Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports and Territorial At Large Member Hon Sharie B. de Castro says she believes the At Large system is a critical part of how the Territory should move forward and that is the reason she chose to run as an At Large member; however, the system is not being given the respect and support by the government. Photo: YouTube

The other current At Large Representatives are, from left: Hon Ronnie W. Skelton, Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE, and Hon Stacy R. Mather. Photo: YouTube

Hon de Castro said in the House of Assembly (HoA), where the At Large Representatives are outnumbered 9-4, At Large Members often find themselves carrying the mandate of the whole territory but without equal footing in resources or influence.

The Minister, while debating the 2022-2023 Constitution Review Commission’s (CRC) Report during the Continuation of the Ninth Sitting of the Second Session of the Fifth House of Assembly, on September 23, 2025, explained that District Representatives receive direct budget allocations to serve their communities, while At Large Representatives receive none, “nil, zero, Madam Speaker.”

Hon de Castro said the most money the At Large Representatives have ever received, after fighting so hard for funding, was $40,000, to be divided among the four Members. She said the District Representatives, in contrast, received upwards of $200,000.

“And I was so perturbed by the decision I didn’t spend a cent of it… I found it to be dismissive and unprincipled. I didn’t touch it.”

The Education Minister said she was raising the issue because “we have to respect the value of every single representative in this House. And I’ve been here for six years; I’ve been silent long enough. It's time to speak, and I’m speaking for the advancement of the House and for the respect of individuals whom the people elected.”

A fisherman without a net

Hon de Castro continued that being an At Large Representative is like asking a fisherman to bring in a catch but giving him no net.

“I’ll repeat that: Being an At Large Representative as a standalone, without any ministry, without any portfolio, is like asking a fisherman to bring in a catch but giving him no net. I don't know how we expect us to be fishers of men when we don’t have a net.”

Hon de Castro said her concerns were also seen by the people, and they expressed them during the consultation process of the Constitutional Review.

“I believe the people themselves have seen it, and this is why the Commission recorded their concerns. Clearly, there were questions of fairness, questions of equality, questions of whether the national perspective is properly valued.”

Ho de Castro noted; however, that the voices of the people in the Constitutional Report were not calling for the At Large system to be discarded, “they were calling for it to be strengthened, for its true purpose to be recognised.”

The current At Large Representatives are Hon de Castro, Hon Ronnie W. Skelton, Hon Stacy R. Mather and Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE.