ANOTHER ONE CANDIDATE CHAMBER FORUM

For the third time so far an election candidate booked to participate in the Chamber of Commerce’s Candidate’s Forum opted not to participate.

This time MP for Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman, Moses Kirkconnell, the Deputy Premier, cited previous engagements leaving his opponent Maxine McCoy-Moore free reign on her plans for the constituency and the national agenda.

The previous evening the MP for the Cayman Brac East, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly was also a now show.

Participating via a video link, Mrs McCoy-Moore said her priority issues if elected include; the high cost of living on the Sister Islands, especially for food, water and electricity. Education, unemployment, healthcare as well as the decriminalization of the hemp plant (referring to cannabis) are also in her manifesto.

Looking at the cost of living, she sees addressing import duties which she says “has gone from 12.5 per cent to 30% in the past four to eight years" as a key concern. She is also pushing for increases in salary increases in salary and pension payments.

Mrs McCoy-Moore feels Caymanians have been placed at a disadvantage in the job market.

“There are too many people here on work permits,” she said noting that “I get a lot of criticism saying who am I criticise when I hire foreigners.” She feels that the present system puts nationals at a disadvantage stating that “Caymanians needed to be treated as a first-class citizen in their own country."

In her campaign to represent Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman, she said that revitalising the Sister Islands’ economy “would take not only my ideas but the ideas of all the people of what they would like to see done.”

But she spoke of charging to access attractions, including heritage sites and having more tourist amenities.

In her opinion, development and preserving the environment can be balanced on the Sister Islands but stressed that the flora and fauna must be protected “because if we don't protect them, then what are we gonna have to attract tourists here.”

Looking at the reopening of the borders, Mrs McCoy-Moore mentioned June 1st as a possibility but with strict protocols including vaccinations and quarantining.

Regarding population and development on the Sister Islands: “I would say that I really want to attract more and more of the correct people, that’s the people who are going to love the island the way that we love it,” she said.

“Investment is always a part of development and we do need a little bit more than what we have here in order for the young people to get jobs but it can be it can be controlled by the planning department.”

She favours having a national lottery but not casinos.

The Cayman East and Little Cayman candidate would encourage companies, especially those in financial services, to relocate part of their operations to the Sister Islands, and she feels that the government should be more dynamic in defending the sector.

Plans for a helicopter base on Cayman Brac have attracted controversy but Mrs McCoy-Moore feels: “I don't think it's such a bad idea, per se, but I think it's in the wrong location.”

She said there should have been more consultation with the residents for which she blames Development Control Board.

Mrs McCoy-Moore cited the traffic problems on Grand Cayman as said one of the reasons she relocated to Cayman Brac.

“We should restrict the amount of vehicles that are allowed to be brought in,” she said while suggesting improvements to the current road system in the Sister Islands.

Health insurance is also a key issue for her.

"It needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed immediately by the incoming government,” she insisted claiming that premiums are too high and the only real beneficiaries are the insurance companies.

At the same time, she said she would press for more support programmes for the senior citizens on the Sister Islands.

In her view, the current education system is basically good but it needs to refocus in some areas such as teaching students about budgeting better catering to those who develop at different rates. She also feels a trade school is a necessity.

Mrs McCoy-Moore also listed affordable housing for the Sister Islands as another area she would tackle due to the skyrocketing cost of land.

If elected she said her preferred portfolios would be district administration or education.