The Opposition Leader told media operatives, “I have seen billboards go up with Ministers' names taking credit for the Government money… I have seen many things happen in this Territory, in the last seven or eight years that I know were no-no’s (but) because it had to be promoted as Government.” Photo: VINO/File

Opposition Leader, the Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) is accusing the NDP Government of using tax dollars to ‘subtly’ fund its elections campaign. Photo: VINO/File

Some of the media operatives at the Opposition Leader's Wednesday, August 15, 2018, press conference. Photo: VINO/File

The damning allegation against the NDP administration comes on the heels of Opposition Leader, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), announcing a series of meetings across the Territory that will be paid for using the House of Assembly's (HoA) budgetary allocation, for the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.

The matter of the conflict of interest in spending of taxpayer’s dollars by the Opposition Leader, was raised with Hon Fahie on Wednesday, August 15, 2018, during a press conference he hosted at the Village Cay, Hotel and Marina, in Road Town.

He said, “these (meetings) are being paid out of the $30,000 that was allocated to the House of Assembly.”

According to the Opposition Leader, there is no conflict, since the activities relate to the ‘peoples’ work, in accordance with his mandate as the Opposition Leader and that the meetings were not a Virgin Islands Party (VIP) activity—of which he is the Chairman.

Taxpayers funding NDP Campaign

The same does not obtain for the NDP however, since—according to Fahie—Government is guilty of using taxpayers’ dollars as part of its ‘campaign financing.’

“The Government is using their money to campaign all the time and nobody asks them if this is the NDP money or if this is the Government money.”

The Opposition Leader told media operatives, “I have seen billboards go up with Ministers' names taking credit for the Government money… I have seen many things happen in this Territory, in the last seven or eight years that I know were no-no’s (but) because it had to be promoted as Government.”

Hon Fahie cited occasions, “where Government ministers are taking credit and people have it as their money that they they’re spending.”

Speaking to the $30,000 allocation for the Office of the Leader of the Opposition for 2018, Hon Fahie told media operatives during the engagement at Village Cay, “…all of it is accounted for…It is done through the HoA, I don’t handle the bills...They send them to the office and the office substantiates if they’re being spent according to the way they were allocated.”

Less than Half

The Opposition Leader in fact reported that less than half of the allocated amount for 2018 for his Office has been used.

He told media operatives, “I don’t think I have even used half as yet because I’m trying to use it as wisely as possible” and juxtaposed the $30,000 compared to the Government, and resources available to each Ministry, citing as example, “I don’t have  a secretary, per say, assigned to me.”