Following my statement of 2 November, I recognise the continuing public interest in my decision that there was no breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct by Premier Ebanks in relation to Cabinet’s purchase of the Kiddiewinks School.
In considering the matter, I looked carefully at the circumstances of the Cabinet decision alongside the relevant provisions of the Ministerial Code of Conduct and the Standards in Public Life Act, and the legal advice of the Attorney General.
In particular, I considered:
• The nature of the relationship between the Premier and one of the vendors. I considered the fact that Jennifer Stein, one of the vendors of the property, had nominated Premier André Ebanks as a candidate in the 2025 General Election. I considered whether that electoral connection, on its own, meant that the Premier had a private or personal interest that could have improperly influenced, or could reasonably be seen to have improperly influenced, the Premier’s exercise of his public responsibilities. I concluded that it could not. The Code recognises that political and constituency associations are an ordinary feature of representative government.
• Whether there was evidence of any other connection between the Premier and the vendor. I considered whether there was evidence that the relationship between the Premier and the vendor went beyond the electoral connection and created a personal or private interest capable of giving rise to an actual or perceived conflict of interest. The information considered did not identify a wider financial, family, business or other material association of that nature and I am therefore satisfied that Ms. Stein was not a “connected person” for the purposes of the Code or the Standards in Public Life Act.
• The Premier’s role in the acquisition of the property. I considered the information available about how the proposed purchase came before Cabinet and the Premier’s involvement in that process. This included the fact that the Cabinet paper was brought forward by the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure as is the normal process where the acquisition of property is concerned.
• The process by which the purchase was progressed. I also considered the information concerning the handling of the proposed acquisition, including that negotiations were conducted by the Lands and Survey Department through the Chief Valuations Officer, following the standard process used for government property acquisitions.
Having considered these matters carefully, together with the Attorney General’s advice, I was satisfied that the information before me did not provide a basis for finding that the Premier had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct through his participation in the Cabinet decision.
While my decision in this case relates to the circumstances and framework currently in place, it is also important to look forward. I remain committed to supporting the wider good governance agenda and to strengthening transparency and accountability, including through the work of the Commission for Standards in Public Life (CSPL).