(CNS): Governor Jane Owen has a “huge amount to learn” about the Cayman Islands, she said, and will be doing a lot of listening at this early stage in her tenure. In her first interview with CNS, she said it was still too early to answer many of the questions we posed, but she was clear on her commitment to ensuring good governance and an efficient civil service that delivers on policy, as well as the need to protect the environment.

Owen, who was the UK’s ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein before coming to Cayman, said that in addition to the constitutional differences, the “breadth of things you are involved in” makes the role of a governor significantly different to that of a senior diplomat.

But the governor said she was keeping an “open mind” about what might come up and the challenges likely to arise. Open and honest dialogue between her office and the elected branch would be extremely important to ensure a way through whatever future conflicts there might be, she said.

Recent tensions between then deputy premier Chris Saunders and her predecessor, Martyn Roper, illustrated that the relationship can be challenging. There has also been tension between the government and the civil service amid allegations of politicians bullying staff and politicians accusing public servants of dragging their feet on implementing policy.

In her first two weeks, the governor has been hearing about what’s on people’s minds and the issues that concern them. “I am already really interested by what I have seen on how Cayman manages a lot of its domestic affairs,” she said. Although the governor has the ultimate responsibility for the civil service, Owen said that she views this as “something of a team sport”.

Her office, the deputy governor and elected officials should be able to work together to successfully navigate any conflict, she said, adding that she was “impressed with the way civil servants prepare papers for ministers” and the workloads they are managing. But there is always room for improvement, she said, noting the need for civil servants to work “at pace”.

Owen said it was important to ensure a culture of respect in government and stamp out bullying and sexual harassment and said that people need to know what the expectations are. “We all need to make an effort,” she said, adding that this is a priority for her as part of her remit and commitment to good governance.

Owen also said she would be watching how the issues surrounding a potential rollback of environmental protections play out after the recent parliamentary debate over the East-West Arterial Road extension. While the environment is a devolved issue, the UK has partnered in projects and offers critical technical support and even funding for conservation issues, given that the biodiversity of the British Overseas Territories is a factor in the British government’s own environmental bragging rights on the world stage.

“It is too soon to comment,” she said in response to the question on how the UK might react to a potential rollback of protections for the environment. “I think we have to wait and see how this will play out over the coming weeks and months. I absolutely recognise people in parts of Cayman… are concerned about road access. But equally, a lot of people want to make sure that whatever is done to develop the island… is done in a way that respects the environment.”

She said she recognised the challenges, but the significance of the environment to the country’s economic development was also important.

Owen also said she would be ensuring that the government continues to take the right approach to public finances and stays within the parameters of the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility. With questions now being raised about the sustainability of public revenue, she said the current volatility of the global economy had to be considered.

She said it appeared that the government was working hard on maintaining a sustainable revenue source, but pointed out that the local budget was a domestic area and the responsibility of the local government.

Owen is currently in the UK with the premier and other local officials for the UK and OT’s Joint Ministerial Council.