Hon Maduro-Caines dismisses PAC evidence on cruise pier project
Hon Maduro-Caines was speaking on Wednesday July 23, 2014 during the Eighth Sitting of the Third Session of the Second House of Assembly as the House debated the PAC final report on the cruise pier project.
The PAC in its report revealed the breaking of laws of the Virgin Islands, stating on page 31, 1 in the summary that “the government spent two years and countless resources engaging processes that were contrary to Public Financial Management Regulations, in contravention of the BVI Ports Authority Act, non-transparent and untenable.”
The PAC in its report also blasted the Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool for what it described as his “failure to confer with the Authority on the Cruise Ship Port Project”…as a result this “led to a costly redesign for the Government and the Authority in terms of time and resources.”
“Madam Speaker as a member of the PAC, I am not in agreement with this report and I am not in agreement with how some of the process was done,” said Maduro-Caines.
“To me the report lacks merit, it lacks evidence, it lacks substance on any wrongdoing on anyone involved’s behalf,” she said.
“I would echo some of the same sentiments as my colleagues; to say that this is a ploy to stop the cruise ship project,” said Maduro-Caines. “I am wondering are these the same people who pledged when elected that they would help build the economy and are now trying to stop something that would help to build the economy and give our people a better life?” she asked.
She said that despite her informing the members of the PAC that she would have been travelling on Government business the PAC went ahead and had a meeting without her and her Government colleague Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8).
“Madam Speaker, to me this report is a wild goose chase to destroy certain persons and we have to be very careful about how we treat people and what we say about people,” she said.
“The majority that I am getting from this report is to destroy people’s character,” she said.
“Not only that Madam Speaker but it appears to be a personal vendetta against the Minister [for Communications and Works Hon Mark H. Vanterpool and Managing Director of the Ports Authority Claude O. Skelton-Cline],” said Hon Maduro-Caines.
She is of the view that the PAC should not take everything that is said by the people who gave testimony as gospel. “In every working place in this world, people don’t like people and they would often say things to destroy people that they do not like. So we cannot take everything people say as gospel,” she said.
“All of a sudden some of us have halos over our heads and know exactly how things should be done and how it shouldn’t be done,” said the Sixth District Representative. “Madame Speaker this project has to be done, it has to be continued, it has to be finished,” she said.
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20 Responses to “Hon Maduro-Caines dismisses PAC evidence on cruise pier project”
A...ra , all the employees who gave evidence in your opinion are liars? According to you, the evidence they gave, lack evidence? You are such a fool and a bufoon.. It is so sad that unqualified, simpletons like you speak for the people. What is really lacking is, Representation for the people. We are out in the middle of the ocean without a paddle or life raft. You sound so stupid, it would have been better if you had just kept your mouth shut.
that means both sides and the casualness they take following legislation.
I'm sure the party appreciates loyalty, but the lack of morality is troubling. There are basic problems with the procedure of this project. clear away the noise, and there are still problems. Someone has acted illegally.