Rude Govt. Ministers display ‘political bullying’ – Hon Fahie
A four part question had been put to the Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith by Member of the Opposition and Representative of the First District Honourable Andrew A. Fahie that sparked several angry and boisterous interjections by Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool, which at one point resulted in Speaker of the House Hon. Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe getting out of her chair and pounding her gavel vigorously to restore order in the House.
The questions asked surrounded financial matters pertaining to the Georgie Hill/George Hill road in Greenland, Tortola to which the Premier did provide answers. However, Hon. Vanterpool, during his interjection voiced his opinion that the trend of directing certain questions to the Premier was setting a precedence as opposed to being directed to the Minister responsible.
“You have to set the proceedings in the House Madam Speaker, because I don’t think this is going to be acceptable. Every contract that is done in this Territory or every purchase order that is issued has to be read out to the House to a question? Madam Speaker, there is something that has to be done about this. There is nothing to be hidden but the records can be given. And I don’t know what precedence we setting, I am concerned about it Madam Speaker,” Hon. Vanterpool stated.
“This is the public’s money, and Madam Speaker when you are spending the public’s money you should have no fear of coming…this is one project, we didn’t ask for all…Section 18 of the Standing Order states clearly how the answers to questions are handled...This is public money, it wouldn’t take much time, it didn’t take much time to spend it,” Hon. Fahie responded.
Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn expressed the view that there seemed to be some level of abuse of the Standing Order as it related to whom questions are directed to, especially when it got to supplementary questions.
“I have noticed Madam Speaker, the trend of questions being given to the Premier when the Minister responsible for the subject has been here. Yes, technically the premier is responsible for all Ministries but it seems to be there seems to be some abuse somewhere along the line because it certainly puts the Premier at a severe disadvantage particularly when it comes to supplemental questions because he is not the person who handles the matter on a day-to-day basis.”
However, in an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online yesterday, May 14, 2013 Hon Fahie accused the government front bench of trying to confuse the issue of the Georgie Hill/George Hill Road Project since it was to the value of more than $100,000, which was supposed to be approved by cabinet or tendered. “They did neither,” said Hon. Fahie.
The First District Rep. and Former Education Minister said he was satisfied that the Premier had been answering the questions adequately but the way certain members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) were behaving would lend to the feeling that they had no confidence in their leader to answer the question. “And it’s dealing with financial matters, we came here to ask other Ministers about other financial matters pertaining to other projects and they told us to go to the Ministry of Finance. Now we go to the Ministry of Finance they are telling us that once the subject is under a Minster to come to him.”
This has left some level of confusion in the minds of members of the Opposition as to whether the NDP government wants to be transparent and accountable. “They cannot ask the question and answer them, they have their role, the opposition has their role and the Premier already answered and so they should not be any prolonging of this.”
According that Hon Fahie, the Speaker had ruled on the matter and to his satisfaction she has made it clear. “The Minister of Finance answered the financial aspect. The supplementary questions would not be anything dealing with the technicality of a project unless its dealing with the financial aspect and she ruled.”
Describing members of the NDP government who had voiced their angry retorts on the issue as “Elements”, Hon. Fahie said they were trying to engage in political bullying as they always want things to be their way despite what the law says or what the ruling is. “Maybe they could get through with frightening off kindergarten children but this is the people’s business and mature people dealing with it.”
He further contended that the NDP Ministers had no problem while they were spending the public’s money but want to “push it under a bush” and not tell the people through the House of Assembly, the modus operandi, as it relates to how the monies were spent. “We had to do that when we were in the government,” said Hon. Fahie.
On the issue of the questions that sparked contention, Hon. Fahie said they had many reasons behing them. “One of them is to show the duplicitous actions of this government in many respects, saying one thing, doing another and then promoting other persons as not as forthright as they are and I continue to say if wrong becomes right depending on who you love and right becomes wrong because of who you hate, we are now eroding democracy, the transparency and accountability of government.”
Hon Fahie also said he was satisfied with the response given to his question by Premier Smith. “His Ministers keep interrupting for reasons I don’t know but the Premier answered the question based on all the financial information.” He said that he thought that once the leader would have answered a question as effective as was done in this instance, it would have been the end of that.
“So for me it was if they showed some disrespect for their leader, he would defend them and he wouldn’t agree with me in public.”
He added that he is convinced that the Speaker of the House is a very learned person and she would not succumb to the bullying of the Government Ministers as it pertains to the decision she has already made.
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