West Bay Central MP Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, 43, has become Cayman’s youngest Speaker of the House after being elected to the post by her government peers in Parliament on Friday.
She is also the fifth female legislator to be elevated to the senior position, an achievement Ebanks-Wilks said was a moment of pride for her, adding she was humbled by her colleagues’ trust and confidence in electing her.
As she took her place in the chair, her predecessor – West Bay West MP McKeeva Bush – also announced plans to retire from politics following his resignation from the leading role in the legislature.
In her brief remarks, Ebanks-Wilks noted the significance of her role in the democracy and integrity of the House, vowing to uphold those as she embarks on a new chapter as Speaker.
“I give an undertaking to this honourable House that I will be fair and I too will follow in the footsteps of our previous speakers. I also give a commitment to go further… to aspire to lead with integrity and competence as it is an obligation as leaders, certainly my obligation as Speaker, to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct to continue to serve our people with dignity. Our people expect that we maintain the integrity and competence of the parliamentary profession,” she said, in her maiden speech from the chair.
Ebanks-Wilks, a first-time legislator, joins the ranks of previous female Speakers: National Hero Sybil Ione McLaughlin, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Edna Moyle and Mary Lawrence.
“I want to publicly acknowledge all of their efforts, as each of them did their part to pave the way for female parliamentarians in our country,” she said.
She said she intends to improve public access to the legislature and shared plans to upgrade the Parliament website.
Premier Wayne Panton, who kicked off congratulatory speeches from MPs, told Ebanks-Wilks it was a “privilege and an honour” to see her elected Speaker.
He said he and his government has every confidence that she will perform the role admirably and “you will maintain dignity and honour” in the House.
Panton noted the significance of her election, saying, “It is a day which reflects younger people being able to participate at an elevated level in government.”
He pointed to the historic swearing-in of Cayman’s first female Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale and now a female Speaker.
“We now have two arms of government being presided over by two women. I think that is to be recognised, is to be celebrated,” he added.
Leader of the Opposition Roy McTaggart said he was pleased to see Ebanks-Wilks’s growth and her attaining such a high post.
“It is a very joyous time, it’s a happy time,” he said, as he pledged to work with the new Speaker and give her the support that she will need.
Deputy Premier Chris Saunders noted that seeing Ebanks-Wilks take her seat as Speaker sent a message to young people that “once you work hard, you apply yourself and you are diligent you can achieve anything”.
He added that it also sent an important message to young women, like his daughter who wants to be an attorney.
How the vote went
Her election, though, was not without challenges as McTaggart had nominated former premier Alden McLaughlin for Speaker, taking some by surprise.
Before votes could be cast, however, there was contention over who should chair the committee for the vote.
Bush, initially seated on government’s backbench, was moved to chair for the meeting as the most senior legislator.
Eventually, the election took place with Ebanks-Wilks receiving 10 votes, McLaughlin six and one blank ballot recorded.
Bodden Town East MP Dwayne Seymour was elected as her deputy. George Town South MP Barbara Conolly was put forward as a nominee for that position by the Opposition Leader, but she did not garner enough votes.
Ebanks-Wilks and Seymour were both elected at a special meeting of the Parliament convened Friday morning.
Her election comes after Bush officially demitted office last month, after resigning with immediate effect.
His resignation followed mounting pressure after police commenced an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards two women at a government cocktail reception back in October.
She has been fulfilling the duties of the Speaker since Bush’s resignation, as she was the deputy speaker.
On Friday, she was promoted to the Speaker’s chair and took her oath of office administered by Governor Martyn Roper.
PAC changes
In Friday’s sitting, MPs also dealt with a government motion to change the membership of the Public Accounts Committee.
McTaggart leads the PAC, which was in session on Thursday.
The MPs revoked Ebanks-Wilks’s appointment on the committee and voted George Town North MP Joey Hew to replace her.
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