I can be rude too - Dr. Hubert O’Neal
“I know my dear people of Virgin Gorda and Anegada some of you have doubts that I am capable of providing rigorous representation in the 9th District. Don’t let that cool, laidback, soft spoken thing that you see here fool you. I could behave rude when I ready too you know...I could behave rude especially when I am fighting for anything for my people of Anegada and Virgin Gorda,” Dr. O’Neal said, much to the appreciation of supporters.
Also noting that he can use a computer and a cell phone, Dr. O’Neal said he was energised and ready to take on the responsibility of a representative. Added to that, he said he came from good leadership stock as his late father Hubert O’Neal was a great representative of North Sound and that electing him would invoke in him the great leader his father was.
Dr. Smith will be Minister of Finance in NDP Government
Whether it was a slip of the tongue or not, at least one position in cabinet seems to be confirmed if the NDP gets in office and that is Dr. D. Orlando Smith as Minister of Finance.
Dr. O’Neal was at the time speaking of the Government’s reported tendency to make excuses and placing the blame on the NDP and the economic crisis for allegedly under-performing and said he would not be a representative of excuses. “I will not be a politician of excuses or sit back waiting for the Finance Minister, who will be Dr. Smith of course... to throw some money in my way when I need to do projects in the district".
He said he would instead do like his party colleague in the 7th District, Dr. Kedrick Pickering, which is to beg and said he would be a “greater beggar” than Dr. Pickering. “I am fully aware that government cannot possibly provide everything for all my district. I plan to raise funds by begging from private sources as well. No excuses. Virgin Gorda and Anegada are blessed with good friends who reside here and who visit us frequently. They love these two islands just as much as they love us. Most of our friends are willing to contribute to meaningful projects once they are asked. I plan to do a lot of begging.”
‘The Doctor’s plans for district’
According to Dr. O’Neal, Virgin Gorda and Anegada are major tourist attractions and they deserve their fair share of spending in the district. Planned expenses would include for an improved medical facility and medical evacuation (medevac), safety of passengers at cargo docks, the extension of the airport in Virgin Gorda and the transformation of Gun Creek into a marina and commercial centre.
The doctor said he has the solutions for the medevac problems facing the sister islands. He added that the NDP, while in office, began the process of having helipads throughout the territory for medevac purposes and if elected, he along with the NDP, would develop an expanded 24-hour facility at the R.S O’Neal Clinic along with an emergency evacuation service. Anegada, Dr. O’Neal said, needs a resident doctor as well.
The representative, who hypes himself as the “right O’Neal” touched on safety of passengers at the ferry dock in Virgin Gorda and said government had failed to deliver on its promise to have it solved. “We are now witnessing desperate announcements of acquiring land at Manchaneel Bottom for building a cargo dock when we now know that no such transactions have occurred. They are even trying to fool you my dear people of Virgin Gorda by sending surveyors to mark out an access road to this development when we know that they don’t even have money to pay the civil servants' salaries. Don’t be fooled. All these moves are politically motivated three weeks before the elections.”
Dr. O’Neal also said it would be a priority as district representative to build an attractive ferry terminal where passengers would no longer have to sit under a grape tree for shade when waiting for the ferry.
The extension of the Virgin Gorda Airport was also mentioned as he said the airport needed to be functional and that even though the strip was widened, still no commercial planes are licensed to fly there. “We need our airport to be functional to service the traffic of our visitors to the many resorts and villas. It is my intention to extend the strip and once again make the airport commercially viable.
Gun Creek, he said, must be made a full port of entry to make it easy for visitors arriving to North Sound by sea to clear customs and allow them quickly to enjoy the beautiful beaches and resorts. “Gun Creek will be transformed into a marina and commercial district. Anegada must be made a full port of entry and have its own visitors’ centre as well.”
Upset with Min. Fahie’s comments
Meanwhile, Dr. O’Neal said he was very upset when he heard Minister of Education Andrew Fahie reportedly tried to degrade the efforts of the NDP in building the Captain Owen Harrigan Visitors' Centre in 2006.
The 1st district representative speaking on the sea plane project initiated by the NDP in North Sound, said it was a waste because reports and studies indicated that the venture would not have been a profitable one. “Point blank, from before they started they knew it was a waste of money...I don’t know Virgin Gorda as well as you do, when I look in the skies on Tortola to see those planes passing to go St. Thomas, I ain’t see one plane yet. Not one sea plane I saw passing West End to go St. Thomas. But what we saw were four Bumble Bees, three Jack Spaniels, one butterfly and two Garlins and they stopped by the 5th district to pick up some navigational tools with the computers and they flying straight,” Minister Fahie had told supporters in North Sound on October 9, 2011.
“We did not find his comments funny nor did the people of North Sound especially the family of the late Owen Harrigan...These comments were utterly insulting to our people, whose livelihood stems so much on tourism arrival to Virgin Gorda”, Dr. O’Neal said.
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