KIDDIEWINKS PURCHASE POLITICAL CONTROVERSY, NO CHILD’S PLAY

Amidst a swirl of controversy surrounding the government’s purchase of the Kiddiewinks preschool, Hon. Premier Andre Ebanks has welcomed a statement by Her Excellency Governor Jane Owen effectively clearing him of allegations of a conflict of interest involving the CI$6.5 million transaction.

In her statement accepting a report from Hon. Attorney General Samuel Bulgin, the Governor wrote: “The Attorney General has provided a full review of this issue, in light of the information available to him and with reference to the relevant sections of the Ministerial Code of Conduct and the Standards in Public Life Act. Having considered the Attorney General’s review, I can now report that I am satisfied that there is no breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct by Premier Ebanks.”

The Governor’s statement and AG’s report followed concerns expressed by the main Opposition People’s Progressive Movement (PPM/Progressives).

A statement by Opposition leader Joey Hew had raised concerns about the purchase and called for the Governor’s intervention.

“Our correspondence seeks clarification regarding the valuation and approval processes, the safeguards applied to identify and manage any actual or perceived conflicts of interest, and whether the transaction complied with the relevant procurement requirements governing public expenditure and the acquisition of property. These are matters of public interest,” Mr Hew wrote.

He also emphasised that raising these concerns “does not constitute an allegation or finding of wrongdoing against any individual.” Rather, the PPM/Progressives leader said, it reflects the Official Opposition’s constitutional responsibility to scrutinise the actions of Government and seek accountability on behalf of the people we serve.

PURCHASE

At issue is the purchase by the government of the Kiddiewinks preschool, announced in August, as additional classroom space for Sir John A Cumber Primary School.

Initially responding to the statement by the PPM/Progressives, Premier Ebanks said: “As Premier and leader of the NCFC Government, I hold myself to high levels of transparency and accountability. Therefore, in the interest of accountability and to lead by example, I have taken the proactive initiative this morning to ask the Honourable Attorney General to consider, in keeping with paragraph 2.8 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, whether there should be a formal referral of this matter to Her Excellency the Governor.”

Following the AG’s report and its subsequent acceptance by Governor Owen, that she was “satisfied that there is no breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct by Premier Ebanks”, the Premier himself addressed the controversy during a press briefing.

VALUATIONS

Stating that “it gives us an opportunity in real time to test our good governance guardrails”, Premier Ebanks addressed the matter of the valuations and the eventual amount paid for the school.

According to a previous statement from the Office of the Premier, following government processes, the Chief Valuation Officer handled negotiations on behalf of the Ministry of Education. Three valuations ranged from $4.859 million to $6.895 million, but the vendors were not willing to accept less than $6.5 million. It went on to say that the Government considered this to provide value for money based on its location, availability, and comparable government construction projects, so agreed to the price.

With the matter of the difference between the valuations and the amount paid by the government now coming to the forefront, Premier Banks said during the press conference on Tuesday that he would support releasing documents if that would bring public clarity to the process.

“I think it’s a valuable conversation to have of what valuations mean, and to relook at the valuation process to understand how they work and whether or not they’re fit for purpose, particularly in unique circumstances where a ready-built school, a purpose-built school, is not available on the market every day. So, that needs a wider set of and maybe specialised considerations of how to treat it.”

In August this year the Department of Education quoted Hon. Minister of Education (and Finance) Rolston Anglin, in announcing that the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School will expand into the former Kiddiewinks preschool site in West Bay.

Min. Anglin said the expansion responds to sustained population growth, with West Bay identified a fast-growing district and a particular pressure point for school planning. “The pressures that come with projecting population growth in this district over the next five to 10 years caused me a great deal of concern,” he said. “In listening carefully during our school visits, we made sure we did something about it…For any primary school in Cayman, that addition is significant,” he said. “It allows us to manage and accommodate both the current and future growth rates we are seeing across our islands.”

The West Bay expansion is one of several capital projects underway in the government school system.

COALITION

Questions have also been raised about whether this issue is causing rifts within the ruling national Coaltion For Caymanians(NCFC) administration, which Premier Ebanks heads.

“Think of any workplace at home, at any workplace, whether it be the public service or the private sector. There will be ranges of views. There will be differences of opinion. At the end of the day, what counts is how those are reconciled and the results that are delivered by the organisation. And I think the NCFC has a very strong record of results and meaningful momentum,” the Premier stated, claiming no knowledge of a leadership challenge.

The NCFC government is a four-pronged coalition comprised of Premier Ebanks’ The Cayman Community Party(TCCP), the Cayman Islands National Party(CINP) - with its parliamentary leader, Garry Rutty as Deputy Premie, and three independents: Rolston Anglin - Minister of Finance and Education (whose ministry was mainly involved in the acquisition of the Kiddiewinks preschool, Jay Ebanks - Minister of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing, and Infrastructure, and Isaac Rankine -  Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage.

PPM INSISTS ON FULL DISCLOSURE

Meanwhile, in a letter to Governor Jane Owen dated Wednesday November 3rd, the main opposition PPM/Progressives, in reacting to Premier Ebanks’ press conference, is now asking for her “support in facilitating the release of the Attorney General’s complete opinion on this matter.”

The letter signed by PPM/Progressives leader, Joey Hew states: “We listened carefully to the Premier’s remarks and welcome his expressed willingness to have the opinion made public. The Official Opposition supports its release, as we believe full disclosure of the findings and the reasoning underpinning them would provide much-needed clarity, promote transparency and strengthen public confidence in the process.”

According to the new letter, “Regrettably, this matter has brought to light apparent divisions within the Government, raising concerns about its unity and stability. We sincerely hope that the Premier’s confidence in his administration’s ability to resolve these differences and restore unity is well founded.”

It also states that, at a time when the Cayman Islands faces pressing challenges, including the rising cost of living, housing affordability and the need for sustainable economic growth, the Cayman Islands requires a unified Government focused on addressing the needs and priorities of its people.

“As the Official Opposition, we remain steadfast in our constitutional responsibility to scrutinize Government, uphold accountability and contribute to the stability and good governance of the Cayman Islands.”

The letter concludes: “In light of the Premier’s expressed willingness to make the Attorney General’s opinion public, we would welcome your assistance in facilitating its release in its entirety, subject only to any applicable legal restrictions, together with any appropriate explanation of the basis for withholding any portion of it.”