Resident upset at Minister’s response to VG boat query
The resident, a caller on the Speak Your Mind TV show aired on June 8, 2013 said the Minister told him that he knew nothing about the boat when questioned but was eventually able to answer after consulting with staff.
“Something of this nature needs to be brought to the people with an official press release,” the resident complained.
The Minister, he said, should have been presenting the relevant information to the people of the District, to the media or other means and should not have come to the meeting to consult with his staff before being able to answer the question.
The resident found this to be embarrassing, “it seems that they didn’t brief the Minister on what was happening in the District,” he added.
The Minister allegedly told the resident he shouldn’t listen to rumours when the question was asked and the resident suggested the Minister may have gotten upset with him, but should have been upset with his staff instead.
“He came to a meeting to talk to people and he’s not prepared,” the resident complained, “and he had his whole entourage there… that’s what got me upset.”
The caller alleged that he was cut off during the Minister’s response when he was allegedly advised not to listen to rumours.
“That should have been an official press release,” he repeated, “notifying the people in the District that we had engaged a boat… to take our people to Tortola.”
In any event, the resident bemoaned, the boat that is currently being worked on is still incomplete. “I was embarrassed to hear the Minister reporting on that, after his department had signed arrangements with a boat to take [sick] people to Tortola in the event of emergency,” the caller said.
“… he had to go across to the side and get an answer and then come back and try to embarrass me, I was highly upset,” the caller said.
The man also alleged that the Minister came to the residents of the Ninth District with the same presentation that he had made in the House of Assembly and suggested that this should not have been the case.
During the meeting Hon. Skelton reported, "You may recall we had made a decision earlier this year to repair motor vessel Vigilant 2 to provide medical evacuation services by sea from Virgin Gorda to Peebles Hospital on Tortola. I am pleased and happy to report again that the new engine has been installed. The boat has been cleaned and final tests and inspections are being carried out,”
In the meantime, he said, the Health Services Authority has reached an agreement with Mr Daniel Flax of Big Ting Charters, who is able to provide transportation on a 24-hour basis at a rate commensurate with the commercial ferries.
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