Second District Representative Hon. J. Alvin Christopher said the days of spending & throwing money are gone. Photo: GIS/file

“Madam Speaker, if we’re going to be real about growing our economy, we got to find new ways, we got to add to what we have,” Hon. Christopher noted.

Hon. Christopher was of the opinion that we can’t constantly be taking away “because of one person” and expressed that this was the reason he liked the idea that the House is now forced to plan three years ahead.

“It’s hurt the country too much,” he added.

The Second District Representative continued, “When one government come in and plan and another one come in and find out that what you was going with didn’t make any sense… the plan would have to come before the House and we have to approve them…”

The Opposition Member used the greenhouses at Paraquita Bay as a further method of illustrating his point, “I never had a problem with the greenhouse concept, I promoted it… but to the extent and magnitude… it was always a waste of time,” he disclosed.

“I told the Minister that… I said it publicly when we went to Jost Van Dyke with it, your idea is too big,” he recalled. “There is no room for inclusion of your farmers, because you as government doing it too big in the BVI.”

The Second District Representative further stated, that the new Minister has now taken up the mantle and is stuck. “There’s nowhere to go with it, it got out of hand, too big, can’t get it on.”

“These are the mistakes we’re constantly making,” he continued, “$7M gone down the drain and nothing to come out with.”

Hon. Christopher then said $5M has now been added to the national debt and the Minister still wanted more.

In an attempt to add further clarity to his point he related, “Madam Speaker, what I am saying, we’ve got to come back to basics and look at what the country can do it in a more informed and educated way… we can’t just throw money around…”

“So I support Madam Speaker, the whole concept about planning, plan in succession, if this government leaves office tomorrow, at least there was a plan and we know what they were doing, it is budgeted for…”

He further believed that an incoming government would be able to follow as a result of this and this would allow the country to move forward. “You plan together… here in the House and have it stamped and approved.”

He also explained that this is the reason he’s supporting the budget – whether it was forced on us or otherwise – “it’s a good idea.”

“We got to look ahead Madam Speaker, the days of spending and throwing money [are] gone.”