NDP failed in Gov’t & Opposition – Min. Fraser
Min. Fraser, who was at the time addressing residents in the 2nd district at a Virgin Islands Party (VIP) rally at Meyers on Monday October 24, 2011 in support of the incumbent representative J. Alvin Christopher, asked them how could such a party represent them, having failed in both government and in opposition.
“I personally can tell you, our government would have been a whole lot better had we been challenged from the opposition. It looks like these guys only want to be in government but it’s part of the whole system, wherever you end up that’s where you are and you do the best job possible. If you have proven to the Territory that in the government you have failed, you go in the opposition and you failed too there, how do you expect the people to put you back in government? What are you going to do?” he asked.
Reiterating a point made by Premier Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal earlier in the evening, Min. Fraser recalled that between 2003 and 2007, when the VIP was in the Opposition, they submitted no less than four reports in the public account committee.“We kept the government accountable; we made the best government that they could have ever been out of them by being in the public accounts committee, keeping them on their toes. We found a lot of dirt.”
However, he stated that between 2007 and 2011 with the NDP in opposition, they are in charge of the public accounts committee that never existed and have not done a single report.
“…if you don’t hold the government accountable, it’s a disservice to the people of the Territory and the only people can hold the government accountable is the opposition.”
The 3rd district representative also lashed out at the Opposition for what he called “softball questions” they asked in the House of Assembly.
“You go to the House of Assembly as a minister, the opposition asking you some soft ball question. Every time he ask a question I say he is going somewhere with this, I am watching him, and it just die.”
NDP was rolling in “dough”
Minister Fraser explained how the opposition left the country in a “hole”, adding up the millions of dollars in debt that the VIP Government had to deal with when they took office.
According to Hon. Fraser, the NDP was rolling in “dough” when they were in Government between 2003 and 2007 and the only reason the country had such a tough time then was because of “mismanagement and sell outs”.
“Then came the Virgin Islands Party in 2007 and what did we get, we get shafted just as well. They signed a hospital contract for 64 million dollars and all they give us to work with was 35 million. Where is the other 30 million going to come from? That same 30 million that we had to go into the Consolidated Fund to fund the completion of the hospital, to get it as far as we did, is monies that we could have had to do the work that we were unable to do. Had they gone out and make sure the 64 million dollars that they needed to build the hospital was there and not leave the burden on us as we came in. Things would have been better, a whole lot better,” Fraser stated, noting that the NDP are now coming about talking about the VIP after all they did.
The seasoned politician, said the economic downturn faced during the recent years, affected the world and not just the VI, however, he said because of the “steady hands of the Virgin Islands Party Government, you wouldn’t even notice it”.
He reminded residents that when other Caribbean countries were “laying” off people, the Government ensured that all its civil servants had their jobs.
“So what are you talking about, the NDP government when we came into office we met a Supplementary of 45 million dollars, a debt they rake up in 2006 and didn’t even clear it, but we had to clear it when we got into office in 2010. Forty-five million dollars keep counting, these are big dollars I am talking about. When they got into office, they met a hospital ready for construction, what did they do? They scrap those documents and went and did another set, 3 million dollars down the drain, just like that. And you are going to risk the possibility of re-electing that same government in times like these?” he asked.
He told residents that if they put back the NDP it will just get worst and will become a “dog eat dog” situation.
“I tell you what, if you put them in there and times get worst, and you can’t find a meal to put on your table, don’t come by me, because I will be looking for one myself, that is what you call dog eat dog. That can’t happen. I am asking you to re-elect the VIP government we got a strong team.”
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