THREE OF FOUR IN THE CANDIDATES FORUM FOR GEORGE TOWN WEST

By Staff Writer

Three of the four candidates for the George Town West seat made their pitch for consideration as the constituency representative as the 2025 Candidates Forum series nears its finale.

With David Wight of the People’s Progressive Movement(PPM/Progressives) hanging up his hat as MP, his party is hoping that Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden will retain the seat. She is up against independent candidates Tyree Hernandez and Hunter Walton, plus Craig Merrin of the Cayman Islands National Party(CINP). Mr Merrin sent in his apologies for being absent from the forum.

Following the established format, the three present candidates addressed questions on a wide range of current issues.

As has been the pattern throughout the series, once again immigration was an overarching concern across most of the topics discussed.

Hunter Walton(IND): “Our current immigration department cannot handle the influx of immigration in the Cayman Islands. I believe that we need to increase the staffing and technology and streamline some of these processes…We’re seeing a lot of issues with enforcement, especially within the work with the work permits, a lot of work permit abuse. Work Permit Holders are jumping from job to job to job, and these employers are completely bypassing Caymanians, as well as working outside the scope of their work permit.” Related to that Mr Walton also has his eyes on jobs - arguing to increase the $6.00 minimum wage, and home ownership - which he says is becoming increasingly beyond the reach of many Caymanians.

For his fellow independent candidate Tyree Hernandez, housing, traffic, support for the elderly and prison reform are his main concerns. He put forward a proposal for prison reform which he says cuts across many of the social and economic challenges confronting Cayman.

“This is a national issue. We have a prison system that is costing us to house each inmate thousands of dollars. Every year, we have 80 to 85 foreign prisoners that are just there lavishing over what’s being spent on them. When I’m elected, that’s going to change…There are jobs that are in the prisons that should be given to Caymanians. That’s going to change.” Mr Hernandez also said care for the elderly and issues surrounding traffic management require a different approach.

Immigration reform is also a top-shelf issue for the PPM’s Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden, alongside housing, the cost of living, and traffic.

“One of the things that the PPM has been charged with and is in the manifesto, is reforming the immigration system. It trickles down to so many different factors in our society, such as these national issues of traffic, housing, cost of living, and one thing or another.” 

She also addressed the challenges faced by many Caymanians in getting their own home saying “That’s unacceptable for a nation that we consider to be first class”. McGaw-Lumsden also noted that “the cost of living has just skyrocketed” and that the PPM has a manifesto pledge to increase the minimum wage from $6.00 to $9.00 per hour to alleviate it.

During a segment on jobs, especially for graduates, Mr Hernandez(IND) made this input: “When it comes to them getting scholarships, we need to encourage our students to study for what’s available, not what they want. If we study for what’s available, there shouldn’t be a problem when they return to the Cayman Islands, landing that job because they have studied for it.” He also wants to see a trade school established.

PPM’s Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden said one PPM plan is to have “employment, labour and education under one umbrella” and better utilise existing business staffing plan policies ahead of students graduating. “Look under those business staffing plans and issue a final work permit for that (non-national)individual once that person is due to graduate.”

Independent candidate Hunter Walton summarised that the challenges faced by some Caymanians start with the education system. “Unfortunately, this is painfully obvious within our government schools. We have high illiteracy rates and numeracy rates.” Outlining how he would tackle the issue, Mr Walton explained: “What I would propose is education reform where we update the curriculum for the schools to a more modernized curriculum, one that’s being used with some of the higher standard schools on island, the private schools, and that’s the STEM program, which stands for science, technology, engineering and maths.” Mr Walton said while he was sceptical about the much-talked-about trade school ever being developed, training Caymanians for jobs in sectors such as real estate should be pursued.

The three participating candidates in the forum also discussed revitalising George Town, revenue alternatives to the work permit system, protecting the financial services industry, implications of a no-vote in the cruise pier referendum, and school meals.