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Minister influencing PA committee a dictatorship – Hon. Fraser

Hon. Julian Fraser, RA argued in the House of Assembly (HOA) that having the Health Minister having undue influence over a committee established for the recently passed Public Assistance Act was a dictatorship. Photo: VINO/File
Members of the HOA debated the bill which allowed the committee to be established during the last sitting on December 20, 2013 before later passing it with some amendments. Photo: VINO/File
Members of the HOA debated the bill which allowed the committee to be established during the last sitting on December 20, 2013 before later passing it with some amendments. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser, RA argued in the House of Assembly (HOA) that having the Health Minister having undue influence over a committee established for the recently passed Public Assistance Act was a dictatorship.

“The Minister should be totally withdrawn from these decisions,” Hon. Fraser asserted in reference to a section of the bill which stated that the Minister for Health and Social Development should be able to determine which persons are eligible for assistance.

Members of the HOA debated the bill which allowed the committee to be established during the last sitting on December 20, 2013 before later passing it with some amendments. The Public Assistance Ordinance which had been in place for some fifty years was repealed with the passing of the new Act.

“It’s a dictatorship Madam Speaker, you put a committee in place and then you’re going to dictate to them what to do?” Hon Fraser further argued that the idea of having the Minister direct the committee to provide assistance for a person who is not eligible for assistance is a bad one and did not subscribe to 21st century standards.

The section in reference reads: “The Minister may in exceptional circumstances, by order, direct the committee to provide assistance for a person who is not eligible for assistance in accordance with the terms of the order”.

The former Works Minister within the previous Virgin Islands Party Administration also lamented the ambiguity in the amended bill that implied that all unemployed persons may be eligible for public assistance.

“Unemployed persons could be anyone, people on work permit [could be] getting public assistance,” he argued. “This would probably would be the only country in the world where something like that happens.”

10 Responses to “Minister influencing PA committee a dictatorship – Hon. Fraser”

  • ABC (04/01/2014, 11:00) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply

    And we all know they like dictators

    • Fat Head (04/01/2014, 18:00) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      History often comes in to play, and I tie history to what happen to the NDP in 2007
  • shaw (04/01/2014, 12:26) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    this language is also in any of the planning authority, town and country or conservation and fisheries recommendations- that any development can be overridden by a minister or higher up. why have departments, committees or even laws if they can be over-ridden by legislators with special powers? It ignores the process and disrespects laws. That goes for the premier too. otherwise, we would not have had some of the huge buildings in inappropriate places with no parking which would be considered "illegal" for anyone else.
  • JACK BE STILL (04/01/2014, 13:24) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why he looking so serious in that photo?
    • dum dum (04/01/2014, 20:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The picture was not taken for the story, so don't try to match the headline to the photo.
    • @ jack be still (05/01/2014, 00:04) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      He got frighten that oj came so close!!
  • DarkVader (04/01/2014, 21:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    Struppssss .Nothing ever pleases him, not even in his own government..He wants to be a one man government.

  • Well Well (04/01/2014, 22:10) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply

    The Pot calling the kettle black. Some nerve.

  • the rock (05/01/2014, 14:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    FORWARD!!!!!!!!!!


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