Opposition MP details PACT’s ‘track record of failure’

Over the past two years, the former government, led by Wayne Panton, failed to deliver on a myriad of projects and promises, according to the official Opposition.

Deputy Opposition leader Joey Hew read through a long list of failed and delayed plans in parliament this week, which he called PACT’s “track record of failure”.

The catalogue of broken commitments came in response to Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly’s presentation of the United People Movement government’s 2023-2024 budget.

“I hope we are not once again falling into what I termed as a ‘PACT trap’ of over-promising and under-delivering,” he told parliament on Tuesday, 12 Dec.

Capital projects

Hew began by detailing infrastructure projects that had not come to fruition, including road surface upgrades, minor district works, and modernising the court building.

He said works at John Gray High School, Theoline McCoy Primary School, Joanna Clarke Primary School, Red Bay Primary School and the Lighthouse School are all behind schedule.

“The so-called ‘Waterfront Tourism Experience’ seems only to have ever expanded in scope without any building happening on the ground,” he added.

“Estimated costs of the project as set out in the government’s unaudited accounts more than tripled to over $5 million just between June and September of this year.”

Other stalled projects included Central Scranton Park, a fit-for-purpose prison, new accommodation facilities for migrants, and a new public transport system.

The Poinciana residential mental health facility in East End, costing more than $20 million, remains closed “despite repeated promises”, Hew said.

And undersea telecoms cables, a public-private partnership for a national sewerage system and an underground utilities network have also not made any significant progress.

“A promise to increase and improve infrastructure in the eastern districts was never even set out in any detail, let alone delivered,” the MP added during his speech.

“And finally, the government’s biggest single sustainability project ReGen is now more than two years behind schedule.

“The capital cost of around $200 million, negotiated by the Progressives, has spiralled to heights we do not yet even know, thanks to the former premier’s dithering and delays.”

Hew said that, despite failing to deliver on those mentioned projects, the PACT government had continued to spend excessively on other things.

“In some cases, it is far from clear as to what purpose the money had been used for,” he said.

Broken promises

Hew told parliament that, as well as failed infrastructure projects, “scores of promises” detailed in the strategic policy statement were broken during the past two years.

He spoke of the reintroduction of A-levels into public high schools, a shuttle service to district health clinics, and free healthcare for the elderly and children.

All of these were not delivered, the MP said.

Nor were new arrangements to improve oversight of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the implementation of an anti-gang strategy, he added.

“Recycling has gone backwards, with the glass crusher out of action, while the future of the ReGen project continues to be an absolute mystery,” Hew said.

He told MPs that reformed work permit fees, an increased minimum wage and the implementation of a universal income have all fallen by the wayside, as have the promised referendum about the decriminalisation of marijuana, and changing planning fee structures to encourage smaller and energy efficient homes.

The protection of mangroves, inclusion of climate change policies in development laws, and revision of the national development plan are some environmental proposals that did not materialise, he said.

“I could add that neither the national roads plan nor the national infrastructure plan nor the national stormwater management plan that were promised have been delivered either.

“And changes to existing labour laws and regulations – not yet delivered,” Hew said, adding that stronger legislation to protect the disabled and other vulnerable groups was also missing.

On tourism, he said, a national tourism plan and a promise to reimagine cruise tourism have also been dropped.

Hew told Parliament that he “painfully” went through the list “in the spirit of illumination, and certainly not criticism”.

Seven priority areas

In closing, Hew urged the government to concentrate on seven specific spending priorities which detail “things that are affecting all people on a daily basis”.

He said his first three priorities tackle “the most pressing challenges currently facing Cayman”.

He listed them as: overcoming the ongoing impact of the cost of living crisis, reducing crime and the fear of crime, and enabling better and more affordable access to housing.

The other four priorities are in areas where action in the next two years is necessary to meet immediate challenges and better prepare Cayman for the future, the MP said.

They include restoring the domestic economy to a path of steady, sustainable growth, and accelerating action to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts, he said.

Hew described the final two priorities as resolving Grand Cayman’s worsening traffic problems and responding positively to the challenges of an ageing society.

“I know that those on the other side are passionate about the plans proposed in this budget,” he said. “But I urge them to be aware of the economic conditions and the obligations being placed on the shoulders of our people.”