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(CNS): The Progressives are not planning to push for a no-confidence vote in the government, despite the ever-growing differences within PACT, Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart and his deputy, Joey Hew, revealed last week and implied that they are, instead, watching and waiting for the coalition of independents to implode. Hew said the Progressives were not interested in “forming a government for the sake of forming a government”.
Speaking on Radio Cayman’s For the Record on Friday, McTaggart and Hew told the host, Orrett Connor, that they have no intention of trying to form a new government with the two non-PPM opposition MPs, Chris Saunders and Dwayne Seymour, plus another MP from the current government line-up.
However, Roy McTaggart said the events in parliament last month demonstrated the great “division and discord” that exists among the members of government.
“At the end of the day, no amount of dressing up in pink ties and dresses” will make a difference, he said, referring to the matching outfits that government MPs wore last Tuesday after Seymour resigned and narrowed Premier Wayne Panton’s majority. “Whatever they do, it’s the actions that speak louder than appearances,” he added.
“The premier has a problem, and I don’t know how he is going to fix it,” McTaggart said, noting that Panton was now down to ten seats in the House, excluding the speaker. “He’s got to be feeling very uncomfortable in that position, given the performance of his government to date… To me, it is a very tenuous situation.”
Hew said the loss of one more member would leave a hung parliament, adding that they had expected more members to cross the floor after Seymour’s resignation before PACT apparently regrouped the following weekend.
A picture had been circulated on social media by Progressive MP David Wight (GTW) of Saunders, Seymour and the PPM members, labelled “Government in waiting???” but Hew denied that this meant they were attempting to bring PACT down. Rather, he said, they had met to discuss the supplementary appropriations that were being requested by the government.
He said the opposition had been expecting the premier to reshuffle his Cabinet. However, Panton had instead given a very challenging ministry to one of the least experienced members of his coalition, and PACT appeared once again to rally.
Hew said the PPM was more concerned about the state of government finances, and they were not supporting a no-confidence motion. “We are not looking to form a government for the sake of forming a government,” he said, adding that this might be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
The PPM has refused to form a government that includes McKeeva Bush; all other PACT members are Cabinet ministers, the speaker of the House or the deputy speaker, positions they are unlikely to give up, which would make forming a government challenging.
Hew said the opposition took their constitutional role seriously, even if the government found them irritating. “But we are certainly not here to destabilise the government,” he said. “What is happening within the government is happening in government. It is up to them collectively to resolve the issues.” He urged them to sort things out as people are now waiting on a huge budget, which is giving them cause for concern.
McTaggart said things were very unsettling, and this has played out from time to time in the government. But the next sitting of parliament will be for the budget, and this is going to be a budget for an election year, he noted, and questioned if PACT would manage to complete it on time.
“We are not out to destabilise or to seek to overthrow the government. We took a deliberate step… that we would sit back and let things play out,” McTaggart said. “We will continue to watch.”
Watch the show on Radio Cayman’s YouTube channel below:
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