Gov’t does not want Freedom of Information Act- Doug Wheatley
![Mr Wheatley has described as 'heartbreaking' that a local media house had to file a Freedom of Information Inquest to the United Kingdom, in search for answers to the proposed Airport Expansion Project in the [British] Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO/File](https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/cache/images/800x_8_800x_d_DSC00479_02.JPG)
The controversial project has been riddled with secrecy and, according to Mr Wheatley, he almost collapsed at the news of the information inquest.
“It was so heartbreaking for me…I mean I almost dropped down when I heard that,” he said on Friday August 19, 2016.
“We have been trying to have a Freedom of Information Act passed in the House for years and years and years. Long before the Governor came we have been trying and since the Governor has been here we have been trying.”
Gov’t don’t want to give public access to info
Mr Wheatley remarked that the various Ministers of Government have agreed to the passing of the Act but it has never materialised.
“Obviously they don’t want to do it because they don’t want to give the public access to all the information that is available,” Wheatley surmised, adding that it was a “terrible thing” when the populace elected 30 persons to the House; for those elected representatives to be withholding information from them but dealing all the time with the UK Government, and excluding the people of the Territory about projects that will affect these islands for generations to come.
“Something is wrong with that!” the talk show host pointed out, “Government is the ones deciding the future of the territory.”
Wheatley noted that from time to time when these inquests are made to the British Government, many changes have been made.
NDP Gov’t shutting out the people
Many times, including in May of this year, Mr Wheatley had expressed a strong concern for what he called the lack of consultation with the people by the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government in major decisions of the country likely to leave a burden of debt on future generations.
Speaking during his radio show Speak Out BVI on May 24, 2016 on ZBVI 780 AM, Wheatley said, “A concern that I have in general about the way the Government operates, in particular about the airport, we get the impression that the BVI Government has been dealing with Her Majesty's Government in England, and it seems that on that governmental level our Government said that they wanted to expand the airport in order to facilitate tourism.”
The retired civil servant Wheatley had said that while the Government of the Virgin Islands can talk with the British Government and they can discuss these matters, there is a third party which should be involved and that is the population.
“The 40,000 people living here need to have a voice and a say in a matter like this,” he said, adding that while the government might change the people of the VI will always be there and they will be the ones to reap either the benefits or the distress from any such investment.
“So we cannot leave the people out of any discussion and I find that the people have been left out to a very large extent,” he said.
According to Wheatley, as far as he is aware few if any of the many documents and studies done on the airport development have been made available for public scrutiny.
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11 Responses to “Gov’t does not want Freedom of Information Act- Doug Wheatley”
When voters go to the polls, they do so with the expectation that they can trust those elected to handle the people's affairs honestly, wisely and transparently. This government has clearly demonstrated to the voting public that none of those things apply and our trust has been woefully misplaced.
The fact that any media house or any member of the public is forced to source information about the BVI, in the UK, fills me with rage - not heartbreak! The lack of transparency smacks of oppression, hostility and disdain for the people.
Everyone understands that there is a need for certain sensitive data to be protected. But how our government spends money is NOT sensitive data. Financial accountability and the financial state of our territory is the PEOPLE’S BUSINESS and information should be ready and available to anyone who requests it within a reasonable amount of time. Two months is reasonable, anything longer is not.
I am disgusted when our Premier and Minister of Finance uses phrases such as; I don't recall, I'll have to look into it or, I don't have those figures available right now. WHY IN GOD’S NAME NOT?
If our Minister of Finance doesn’t have the information, who does? It is the minister’s job to KNOW and it is the public's RIGHT to have access to that info!
It is outrageous that there have been no financial statements for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Absolutely unacceptable! WHY in heaven's name do we allow this to continue? When will the people of the BVI stand up and be counted? They are taking us for fools!!!
"Heartbreak" indeed. For me personally, "RAGE" is the only word to describe how I feel about the topic of government transparency in the BVI.
A Freedom of Information Act should be passed at the next sitting of the HOA. But will it happen? No. They want to keep us in the dark like mushrooms. They are pretending that it is none of our business. They keep us in the dark.No transparency. They behave the way they do because they know we are all talk and will not do anything for some of us want to continue eating slop at the trough. If we want change, we have to demand. Does anyone find it strange that we have to find out what is happening in the BVI thru a FOiA in the UK?