Leader of the Opposition Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, will be leading the question session at the ninth sitting of the second session of the second House of Assembly May 14, 2013. This is not the first time he will be asking questions since his Party lost the elections of last year. Hon. O’Neal, the Virgin Islands first Premier, also represents the Ninth District, something he has done for 38 years. Photo: VINO/File

The two Opposition pit-bulls, Hon. Julian Fraser RA, (left) and Hon. Andrew A. Fahie will also be peppering the Government front bench with many questions on topical issues. Since the general elections of 2011, both legislators have been at the forefront in holding the Dr. Smith Administration accountable through many revealing questions. Photo: VINO/File

Many of today’s questions will be on the controversial Cruise Pier Project. The Speaker of the House of Assembly Hon. Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe had denied Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser RA, for two sessions of Parliament, some of the questions getting on the Order Paper. She has given no reasons publicly despite the persistence of Hon. Fraser. Photo: Provided

The highlight will be the Questions and Answers session where a number of searching questions will be posed to the National Democratic Party (NDP) front bench by the Opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP).

While it’s not his first time asking questions since his Virgin Islands Party-led government was defeated in the November 2011 general elections by the National Democratic Party of Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, Opposition Leader and former Premier Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal OBE  will be leading the question session in Parliament.

Hon. O’Neal, who is the Virgin Islands’ first Premier and Ninth District Representative, has questions for the leader of Government business Hon. Smith and Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Myron V. Walwyn.

His questions range from members of the Financial Services Commission Board, amending the Financial Services Act to make it mandatory for the Commission to meet with Parliament, and the amount of full time scholarships granted for the academic year 2012/13.

Some of Hon. Fraser’s questions made it!

Many will remember the testy exchange between the veteran Third District Representative Hon Julian Fraser RA and Speaker of the HOA Hon. Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe over the continued denial of many of his questions on the controversial Cruise Pier Project.

It was this news site that unearthed the many questions kept off the Order Paper by the House Speaker. However, while all the questions did not make the order paper, Hon. Fraser was able to get many of the main ones on today’s agenda for oral answers.

The former Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Fraser will be asking whether the company with the winning bid on the expansion of the cruise pier and the development of the adjacent property at Wickham’s Cay I has any Belonger interest in its ownership and was a Trade License issued to Tortola Port Partners Limited, among others.

First District Representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie will be back to pepper the Minister of Finance Hon. Smith over the Autland Heavy Equipment vs Phillip Holzman International/NORD France controversy.

The Finance Minister Hon. Smith told the people of the Virgin Islands that his government had paid out some $667, 287.53 to Autland Heavy Equipment and in addition to Accurate Construction, $119,372.18; Skelton Quarry, $94,356.66; G - Unit Construction, $ 59,686.09; McArthur Engineering, $59,566.96; D&B Trucking, $25,068.16 and Tortola Concrete Products, $23,874.44, even after there were issues surrounding a final High Court settlement. 

At the last sitting of April 25, 2013, the Premier told the Parliament in answer to a question form Hon. Fahie that the court documents in the case against Phillip Holzman International/NORD France El JV vs Autland Heavy Equipment & Construction Limited could not be found at the High Court Registry.

However, after investigative reporting by this news site, the document was discovered at the High Court Registry in Road Town. In an exclusive interview with High Court Registrar Ms Paula M. Ajarie, she told this news site that, “the document is at the Registry and it’s not normal for documents to go missing.”

Two Bills will obtain their second and third readings; “Mutual Legal Assistance (Tax) matters-Amendment Act 2013 and the Authorization of Surveillance Devices Act 2013.

On the table today, front beach Ministers of Government will be laying some agencies annual Reports including that of Sandy Lane, BVI Ports Authority 2006/2007 along with a Safer Communities- A Crime Reduction and Community Safety Strategy- to be laid in Parliament by Premier and Minister for Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith.

Today’s House session will be carried live on CBN Channel 51 from 10 A.M.

Click here to see full HOA Order Paper for today’s sitting:

http://tinyurl.com/cgvtp3b