Honourable Julian Fraser RA, Third District Representative, lashed out at the organisers of the late Omar W. Hodge's official funeral for not including Sixth District Representative, Hon Alvera Maduro-Caines (R6) on the programme to speak. Photo: VINO/File

According to Third District Representative Honourable Julian Fraser RA, the House of Assembly (HoA) is in a 'bad' state and needs fixing. Photo: VINO/File

The official funeral for late legislator Hon Omar W. Hodge was held at the New Testament Church of God International Worship Centre in Baughers Bay, Tortola, on January 18, 2018. Photo: VINO

Sixth District Representative Hon Alvera Maduro-Caines (R6) was controversially not included on the programme to speak at the official funeral of the former Sixth District Representative Hon Omar W. Hodge. Photo: VINO/File

The funeral for Mr Hodge was held at the New Testament Church of God International Worship Centre in Baughers Bay, Tortola, on January 18, 2018.

Hon Fraser said, “I take strong exception, very strong exception to the fact that the Member for the Sixth District was not on the programme during that funeral. I don’t care who say what. I take strong exception and it has nothing to do with party, whether the same party or a different party. It has everything to do with the district.”

Hon Fraser further stated that he is not specifically blaming the National Democratic Party (NDP), he is blaming the House of Assembly members because the members are the ones who make the rules.

“I am not poking fingers at the NDP. I am poking fingers at this House of Assembly because we are the ones who are supposed to make those rules. We need to set the ground rules for members of this House of Assembly dead, alive, past or present and we need to stop walking behind the executive. Members of the executive must know that they are in the House and this is your first call and whatever is due to a member, the member shall get. No one should be begging for anything for a member,” said the Third District Representative passionately, noting that whenever there is a funeral a “charade of what is and isn’t takes place.

He commented that the current Sixth District Representative knows what the past representative has done for the district more than anyone else, adding that it would be a “shame” if that person wasn’t allowed to acknowledge the work of the past representative.

“I did not just get up & start talking, it is known how I feel about it”

Meanwhile, Hon Fraser indicated that he voiced his opinion on the matter long before addressing it in the HoA and emphasised that next time he will be more “vociferous” on the matter.

He stated, “I made this absolutely and abundantly clear already. So I did not just get up here and start talking about it, it is known how I feel about it. I would say I basically apologise to the member for the Sixth District and let her know that it would happen again and I wouldn’t be silent, I would be more vociferous the next time. As a matter of fact, at the funeral, I might just pick that person up and push them forward and tell them go up and speak.”

The Opposition Member told the House that they have a lot of work to undertake because thigs are “bad” and it needs to be “fixed”.

“Madam Speaker we have work to do. We have work to do in this House and it’s not just this administration and it’s not just this third House of Assembly Madam Speaker, things are bad they need to get fixed. The House needs medicine. It needs care. It needs attention. It needs to be fixed,” urged the Third District Representative.

The late legislator Mr Omar W. Hodge died on December 20, 2017 at Fort Recovery, Tortola, where he was staying post Hurricane Irma. He was 75 years of age. He was laid to rest at the Johnson’s Ghut Burial Ground in the Sixth District, which he represented faithfully for decades.