LADIES SET SIGHTS ON THE SAVANNAH SEAT

BY Staff Writer

If it was collegiate in Prospect, it was conviviality on display when the two candidates competing for Savannah sat next to each other in the continuing series of Candidate Forums organised by the Cayman Island Chamber of Commerce for the April 30th election.

Media practitioner Donna Bush swapped her dulcet tones from television and radio to the platform of the People’s Progressive Party (PPM/Progressives) in her bid to sway Savannah her way.

Next to her, Heather Bodden who now sits as an independent in the Parliament, won the Savannah seat in 2021 on a PACT ticket but is now running as a candidate for the newly-minted The Cayman Community Party(TCCP).

Following the established question-and-answer format of the Chamber’s Candidate Forums the two ladies put their respective communication competencies in media and policy presentation on display in responding to questions and giving their opinions on the issues presented to them.

The recurring themes of the cost of living, traffic congestion, the job market, tourism, immigration, and education dominated along with associated issues which surfaced during the forum.

Mitigating the impact of the high cost of living saw convergence that it was unsustainable but a divergence in how best to reduce it.

New candidate Donna Bush (PPM) felt that the cost of healthcare to a large degree underpinned the ballooning cost of living and her party already has a solution.

“The PPM proposes to provide free basic healthcare to all children under 18 and to expand healthcare that’s available to our elderly who need it the most as well as to our retirees.”

The PPM candidate also felt that making homes more affordable could have a series impact on reducing the overall cost of living but was doubtful about how much could be done to reduce the food bill as Cayman relies heavily on food imports.

Heather Bodden (TCCP) pointed to the cost of housing, electricity, health insurance and food security as areas which warranted urgent action, saying that while in government (PACT and United People’s Movement since 2021) policies toward those were being rolled out.

“The main drivers of our cost of living are housing, electricity, food and health insurance.” Especially in housing, she called for “thinking outside the box” to provide access to affordable housing including rent.

The former PACT and UPM Parliamentary Secretary also felt that there was a greater opportunity to reduce the food bill, saying that her TCCP party felt food security could be achieved through local farming initiatives and sourcing regionally.

Solar electricity, making buildings more energy efficient and reducing healthcare costs were also options which could be followed, she said.

Linked to the broad issue of the cost of living was the issue of the minimum wage with both accepting the rise from $6.00 to at least $8.75 as recommended in a government-commissioned report.

Heather Bodden commented: “The changes proposed have been kicked down the road for too long”. Donna Bush concurred “wholeheartedly”, saying, “$8.75 is not even enough but it’s a good place to start.”``

The two Savannah candidates also found common cause in other areas including providing government funding support for the key financial services sector with the same level of priority given to tourism. They agreed on holding the referendum on the cruise pier as part of Voting Day for the electorate to have their say on whether or not the facility should be built.

On education, there was agreement that Cayman students should be supported into the jobs market in roles that they qualified for after graduating, and specific to education Savannah, both voiced concern over overcrowding and inadequate school space which they felt must be addressed urgently.

On the night, it was an exercise - and education - in conviviality between the two opposing candidates with their eyes on the Savannah seat.