Premier Alden McLaughlin winds up the 2020/21 budget debate, 18 Nov 2019

(CNS): All of the members still in the Legislative Assembly backed the government’s massive spending plan for 2020/21 when the vote was called on Monday evening for the biggest ever budget in Cayman’s history. As Premier Alden McLaughlin wrapped up the debate, he denied it was an electioneering budget, saying this was “demonstrably untrue”, as he claimed that his government had spent more supporting the community in past budgets than any previous administration.

Dismissing claims that the government had hoarded taxpayers’ cash only to spend huge quantities now a general election was round the corner, he said government was in the enviable position of being able to help the vulnerable and still fund major public services because of the hard work it had done to drive the economy forward and its stewardship of the public finances.

In a very short speech winding up the budget debate he revealed that he and Opposition Leader Arden McLean had found a way forward on constitutional reform to avoid a referendum, despite the insistence on a people’s vote from the opposition benches in the past.

The premier said he and the opposition leader would discuss the matter further and government would bring a motion to the Legislative Assembly following Finance Committee to pave the way for a debate and find a way to demonstrate that the package of changes that have been agreed to by the UK has wide support across the country.

Although most members of the government benches joined in the budget debate, Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly did not reveal any details of the spending plan for her areas of responsibility, despite having one of the largest ministries in Cabinet and accounting for a significant percentage of this historic budget.

From the opposition benches, only the leader, Arden McLean, and independent member Ezzard Miller spoke.

Kenneth Bryan (GTC) asked the speaker to allow him to speak after he had missed the final call. But as the premier had already risen to wind up the debate, he said he could not give up the floor. However, he was sympathetic to Bryan, noting that he, too, had been caught out in the past of playing the tactical game of trying to speak last and then losing his chance to speak altogether.

Finance Committee, where members will examine the entire budget appropriations bill, is set to begin at 9:30am Wednesday.