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Prepare for a rough ride! – Hon. Fraser to MCW Minister
Hon. Fraser said he was shocked and disappointed by the move of Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool, who he said took time out to "lecture" the people of the Third District on a matter of what, “I would imagine he considers is best for them."
It was at the commissioning of the Crafts Alive Village in Road Town on Tuesday February 26, 2013 that Minister Vanterpool spoke about the Sea Cows Bay Harbour Development Project saying “whatever happened with it before, whatever has to be fixed about it, whatever has to be investigated about it, Sea Cows Bay Harbour Development must be brought to the people of Sea Cows Bay for their input and ensure that Sea Cows Bay Harbour Development is done for the people and by the people of Sea Cows Bay.”
This statement did not find favour with Hon. Fraser as he claims the government minister was in breach of operational protocol. He described the issue as a “right about turn” as it relates to parliamentary democracy as to one district representative telling the people of another district what’s best for them.
Hon. Fraser pointed to the Deputy Premier and Representative of the 7th District Hon. Kedrick D. Pickering, who he said understands clearly the principles behind parliamentary democracy when in his statement referring to a project in the First District clearly stated that he would be consulting the representative as to the way forward.
“And I take strong exception to the Member for the Fourth District coming into the 3rd district and trying to tell our people what is best for them and totally ignoring the fact that the district has a representative,” said an obviously disturbed Hon. Fraser. He said under the previous NDP administration, whenever they were considering works on a project, they did in fact consult with him to the extent of having meetings with him, “and this is a right about turn.”
Hon. Fraser recalled asking about a project in the Fourth District about the Tortola Port Pier project as to whether there were locals with an ownership interest in the company that won the award for the development, and if not, whether they were partners who are involved with the company, “and his answer to me was, and this was in the House of Assembly, that information he doesn’t have, I’ll have to ask the Minister for Finance because the project is still in its negotiating stages and therefore that level of information would be with him,” Said Hon. Fraser adding that he finds it ironic that Hon. Vanterpool would know so much about the Sea Cow’s Bay project which is in the Third District and so little about his own and speaking about consultation with the people. “What about that project, the development that is taking place at that port pier project?”
To this minute, Hon Fraser said, he has always given the Minister the benefit of the doubt “but if this is what he wants to do, start telling my people in my district what is best for them then maybe I should start doing the same thing with his project.” He said that as a Member of the Opposition and the House of Assembly, he has no knowledge about the port pier project because no information has yet come to the members of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).
He described the situation as “a level of hypocrisy”, which has no place in politics nor in the development of a country. “If this is the way they are planning to play this game then they must fasten their seat belts and prepare for a rough ride because it’s not going to happen just like that."
Asked if the matter of “playing the game” was one that is personal in nature or if it was an NDP strategy to frustrate the VIP, Fraser said, “It’s difficult to tell, I am trying to figure out at this stage which angle it’s coming from.” He compared the mode of operation of Hon Vanterpool to that of Hon Pickering and said, “I don’t understand why is it that the Minister of Communications and works, who is the representative of the Fourth District, who has issues in the Third District, such as the dumping of raw sewerage in the District isn’t addressing that. The issue of water shortage in the District, he isn’t addressing that.”
Hon Fraser said he finds it ironic that the Minister made the statement at a ceremony dedicating a project in the Fourth District that is similar that of the project in the Third District, in that they both are designed to bring commerce to the Districts. “He recognized upon taking office that it was vitally important to spend as he said, $2.5M on the development of this project and I can’t get $2.5M on the Sea Cow’s Bay Harbour Development Project.”
“My prerogative is to talk about what I think is best for my district and that’s what I am doing,” said Hon Fraser, “but for him to talk about what he think is best for the [Third] District, I think that’s a stretch,” he added.
“You would have to be fast asleep not to see that if he meant that it would come through the Third District Representative or with the Third District Representative he would have said we would consult with the Third District Representative, but no mention of that was done.”
He said the project was one that was previously dealt with at the level of the people some years ago and if the Minister has any objections he should forward to them.
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35 Responses to “Prepare for a rough ride! – Hon. Fraser to MCW Minister”
Now go tell the same Mark to allow Biwater to do their job so that the sewage will stop going into Sea Cows Bay.
You people are nothing but hyprocrets.
Will you please, in your own words, tell us fools; what you think Mark has over Fraser? Certainly not education, not talent, not money (well after the election that may have changed) or even political savvyness?
Wheel and come again boss!!
It is only FAIR.