Commentator chides Opposition for silence on cruise pier issue
He noted that some National Democratic Party (NDP) government members were not even saying anything on the issue to their own constituents.
“What about the people in the Opposition? We haven’t heard them nowhere, anywhere at any time,” Henry stated on the Speak Your Mind TV show aired on October 26, 2013.
He suggested that they should be leading the charge on behalf of the people and should be the ones sitting down with the Premier Dr the Hon. D. Orlando Smith to find out what they could do to assist.
“Maybe they are doing it, but I haven’t seen any information that says they were or are or will be doing it.”
Opposition Member and First District Representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie, in response to the charge, said the Opposition has been sounding the alarm on the cruise pier project for the last year.
Hon. Fahie said, “There will be a time when the Opposition will come and give their voice, but the Opposition has been sounding the warning long before this particular issue came forth.”
He recalled a press conference held by Opposition Members where it was stated that the Protocols for Effective Financial Management which the government had signed and ‘lauded’, prevented them from approaching the public/private partnership agreement that was the cruise pier project, in the manner that they envisioned.
“This is nothing new… this is nothing that we would want to see… nothing that we are relishing… but we’ve been sounding warning for quite some time,” the First District representative stated.
Gov’t needs to do some homework
Hon. Fahie felt that government needs to come clean with the people and tell them what the country is really facing as a result of many of the actions that they have taken and noted that these actions are totally independent of any past administration.
He further stated that government has touted their international level of work to lead the territory but said he felt the administration now needs to do some homework.
“When you do your homework, it strengthens all the other work that you do, even when you’re in school. So not enough homework is being done in the territory,” he said while adding that international work would mean nothing without this. “There must be a balance.”
The First District Representative said the NDP is not being forthright with the people and the Opposition has been stating that for one year. He added that government is going to jeopardise the bright future of the territory because their actions are just about totally contrary to what they signed to in the protocols.
“You cannot continue to be giving people speeches that tell them they are doing well [and] everything is ok but yet the persons when they look at their at their finances and they look at all that is happening around them, they are seeing and feeling different than what you are telling them. This administration has to get real and they have to address some of the problems head on,” he stated.
According to Hon. Fahie, the taxi industry is one of the industries that helped to build the territory directly and indirectly and is one of the core foundations that helped build the Virgin Islands.
“When you tamper with that industry in the manner that this administration has been doing then you’re tampering with the foundation of your country, one of the key elements that make up the foundation of the country,” he said.
“It behoves me to wonder, how can you give away a bird in the hand for two in the bush?” Hon. Fahie questioned.
Attempts to secure a comment on the issue from Opposition members, Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE, Hon. Julian Fraser, RA and Hon. J. Alvin Christopher were unsuccessful up to post time.
Henry also said he felt that a protest should be a last resort for the situation. “When you see people protest, it means that they have reached that boiling point that they are so frustrated. They have this huge mistrust of the situation and that they demand answers.”
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14 Responses to “Commentator chides Opposition for silence on cruise pier issue”
What you should of done was to go head with protest and still have the daligate taxi me n talk to the minister. Reasons 1. Threr were other ntities such as hoteleirs, store owner, the entier cane gadenbay businesses. And others ..these people went and made sure they got every thing done ture the right chanel from duff bottom to admim building. Tell. Me . If it is our right to vote,, then it is our right to protest.. you see sam, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,there is no friendship. Trade. I think if you take that old saying it might just work just. You .......lady facts say boy you got a whole bag a MOUTH.LOL.