The Cayman Islands’ first female Governor, Her Excellency, Mrs. Helen Kilpatrick, CB, took her oaths of office in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, 6 September 2013.

Administering the oaths was Chief Justice Hon. Anthony Smellie, QC.

Warmly welcomed by the Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP and the Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP, the new Governor said she looked forward to meeting the people of the Cayman Islands on all three islands in short order. “I will work tirelessly to earn your trust,” she said.

She was presented a welcoming floral arrangement by Cayman Brac High School student Miss Leshontae Missick.

Following the swearing in, Mrs. Kilpatrick, Cayman’s 12th Governor, inspected a police guard of honour presented in front of the LA steps.

Deputy Governor Franz Manderson’s speech at Swearing In Ceremony

With Protocol having been established I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a pleasant good afternoon.

Your Excellency, I am honored and privileged to offer a very warm Caymanian welcome to you on behalf of the Civil Service. We are delighted for the opportunity to work with you and look forward to providing you with excellent support as you perform the duties set out in the Constitution.  The unique knowledge and experience that you possess will be a great benefit to Chief Officers and I.  In fact, I have already benefited from your counsel over the past few weeks as we discussed a range of matters.

Your willingness to share your knowledge and expertise is welcomed, and Chief Officers and I look forward to working closely with you as we continue to build on the progress made to improve the overall performance of the Civil Service.

It is with a sense of accomplishment that I report to you that as a result of a great deal of effort and sacrifice the civil service over the past financial year has achieved almost 12 million dollars in savings in personnel costs and has reduced the size of the Civil Service. What is of even more significance is that these savings and reductions in numbers were achieved while offering additional services to the public.

With the support of the elected Government, Chief Officers and I continue to explore ways to reduce the size and cost of the service and together we have introduced a number of polices such as the Travel Policy which has already yielded dividends in terms of reducing the costs of official travel. I am grateful for the support of the Premier in enforcing this policy.

Your Excellency, while the Civil Service has shown much resilience over the past year, morale has been weakened by salary cuts and other severe austerity measures. I wish to assure you that Chief Officers and I are exploring ways in which we can improve morale and ensure that the critical services we provide are not compromised.

I am very proud of my senior team and the overall talent that exists in the Service, which I am sure that you will recognize as you visit the various ministries, portfolios and departments and meet staff.

This afternoon, I am pleased to have in attendance one of our very best civil servants, Mr. Nicholas Mclean who just last week received the Deputy Governor’s award for the Civil Servant of the year. Nicholas has been recognized as an employee who exemplifies all of the expectations of the ideal worker, and it was said that his work ethics are unsurpassed. Nicholas has never been absent from work and has never missed a deadline. Nicholas often puts in extra hours, without being asked to, and was described as being a problem-solver. He has never received a negative report and exceeds expectations by constantly looking for ways to alleviate problems, approaching his work with zeal, enthusiasm and dedication- congratulations again Nicholas. Your Excellency,  there are many more civil servants like Nicholas, and we look forward to working hard to exceed your expectations as we carry out the polices and the deliver the projects set out by the Government.

Your predecessor mentioned the need to improve accountability across the Service – although we have made significant progress in this area- we agree that more must be done and I look forward to discussing this matter with you and to seek your advice.

In closing, I must say that it has been a privilege for me to serve as acting Governor for the past 4 weeks. I wish to record my thanks to the FCO for having the confidence in me and for allowing me to represent her Majesty’s government. I also wish to record my thanks to the Premier and cabinet colleagues for their cooperation and support. It has been an honor to chair Cabinet and I am most

I am pleased with the work we have accomplished over the past few weeks, including two marathon sessions of Cabinet this week.

It would be remiss of me if I did not thank Chief Officer Ms Mary Rodriques for taking on the role of Deputy Governor over these past few weeks. Ms Rodriques did an excellent job dealing with many difficult issues for which I am most grateful.

Your Excellency, once again I welcome you to your new home for the next few years.

We all very much look forward to working with you and we wish you God’s riches blessings as your carry out the duties of your high office.

Photo captions: Photos by Bina Mani

Her Excellency the Governor, Mrs. Helen Kilpatrick, CB, takes her oath of office, administered by Chief Justice Hon. Anthony Smellie, QC, at the Legislative Assembly today (Friday, 6 September 2013).

Cayman Brac High School student Miss Leshontae Missick presents Mrs. Kilpatrick with a floral arrangement to mark the occasion.

Her Excellency the Governor, Mrs. Helen Kilpatrick, CB, inspects a police guard of honour, accompanied by Police Commissioner Mr. David Baines, Aid-de-camp Inspector Ian Yearwood and Parade Commander —-.

Her Excellency the Governor’s Acceptance Speech   Legislative Assembly – 6 September 2013

From H.E. Mrs. Helen Kilpatrick

Honourable Chief Justice

Honourable Speaker

Honourable Premier

Deputy Governor

Honourable Ministers and Members of Cabinet

Honourable Leader of the Opposition

Members of the Legislative Assembly

Commissioner of Police

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Thank you, Honourable Premier and Deputy Governor, for your kind words of welcome.  It is with the utmost sense of honour and responsibility that I have today taken the oaths of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen, and been sworn in as the twelfth Governor of the Cayman Islands.

I have committed to “well and truly serve the people of the Cayman Islands”.

My vision as Governor is one of partnership and cooperation, working with your elected representatives and public servants, with business, civil society and communities, to support the continued development of a safe, successful, and sustainable Cayman Islands.

I recognise that I have a great deal 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.  I want to get around all of the districts, and the Sister Islands, as soon as possible.  I aim to hear the views of as many people as I can, from those in the Brac and Little Cayman, to those between West Bay and East End.

Last year, the Prime Minister described the Overseas Territories in the UK Government’s White Paper as “an integral part of Britain’s life and history”.  He went on to say that “we want to see our communities flourish in partnership, with strong and sustainable local economies”.  And he committed “to work with the territories to address the challenges we face together”. The UK Government takes it responsibilities for the security and good governance of the Cayman Islands very seriously

Four years ago, my predecessor addressed this Assembly as the financial crisis and the global recession gripped the world.  He highlighted then that this would present huge challenges, and there have certainly been difficult issues which introduced tensions into relationships.  But despite this, the relationship between the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom remains strong.

Like many, I welcomed the commitments made by the Cayman Islands at the recent G8 meeting in London to increase the transparency and co-operation of the financial services sector. These commitments helped to demonstrate that the Cayman Islands want to play a leading role in tackling the global problem of tax evasion.

But I noted in the run up to the G8, that many parts of the world found it difficult to understand the Cayman Islands properly.  I look forward to helping to drive forward the global reputation of Cayman to one of a dynamic, well regulated, financial services centre.

And all this is in the wider context of the developing relationships between the UK and all of the Overseas Territories, through the annual Joint Ministerial Councils.  I look forward to attending the next Council in late November, with the Premier.

Of course, a successful economy needs to have strong roots in good governance and the careful management of public finances.  Some have already noted my background in this area, but I believe that effective stewardship of public money is a shared responsibility – from the members of this Assembly to those delivering front-line services for the residents of, and visitors to, the Cayman Islands and her beautiful shores.

Coupled with this, I fully support the steps that are being taken to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the public administration, an issue covered by my predecessor in his farewell media interviews.

I welcome the measures that the Cabinet is taking to move forward with Standards in Public Life legislation.  I believe that our values should ensure that we act with objectivity, honesty and integrity – collectively working to put the best interest of the Cayman Islands above any individual advantage.

But good governance does not mean interference, my ambition as Governor is to operate with a light touch, but being ready to change this approach if things go awry.

Where my involvement is certain to be greater will be in those areas where the constitution places particular responsibilities on the office of Governor: internal security, defence and preparedness for civil emergencies, and external relations.   I recognise the public concern over recent robberies and burglaries.  Working with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, I aim to maintain the focus on this critical area.

When I made my short visit here in July, I found the natural beauty of these islands truly captivating. The beauty of the islands was eclipsed only by the warmth of the welcome I received from those Caymanians and others I had the pleasure to meet.  The Cayman Islands host an incredibly diverse range of wildlife, including 25 endemic species of plants and reptiles, and over 200 species of birds.  Whilst the elected Government is responsible for the protection and conservation of the islands’ natural assets, I am committed to working with the Government and civil society to ensure that these assets are managed and protected in a manner that befits their incredible value.

Many commentators have noted I am the first female Governor of the Cayman Islands and I become the second woman to take up a governor position this year.  This is something that I am particularly proud of.  It is, perhaps natural therefore, that I hope to do what I can to champion the rights of women and tackle discrimination – in whatever form it takes.  I look to support efforts to have the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women extended to the Cayman Islands.  My vision is that all Caymanians and residents have the opportunity to take a leading role in shaping our future.

But for now, my first priority is to listen and learn; to get out into the community and to understand the issues that concern the people of the Cayman Islands.  I look forward to getting around the Cayman Islands to do just that.

Lastly, but by no means least, may I offer my grateful thanks to Deputy Governor, Franz Manderson  who has discharged his duties as Acting Governor in an exemplary manner.

I give you my commitment that, as your new Governor, I will work tirelessly to earn your trust.

May God bless the Cayman Islands!