By Azad Ali From Caribbean Life

Premier Alden McLaughlin said recently that he considered [Cayman Islands new Governor Helen] Kilpatrick’s arrival on his birthday and upon the newly elected government’s 100th day in office to be a “good omen” for the territory.

However, many Caymanians and residents seemed hopeful that Kilpatrick, Cayman’s first female governor, would usher in a different era.

In accepting the nomination to the governor’s post recently, Kilpatrick, who has never served in a post with the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, much less in the Caribbean, said she realized she has a lot to learn.

“As a priority, I need to get to know the people of the Cayman Islands to find out what they aspire to and what causes them concern,” said Kilpatrick.

Borrowing from British Prime Minister David Cameron, Kilpatrick said she wished to see overseas territories communities “flourish in partnership, with strong and sustainable local economies.” She went on to state that she intended to govern “with a light touch,” only becoming more involved if “things go awry.”

Things have not gone quite right for Cayman since the global financial markets collapsed in late 2008, spawning higher unemployment than the territory has seen in recent decades and leading to numerous attacks on Cayman’s financial services industry.

Kilpatrick said she welcomes the commitments Cayman made at the recent Group of Eight countries meeting in London to boost transparency in its financial services sector and added she felt Cayman’s true story was not quite understood.

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