Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition Hon Myron V. Walwyn (R6) on The Big Story on JTV Channel 55 on October 13, 2025. Photo: Facebook

Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition Hon Myron V. Walwyn (R6) has said members of the House of Assembly (HoA) accepted the increase in salaries collectively. Photo: YouTube/HoA

Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition Hon Myron V. Walwyn (R6) said the Public Accounts Committee requested the Audit Report done by the Audtor General. Photo: Internet Source

Hon Walwyn, who is one of three members of The Alliance, revealed this on The Big Story on JTV Channel 55, hosted by Cathy O. Richards, on October 13, 2025. 

Many have raised questions surrounding the salary increases of House of Assembly members, some of whom received increases of over 100 per cent, since the 2024 Audit Report was published in September 2025. 

No secrecy 

“I don’t agree with the point that it was done in secrecy, as a matter of fact, many persons commented about the increases even before the Auditor General's Report came,” Hon Walwyn. 

He informed that the Public Accounts Committee, which he, along with Hons Melvin M. Turnbull (R2) and Stacy R. Mather (AL), are members of, requested the 2024 Audit Report from the Auditor General. 

“Obviously, we can’t direct the Auditor General…it’s her prerogative, but the point is we asked for the report to be generated because we did not believe that we had sufficient information.”

Hon Walwyn said the issue of salary increase for members of public officers and members of the HoA did not begin with this current House of Assembly, but since 2022. 

Decisions made based on recommendations 

He said when the time came for the review, they made way for the professionals to take over, and the House of Assembly members were not directly involved. 

“At all material times, the Deputy Governor’s Office, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance, had conduct of the process. Members of the House were in no way involved in who gets what, not even for ourselves.”

He revealed that a presentation by the relevant parties was made to the Members of the House of Assembly, which was done in comparison with the salary schemes of other Caribbean countries. 

“They looked at the fact that when the salary increase for civil servants would take place, if members, for instance, making $36, 000 as a base salary, you would have junior officers making more than Members of the House of Assembly as base salary, you really can’t have that.”

'We accepted as a body'

Hon Walwyn added that the House of Assembly members accepted the information given in relation to HoA as they did with the information presented in relation to the civil service. 

“We accepted as a body because you have a professional organisation that went out and did what they did; we were not a part of it in any way, so you give way to the professionals who have conduct of these things and understand how it’s supposed to be,” he explained.