Responding to Her Excellency the Governor’s statement, the Premier the Hon. André Ebanks welcomed the finding that his actions in connection with the purchase of the Kiddiewinks preschool did not breach the Ministerial Code of Conduct or the Standards in Public Life Act.
“My understanding of the Code and the Act has been confirmed by the Hon. Attorney General. The vendor was not a connected person, there was no conflict of interest to declare, and therefore there was no reason for me to recuse myself,” he said.
Questions were raised in the media and by the Opposition last week about the acquisition of Kiddiewinks Preschool that was announced in August to add six classrooms to West Bay’s primary school. Premier Ebanks then took the proactive step of asking the Attorney General to review.
Vendor relationship
Under the Ministerial Code of Conduct, conflicts of interest relate to ‘connected persons’ as defined in the Standards in Public Life Act. Premier Ebanks has no family, legal or business arrangement with the vendors.
In addition, when the vendor nominated him on 3 March 2025 as an electoral candidate, it was a public action. The vendor’s name also remains published as one of his 2025 nominators on the Elections Office website.
Acquisition process
The need to expand capacity and increase provision of learning support in government schools was identified in the Strategic Policy Statement. A purpose-built facility provided a turnkey solution, available within weeks rather than the years a new build would take.
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. Government considered this to provide value for money based on its location, availability, and comparable government construction projects so agreed the price.
Accountability and transparency
The NCFC Government is committed to high standards of accountability, transparency and good governance. On 16 October 2025, all eleven members signed a Coalition Agreement, committing them to abide by the Ministerial Code of Conduct in practice and in writing.
The Premier added: “Strong, stable government and good governance benefit everyone. With this review complete, we can now refocus on our priorities which are solving long-standing problems and working together to improve the lives of our people.”