First District Representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie felt the Opposition did its best to save the Territory from certain projects during the recent budget debates in the HOA. Photo:GIS/File

“I felt that we did our best to try to save this Territory from certain projects that are being done in a highly questionable manner [and] appear not to be in the best interest of the Territory currently, but even more so for the future,” said Hon. Fahie when asked how he would rate the Opposition’s performance in the House of Assembly last week.

The First District Representative did not go into details on which specific projects these were.

Additionally, during his budget speech a number of concerns were raised about the need for figures in the budget to coincide with the actual reality on the ground. “This budget, for the most part,” Hon. Fahie felt, “based on the figures … is divorced from the reality on the ground.”

According to Hon. Fahie, the points made by the Hon J. Alvin Christopher, Member for the second District, were also timely and well placed.

Hon. Christopher offered staunch criticism of the airport extension project during the debates and was especially critical of the fact that the full cost of the project could not be given.

Hon. Fahie also reiterated that he firmly believed that both the Members of the Government and the Opposition want what is best for the Territory; where they differ for the most part, he noted, is in the methodology and the level of priority attributed to certain areas.

“We can get to the same destination without violating the Protocols and without giving away our Territory,” Hon. Fahie said, “especially by doing developments where our people will not significantly benefit, if at all. We must prepare our people because the future belongs to the prepared.”

Also touching on a harping issue, Hon. Fahie added, “The Budget process also clearly proved from the figures provided by the Ministry of Finance that the last Administration did not leave the country broke; however, although the empirical data clearly states such, the current Administration continues with the same old Marketing plan that the VIP left the country broke.”

“Overall we did our best and will continue to do our best to help this Administration to understand that it has to better prepare our people for what is ahead,” Hon. Fahie concluded