The Opposition has said it was “in no way, shape or form” attempting to form a new government over the past weekend after Dwayne Seymour crossed the floor in Parliament.
There was no secret meeting, no strategic planning, and members were simply catching up on rest and chores after a busy session, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Joey Hew has insisted.
His comments came despite conjecture over the weekend that the Opposition had reached out to select members of government to test the water on a possible alternative coalition.
Further speculation was stoked on Monday when Progressives MP David Wight posted a social media image of the Opposition group with the caption, “government in waiting”.
Speaking on the ‘For the Record’ show on Radio Cayman on Wednesday, 27 Sept., Hew gave his views on the week’s events which culminated in the labour minister’s resignation.
He told host Orrett Connor he found the whole episode “rather strange” but said the PACT administration looks like it may have “found unity in the middle of the storm”.
Meanwhile, Progressives leader Roy McTaggart, speaking during the same radio interview, had a different take.
He said a seeming display of unity by the government – who wore matching colours on Tuesday – could not hide the discord.
‘Off the rails’
There were nine private member’s motions to be filed in Parliament last Thursday and Hew described the day as “starting out quite well”.
But when, what he called the “more contentious” motions were reached, Hew said the government did not appear to be prepared for them.
After Opposition MP David Wight presented his motion asking for the legalisation of chemical sprays for self-defence, Premier Wayne Panton said he would not be supporting it.
And when the vote was called, he was the sole opponent, with the rest of his government voting for the motion to be passed.
“It seems as if, at that point, things just got off the rails and the premier was not in his seat at the time when the rest of the motions were brought in,” Hew said.
The deputy Opposition leader said that he thought the premier was on his way to Government House to hand in his resignation.
“I certainly would have, because it [would be] very obvious that I had lost complete support of my government. Not just my Cabinet but my entire government.”
Hew’s motion asking for the government to develop and incentivise private sector-built affordable home and rental schemes, was the next to cause friction among members.
“It’s my understanding that the government were instructed not to support the motion,” he said, adding at that point it was 1:30am and few people were paying attention.
However, during the vote there seemed to be confusion among government members about how to respond, and it was twice called again.
The final vote saw 10 for and three against the motion, with just the premier absent, which led to it being passed.
“I think at that stage other members stormed out of the House,” Hew said. “There were words exchanged between those who voted yes and those who voted no.”
He said things went “haywire” from there, and added that the Opposition “found the entire thing rather strange”.
No secret meeting
The next day, Seymour resigned as minister and from the government in a speech to the House.
Backbench MP McKeeva Bush immediately called for a break which Hew said was for the government to “have a huddle” and “put a Band-Aid on”.
As it was late in the afternoon, the Opposition asked for Parliament to be called into recess until Tuesday morning, to allow them time to review the supplementary appropriations.
“There was a lot of speculation over the weekend, my phone was ringing off the hook,” Hew said.
But he added that after a long week, members were simply catching up on their chores and resting.
“There were no secret meetings with us. There were one or two phone calls from those who were seeking to see if there were any opportunities for themselves,” he said.
“But there was not an exercise by the Progressives opposition to form a new government over the weekend.”
He said Opposition members, including Seymour, met on Monday and spent three-and-a-half hours going through the supplementary appropriations.
PACT intact
On Tuesday, before the Finance Committee meeting, they heard rumours of the government reshuffling, but on arrival members were wearing matching colours as a show of solidarity.
“From our understanding it was that they’re back to the PACT being intact,” Hew said.
“Perhaps that exercise worked out to be a good thing. Perhaps they have found unity in the middle of the storm and it can only be good for the country.”
Leader of the Opposition McTaggart, also speaking on the show, had a different view, saying the events of last week show “a great division and discord” among government members.
“At the end of the day, no amount of dressing up in pink ties and pink scarves and dresses, whatever they do, it’s the actions [that] speak louder than the appearances.”
He said the premier has a problem as he is now down to a bare majority of 10 to eight, “and I don’t know how he’s going to fix it”.
“He’s got to be feeling very uncomfortable in that position given the performance of his government to date.”
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