Government’s plan to hold a vote on cruise piers at the end of the year has triggered mixed reactions on the contentious issue.
Shirley Roulstone, who successfully led the campaign against cruise piers in 2019 with the Cruise Port Referendum group, dismissed the new attempt to introduce piers, saying that many people do not disembark their ships in Grand Cayman “no matter the size of the ship or how many it holds”.
More questions
She countered Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan’s statements on the declining cruise calls and the need to consider piers as an option to save the cruise industry.
Roulstone argued that Cayman’s cruise business is not down because the island does not have piers.
“Our tourism is always slow in summer and we have never had anyone in government willing to negotiate with the cruise lines regarding visits throughout the year, not just clogging us up [from] December-May and abandoning us the rest of the year,” she said.
On Wednesday, Cabinet announced that it had granted approval for a referendum to be held on whether cruise piers are needed to support the industry.
“This decision is based on the need for government to address the ongoing reduction in cruise passenger arrivals and the knock-on effects impacting Caymanian-owned businesses and the local economy,” the government statement said.
No date has been set for the referendum, but according to the statement, it is anticipated that the vote will be held before the end of the year.
Bryan contends that “a core decision from the people of the Cayman Islands is required to facilitate future strategic planning for the cruise industry”.
But Roulstone said there are many questions surrounding the referendum that need to be answered and voters should know exactly what they are voting on.
She also questioned the timing of the vote for the end of the year.
“These sorts of developments impact the next generation who will be saddled with the fallout and debt so they must have every opportunity to be informed and able to vote on this matter … December is not a good time period as many people are off island for the holidays. Why the rush now?” she said.
The timing, she added, also raises the question about who will be eligible to vote when the referendum is triggered.
“If government is concerned about the people having a say on this then they should also be encouraging and facilitating the process to get all eligible voters registered,” she said.
Ronnie Anglin, co-owner of water-sports business Captain Marvin’s, urged more public education on the cruise industry ahead of the referendum.
“I believe that members of the current government who used to be against cruise and who have now had the opportunity to educate themselves about its many benefits to our society, need to ensure that the public has that same information before initiating a referendum.
“After all, it’s always best to be educated on something before making any decisions on it,” he said.
Smoke and mirrors
Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart took a different approach as he questioned Bryan’s motive in calling the referendum so close to the election.
“For years, the Progressives have argued that the cargo port needs to be enlarged and that a new cruise port facility is essential for maintaining our position in the cruise business. It is interesting to hear the Minister of Ports now advocating in the media and in Parliament for a larger cargo port and a new cruise port, especially since just a few years ago, he was helping lead the charge against the necessity of either,” he said.
He pointed out that Bryan’s “dramatic change of heart” is so significant that he recently admitted to Speaker Sir Alden McLaughlin, who, as premier, pushed for the cruise berthing project, that the Progressives government was right about the need for the port.
“Over three years ago, we advised the minister to consult with the Caymanian people on how they wanted cruise tourism to restart following the lockdown. He refused to do so. We saw the closure of cruise tourism during the pandemic as an excellent opportunity for the country to reimagine its approach and set a new course,” he said.
McTaggart said Bryan’s continued refusal every time the Progressives brought up cruise was a missed opportunity.
Bryan, he said, has also not disclosed the question he would want to be asked in a referendum nor has he provided any plans for people to consider in making a decision.
“This is just smoke and mirrors. We are eight months out from a general election, and the minister knows he will not be in any position to get anything done to have a meaningful referendum on a cruise port,” he said.
The opposition leader said Bryan wants the focus to be on “cruise and cargo ports and extending airport runways into the North Sound as a distraction from the fact that he and his government have few achievements to boast about”.
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