'I will not collect a dime on that Retirement Act in its current form'- Premier Wheatley
The question came up at the Political Party Leaders Debate hosted at Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) in Paraquita Bay on April 11, 2023, with a section of it reading: “Many of you have said that it will be repealed but why wasn’t something clearly and articulately stated prior, specifically to the second portion of the Act where all legislators would be paid when they are no longer working?”
Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) and Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) noted that his support of the bill was a mistake and if given the opportunity he will repeal it in its entirety.
The controversial amendment to the legislation was made during the leadership of Ex-Premier Andrew A. Fahie; however, no legislator, not even in the Opposition at the time, voted against it.
'I will not collect a dime'- Premier
“I’ve gone on record in saying that my support for the Retiring Legislators Act was a mistake. And if you can’t, being a new legislator and being someone new to politics can go through four years without being able to admit that you’ve made some mistakes, I don’t think you’re introspective enough.
“So I will not present myself to the public or to anyone to make it seem first all that I didn’t support it when I did support it. I’m gonna man up and I’m going to say that was a mistake and I’m gonna man up as well and say I will not collect a dime on that Retirement Act in its current form, and I intend, God willing I’m given the opportunity, to repeal the entire bill. The problem that we have with the bill is that legislators are determining for themselves their own salaries and their own pensions,” Dr Wheatley stated.
He continued by stating his belief that an independent body should determine Legislators’ salaries and come up with something that is fair.
According to Dr Wheatley, they should be paid what is commensurate with their roles and responsibilities.
'I think that we should repeal it'- Hon Penn
Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Honourable Marlon A. Penn, who voted for the amendments, said he too is on record saying that the bill should not be put forward as it was and there was a heated discussion specifically on the second section when it came up at the committee level in the House of Assembly.
He added that there is a need for comprehensive reforms of the pensions process, not only for legislators but overall.
“We will not move forward with that bill as it is, it will be repealed…and I think that we should repeal it…we also need to look at the salary overall for the legislative branch and how are we going to make sure that legislators are paid a fair salary,” Hon Penn said, noting that he too supports an independent body.
Hon Penn; however, stopped short of saying whether he would collect any money or not.
'Deed cannot be undone'- Hon Fraser
Meanwhile, Chairman of Progressives United Honourable Julian Fraser RA, who also admitted to voting in favour of the bill, said the deed cannot be undone.
“That law is made already, that’s already done, you can’t make a law retroactive. If you commit a crime under a particular law and the legislators decide to repeal that particular law, that crime still stands. You still got to stand trial for that crime,” he argued.
'It was wrong'- Ronnie W. Skelton
Additionally, the Chairman of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), Ronnie W. Skelton, said he was not there during the process but recalled objecting to it after reviewing it.
“It was wrong because when I read the bill for the first time, this was weeks after… I turned to them and said, ‘no one took out a piece of paper and a pencil and try to calculate and see what this means?’. They tell me some other story, but when I did the numbers I can see the numbers were exorbitant”, he said, noting that he realised that first-time legislators will probably go home with $300,000 each.
He said the PVIM would repeal the bill to include a sensible salary for legislators but those who would have retired under it would still have to be paid.
Premier Wheatley had previously stated that Sixth District Candidate under the National Democratic Party (NDP) Myron V. Walwyn, a former legislator, has already collected a $276,274.50 lump sum of his retirement package.
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TIME for a CHANGE.