PPM ready, announced new candidates and slammed UDP and C4C at lunch meeting

At a luncheon courtesy, of the People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) last Wednesday (5), the party’s chairman, Anton Duckworth, said his party was ready and prepared for next year’s General Election.

The Party would be contesting all six seats in George Town, and the four in Bodden Town and West Bay. They were, however only contesting one of the two seats in the Sister Islands and no candidates would be put up against the present independent incumbents in East End and North Side, namely Arden Mclean (who resigned from the PPM earlier this year) and Ezzard Miller.

Before the Wednesday luncheon they had announced the following candidates who would be running:

George Town; Alden McLaughlin, Kurt Tibbetts, Lucille Seymour and Kenneth Bryan

Bodden Town: Anthony Eden, Osbourne Bodden, Wayne Panton and 
Al Suckoo.

West Bay: Woody DaCosta

Sister Islands (Little Cayman and Cayman Brac): Moses Kirkconnell

Three additional candidates were named at the luncheon as Joey Hew and Marco Archer for George Town and Ray Farrington in West Bay. 

They were actively pursuing two more candidates for West Bay and

PPM leader, Alden McLaughlin, admitted it had been a mistake not to have contested all the four West Bay seats in the 2005 and 2009 elections.

The vetting of all candidates would be through a PPM Party Conference in February, 2013.

Duckworth announced there would be a new website and bashed the present United Democratic Party government as “Bush Rule” or “One Man Rule”.

“Bush Rule conceals the truth,” he said and pointed out that when the PPM had been in power there had never been any accusations of corruption. They were a party that advocated “hearty arguments” and their strength was they were a “low budget, grass roots organisation”.

He then warned that the Coalition4Cayman (C4C) group was fundamentally generated by wealthy people who wanted to control government. They were trying “to build their campaign on deception” saying party politics had caused the country’s financial problems. He hinted that the C4C group could be supporting McKeeva Bush and claimed they were in fact a political party no matter what they were trying to portray to the contrary.

“Remember the lady riding on the back of the smiling tiger,” he said. “It was when she tried to get off she had the problem.”

“Bush government is in favour of the C4C group,” he said. “Our country cannot afford C4C rule.” Can they explain what they have done for this country he asked?

“The issue for the people in this country is which group gives the country it needs? A vote for the Independents is a vote for Bush,” he added.

He introduced all the candidates who would be running in next year’s election and McLaughlin profiled the three newcomers as follows:

Joseph “Joey” Hew

Service is at the coreof Joseph “Joey”Hew’s life.Both his personal and professional undertakings have centred on service to his community and the service industry that supports the hotel and restaurant trade in the Cayman Islands

It is therefore no surprise that serving the people of George Town at the national level is what motivated Joey to accept the call by the People’s Progressive Movement to contest the General Elections on the Party’s ticket for this district.

“Sitting on the outside is no longer acceptable to me,” Hew said. “More than anything else I want the people of the Cayman Islands to be proud of their Government. In order for that to happen we have to restore confidence in Government. Government is there to work in the interest of all the people, not a select few. It must be creative, caring and above all transparent. These are the principles that have guided my own life and as a Caymanian, I truly believe that it is my duty to bring these things back to Government.”

As the Managing Director and Chief Operation Officer of his family’s group of companies, that include Hew’s Hotel & Restaurant Supplies Restaurant Depot Bon Vivant, Macdonald’s, the Office Bar, and Hew’s Janitorial, Joey brings a wealth of successful business experience to public life.

He is a past President of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce and headed the Cayman Islands Restaurant Association for five years until it’s amalgamation into the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, where hec ontinued to serve as a Director.

As a former Deputy Chairman of the Trade and Business Licensing Board as well as the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, Hew already has experience and insight into the workings of state management.  He is keen to bring a more business–like approach to Government.

At the personal level, Joey Hew’s involvement in community service goes back to his school days as a founding member and treasurer of the John Gray High School Key Club. He is a member and past President of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and former Director of a youth football programme that saw several young Caymanians receive scholarships locally and overseas.

Joey’s interest in young people still takes him to the soccer field every Sunday morning to coach 4–5year olds in the Beautiful Game.

The development of people is Joey’s true passion. He has a clear vision for bringing Caymanians to the centre of economic activity through training and education so that they can contribute to and share in the benefits of the financial and hospitality industries that drive the economy. It is for this reason that he is proud to carry the Progressives banner in George Town, since he believes his vision about the development of people is one that is shared by the Party in equal measure. Together with the Party’s commitment to transparency and accountability he is certain that a new Progressives government will restore confidence to the affairs of government.

Forty three year old Joseph Hew is married to Cynthia and they are the proud parents of two sons.

Rayburn Farrington

Ray Farrington has been a member of the People’s Progressive Movement since its inception and has served the Party in several capacities, including Second Vice Chairman and he is currently the General Secretary of the Party. He was also instrumental in starting the West Bay Branch of the PPM. He is therefore a natural choice to take the fight to the outgoing Government in West Bay in the coming election as part of the Progressives’ West Bay team.

Born and raised in West Bay, Ray’s greatest concern for Caymanians in general, but the people of West Bay in particular, is the culture developed and nurtured by some politicians of making people depend on political patronage for their survival. He is saddened by this manipulation of his constituents and he is passionate about giving them the opportunity to help themselves through better training and education.

“We need to restore a sense of pride in Caymanians and rebuild their self-confidence to be successful players in the economy,” Ray said. “It is wrong for politicians to take that away from them for the sake of a vote.”

Ray’s approach to problem solving is conditioned by the degree in Data Processing, which he obtained at Sunderland University, and his subsequent work experience in Government’s Computer Services Department followed by a leading financial institution where he worked his way up to become the Information Systems Manager and now leads the Premises department.. He is a logical thinker and straight talker who believes that many of the residents of West Bay are being left out and left behind by a government that is only interested in its own survival

True to his beliefs that people need to be masters of their own destiny, Ray was instrumental in initiating the National Mentoring Programme through the Chamber of Commerce. He also served for several years as the President of the PTA at Cayman Prep and High School while his son was enrolled there.

“This Government has gone about so many things in the wrong way,” said Ray. “They are an embarrassment. We are accustomed to a higher standard of governance than this. The Progressives will certainly return transparency and good governance to the affairs of state when we are returned to office.”

Ray is no stranger to commitment, he has been married to Jacqui for 26 years and they are the loving parents of one son.

Marco Archer

Marco Shearer Archer has built a solid career as a respected economic statistician and administrator with the Cayman Islands Government and more recently as a successful attorney-at-law with a leading offshore law firm. His decision to stand as a candidate for the Peoples’ Progressive Movement in the constituency of George Town is driven by the certain knowledge that better can be done and must be done.

“As an economic statistician who has worked in Government,” he said, “I know the intricacies of this economy and I know that even with the global economic downturn if the UDP Government had adhered to the principles of prudent fiscal management the average Caymanian would not be under the severe pressure they are facing now, especially the poor and disadvantaged, who are bearing the brunt of the Government’s mismanagement.”

But Marco is not only about the bigger economic picture. He is worried about the future of the young people of George Town. “We live in one of the world’s leading financial centres,” he laments, “and not enough of our young people have been given the opportunity or the motivation to share in the wealth of the financial industry. It is high time that this generation is equipped with the tools to compete with those who come from all over the world to make a better life for themselves in Cayman.”

“In addition to educating our children to capitalize on the opportunities offered in the financial and hospitality industries,” he said, “a new Progressives government must nurture a culture of entrepreneurship among our people if true wealth is to come within the grasp of the ordinary man.”

Towards this end, Marco has a vision to revitalize George Town’s commercial centre and make the city alive again. “I believe that we can transform downtown into a pedestrian district to give small business owners and entrepreneurs the ability to attract people to an area where they can dine, shop and be entertained after hours; a place where even mothers and daughters will feel safe to visit at night. A caring Progressives government will provide the right financial climate to make this a reality so as to improve the lives of the people of George Town.”

As the holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from Barry University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami, an LLB from the University of Liverpool and a Diploma in Legal Practice from The College of Law in England, Marco’s training and experience are a valuable asset to the Progressives George Town team which is headed by Political Leader, Alden McLaughlin.

“I have seen both sides of the private/public sector coin,” Marco says, “and it is time that we heal the growing divide between Caymanians and expatriates. There is no reason why together we cannot continue to build this country if everyone gets his or her fair share. I want to be part of a solution that is inclusive of all interests. We have laws to protect Caymanians, which need to be enforced, but we must also develop a culture of meritocracy. Being pro-Caymanian does not equate to being anti expatriate.”

As an economist first, Marco is excited by the Progressives plan of economic diversification and sustainable development, the Party’s commitment to the protection of the environment and its pledge to be a Government that consults with the social partners.

He also applauds the PPM’s record of building capacity for future growth by investing in infrastructure projects and the development of human capital. He truly believes that the Progressives offer the best hope for returning growth and economic stability to the Cayman Islands.

“The people of George Town can look forward to honest, caring and capable representation from me. Therefore, it is my hope that they will give me the opportunity to help them realize their dreams as I have always believed that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary achievements when given the opportunity,” he said.

Marco is married to Tammy and they are the proud parents of two daughters.

McLaughlin welcomed Moses Kirkconnell as the PPM’s Deputy Leader and because they were different in personality that made it a very good match.

“The last person I would want as my Deputy was one who agreed with everything I said. Although Moses gave the appearance of being quiet he had very strong opinions,” he said.