political power.
If the current system is allowed to continue, new “non-generational Caymanians” may have a “foundation of principles that is different to us”, he suggested on the radio show.
This could mean the government could be elected by a majority of voters who hold different values and do not have a strong understanding of Cayman’s culture and traditions, he argued.
‘Why a billboard?’
The Opposition Progressives party questioned Bryan’s decision to campaign for reform through a billboard, calling it a surprising move from a politician who sits in Cabinet and is – on the face of it – one of the key decision-makers in the current government.
Opposition leader Roy McTaggart said, in a statement to the Compass, “The minister and his colleagues, including the premier, can put forward any reforms they deem needed, and they have the numbers to pass the reforms in Parliament. What, then, is the purpose of the billboard?”
The statement also questioned the ongoing review process and suggested that Bryan’s move signalled a rift in the government, made up of independent MPs.
“Has something gone wrong with this process?” McTaggart asked. “Why did the minister feel compelled to demand ‘Immigration Reform Now’ on a billboard?
“Is the minister and his government colleagues in disagreement regarding the way forward with Immigration reform?
“Whilst Government members infighting is not a surprise, the Minister and the Premier should explain what is happening with the immigration review that was commenced. When will the public see what is being proposed?”
The Progressives also questioned the legality of ministers erecting billboards, allegedly without express permission from the Central Planning Authority.
The issue was raised previously by a local attorney. At that time, planning officials said they would discuss and indicate whether permission was required, though no such decision has been publicly announced.
Bryan insisted the billboards – also used by a handful of other MPs in the past – were a handy way to communicate public information with constituents who didn’t have internet service.
McTaggart said Wednesday, “It is still shocking that ministers of this government still maintain these illegal billboards with nothing being done about it, assuming that the minister has still not applied for or received planning permission to erect them.”
- Additional reporting by James Whittaker
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What is obvious to me is that Kenneth, Dwayne and Chris Saunders are following the right wing thinking out of the states. They want to endorse a non livable minimum wage so that the average Cayman can afford child care, but they know that no Caymanians will take those jobs so they want to import labour to work a unlivable wages and sell the myth that Caymanians are still in the upper middle class. the middle class doesn’t exist in Cayman any more. its just a pipe dream. If you have kids and cant afford child care, make it work. it is no excuse to take advantage of imported labour because you cant afford it, imagine if thier bosses took that attitude with them?
Non of these people want to vote They only want to continue to live on the island and work. The problem is the roll over. Until Ivan there was no roll over Then it was 7 years and now 9. I know lots of people who have lived and worked on the island for years and love it. They have no desire to vote. The whole system needs to be changed
It would be helpful if he shared with us what “foundation of principles that is different to us” means. What specifically? Are individuals that have lived here for 15 or more years less deserving of rights? I worry that the Minister is fear mongering and creating unneeded divisiveness in the community.
This is such a backwards way of thinking by an older generation of “ultra-right-wing” politicians who are likely most concerned about staying in or gaining power. Many of the expats who apply for PR, status etc. have made major contributions to the community, invested in the economy and deemed as invaluable by their employers.
Every time an election nears there is a trend of shifting blame to expats for Caymanian unemployment rates. This is just short term thinking by those who just want to remain in power for personal benefit rather than actually create a solution for the public. Why doesn’t a government for once think long-term and invest heavily in education and learning facilities so that there is less need for foreign workers at the high-earning levels in future years? This is surely the most sustainable choice to preserve Cayman’s culture and jobs without damaging Cayman’s reputation and economy.