SPEAKER BUSH PREACHES SERMON OF HOPE

Another momentous day in the life of our country, is how re-elected Hon. Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament McKeeva Bush termed last Wednesday's opening of the new parliamentary term for the next four years.

Mr Bush, who has also been a central figure in what has been a political maelstrom in the division of seats and final coalition majority, credited the underlying strength of Cayman’s democracy for the eventual peaceful transition of power.

“Our democracy once again, has been tried and tested, and our democracy remains intact... The campaign is over. We have a tremendous responsibility before us for our people.”

Looking back at the keenly contested campaign which at points became mired in negativity, Mr Bush appealed for a spirit of forgiveness to prevail as the new Parliament - and new government embarks on running the affairs of the country.

“This is a new government, led by a capable lawyer and businessman, husband and family man who served this honourable house before,” he said referring to new Premier Wayne Panton.

“None of us are infallible and all of us know that we have work to do.”

Commenting on the new cohort of cabinet members which includes several first-timers, Mr Bush expressed confidence in their collective ability.

“This cabinet is as good as any that I’ve seen. They must be given the chance to do the work they were elected to do. And with the manifestos of all of us and the demands and needs of our people, we have enough to do to accomplish for each other.”

The Speaker joined in the appeal for Cayman to now “pull together” and take advantage of the opportunities which lie ahead while navigating through the challenges.

“We are great. The world is still in a flux,” he said, adding that the opportunities for Cayman to do better now are unlimited.

“But Caymanians must pull together,” Mr Bush declared. “There is no time to bicker and to plot, and certainly, from my position here I will keep necessarily order as best as the rules allow me to,” Mr Bush declared.

In biblical intonations in his speech from the Speaker’s chair, in some respects reminiscent of the Sermon from the Mount - complete with parables and part political rallying call, Hon. Speaker Bush admonished the MPs and the Cayman community:

“God has given us a chance to do better. And if you help others, that is to me the first step in our success. We cannot and must not row over fire ants while elephants trample us.”

Switching to full rally mode, Mr Bush extolled a vision for Cayman:

“Let us as a government fulfill our manifestos. I'm confident then our communities will be served, families stabilised, schools re-tooled and strengthened, our youths re-trained, business opportunities realised and ready for the new Cayman and our economy will be booming. Jobs, jobs, jobs.”

On a more personal note, he characterised the last 36 years by invoking an extract from the Robert Frost poem the Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.”

“We are all humans,” intoned Speaker Bush, who just a few days ago profusely apologised for his actions which led to a suspended criminal conviction for assaulting a woman - and which has been a factor in the just-ended election and government formation.

“We will continue to change the things that are needed, not only for others but also in our lives,” he said.

"We will work those instruments that we will prepare. God has been good to us. Mistakes are in the past. We move forward now, ever upward and onward."