UPDATE: All bets off for debate between Hons. Vanterpool & Fraser?
The issue arose after Hon. Vanterpool had thrown down the gauntlet to Third District Representative and former Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Julian Fraser RA for a public debate on issues arising out of a previous sitting of the House of Assembly (HOA).
Hon. Vanterpool had accused Hon. Fraser of grandstanding in the HOA when he made certain comments related to the Baugher’s Bay Desalination Plant.
When contacted by this news site recently, Hon. Fraser appeared quizzical when the subject of a debate was brought up.
“I don’t even recall how I heard about that,” Hon. Fraser responded when asked whether he remained inclined to have a debate with the Works Minister.
He eventually recalled being approached by a reporter who asked if he was interested in a debate with Hon. Vanterpool and his response that he would be honoured to be considered in the Minister’s league for a debate.
“I don’t think there’s anything I have to consider, it’s natural,” Hon. Fraser said when asked if he had reflected on the issue recently.
Meanwhile, Talk Show host Julio ‘Sam’ Henry had previously expressed doubts that the two men were serious about having a debate and opined that Hon. Vanterpool only said that because he was upset about Hon. Fraser making certain comments about him.
“I don’t really think he wants to debate Fraser and I don’t think Fraser wants to debate him either. What I am saying is if they really want a platform for this debate, Speak Your Mind will be available. They could have an hour or an hour and a half, whatever time they need for this debate."
Mr Henry said his forum remained open for the two men to have their debate.
“Anytime somebody wants to [debate]… I know the issues, I know the policies and I know what the Territory needs,” Hon. Fraser stated, “I’m here.”
Hon. Vanterpool could not be reached for a response up to post time on whether he was still entertaining thoughts of a debate between the two.
See previous story posted February 22, 2013:
UPDATE: 'Sam' ready to facilitate debate between Hons. Vanterpool & Fraser
- says Speak Your Mind would be available whenever the elected reps are ready
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Exactly who has been grand standing and bluffing about a public debate is likely to be exposed now that the host of the live television programme 'Speak Your Mind', Julio Sam Henry says he is willing to make his show available for the possible showdown between Minister for Communications and Works Mark H. Vanterpool and Third District Representative Julian Fraser, RA.
"It is up to them, my show is available, they can set the date," Mr Henry told Virgin Islands News Online.
“I think it is great. I would be the first time in the BVI history we will actually have elected representatives coming together for a public debate against each other on matters of interest of the BVI," Mr Henry added.
Honourable Vanterpool was the one to throw down the gauntlet to Hon. Fraser for a public debate on issues arising out of the recent sitting of the House of Assembly (HOA).
Hon. Fraser has responded to the challenge, saying “Tell the Minister I consider his invitation an honour.”
Speaking exclusively to Virgin Islands News Online, Hon. Vanterpool had said he had absolutely no problem challenging Hon. Fraser in a public debate on matters of the recent sitting of the House of Assembly. The statement was made in response to Hon. Fraser's recent remark that he was displeased at the manner of the question and answer segment of the Sixth Sitting of the Second Session of the Second House of Assembly on February 12, 2013.
Word on the street is that the public is excited about the possibility of such a debate since, according to most persons, they just want the truth to be revealed.
But although ready to create the setting for the highly anticipated debate, Mr Henry is not very convinced that either one of the elected representatives are very serious about the debate and opined that Hon. Vanterpool only said that because he was upset about Hon. Fraser making certain comments about him. “I don’t really think he wants to debate Fraser and I don’t think Fraser wants to debate him either. What I am saying is if they really want a platform for this debate, Speak Your Mind will be available. They could have an hour or an hour and a half, whatever time they need for this debate."
Both Hon. Vanterpool and Hon. Fraser could not be reached for comment.
See previous article posted on February 20, 2013
Hon. Vanterpool challenges Hon. Fraser to public debate
-Accuses Third District rep. of grandstanding in HOA; Hon. Fraser considers invitation ‘an honour’
The Minister for Communications and Works, Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool, has thrown down the gauntlet to Third District Representative and former Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Julian Fraser RA for a public debate on issues arising out of the recent sitting of the House of Assembly (HOA).
Hon. Fraser has responded to the challenge, saying “Tell the Minister I consider his invitation an honour.”
Speaking exclusively to Virgin Islands News Online, Hon. Vanterpool said he has absolutely no problem challenging Hon. Fraser in a public debate on matters of the recent sitting of the House of Assembly. The statement was made in response to Hon. Fraser's recent remark that he was displeased at the manner of the question and answer segment of the Sixth Sitting of the Second Session of the Second House of Assembly on February 12, 2013.
Hon. Fraser had indicated to Virgin Islands News Online that members of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) intended to seek audience with the speaker of the HOA, Mrs. Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe, to express their displeasure at the question and answer segment of the most recent sitting of the House in a bid to charter the way for a more satisfactorily approach in the future.
Hon. Vanterpool, however, is confident that the question and answer segment of the Sixth Sitting of the Second Session of the Second House of Assembly was done in the correct manner according to law. The Minister speculated that Hon. Fraser may have been upset that he was trying to make some revelations in the HOA concerning the Third District and when Hon. Fraser was in office as Minister for Communications and Works.
"He was surprised because what it pointed out was that district three got all or most of the monies for the four years he was there, during the time he was doing the project." He added that Hon. Fraser got upset when he said that the Third District had $6.8M and, for example, the First District had only a little over $1M.
"Even his own party members got small numbers when he was Minister of Works. That's the point I was making but he didn't want me to go there," claimed Hon. Vanterpool.
The response given by Hon. Vanterpool was subsequently struck from the records.
The current Works Minister alleged that Hon. Fraser was fussing about the details about contracts for 2012, "But I did not produce to him at that time that figure he had previously before I got there. He was trying to be suspicious. Now I told him, which is the normal thing, that if I didn't have all the figures for those four years I could have got them for him the same day but he wanted to grandstand with at that point that he didn't get them," alleged Hon. Vanterpool.
He added that under normal circumstances the opposition member would have requested that the information be presented before the end of the day but in this instance Hon. Fraser request that the question be struck from the records. "He wanted it struck from the records because he knew he would have felt bad, and that's the strategy I used when I brought the [information on monies spent on projects in all the districts over the past] five years.
On the issue of the question asked of Hon Vanterpool regarding the market value of the Baugher's Bay plant, he alleged that Hon. Fraser was well aware the that information could not have been forthcoming because the plant was never evaluated. The Works Minister explained that the Baugher's Bay plant is a court issue where the Ocean Conversion group was awarded a judgement to have the plant evaluated.
"The Attorney General and two lawyers for Ocean Conversion are supposed to organise some mediator or some person to do the evaluation but it hasn't been done. So I couldn't give him any information I don't have," said Hon. Vanterpool. He added that his government had nothing to hide but because of the nature of the situation, some things could not have been released to the public at that point.
"He (Hon. Fraser) is just grand standing and I can debate publicly on it if he wants," said Hon. Vanterpool.
There were other issues alluded to that were raised but, according to Hon. Vanterpool, he was satisfied that his responses were appropriated and correct, giving the circumstances.
He stated that the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government has nothing to hide and as such Hon. Fraser insinuations that they have been attempting to frustrate the VIP by not providing sufficient information to the Opposition during the questions and answers segment in the HOA was unfounded.
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61 Responses to “UPDATE: All bets off for debate between Hons. Vanterpool & Fraser?”
though they did away with these long time ago??
@Jokers, all this $h1t about Fraser that Alvin feed jack @#$%% like you about Fraser not doing this Fraser not doing that is what got fools like you living in fantasy. Fraser has been gone for over a year, what has Alvin done since then. I will tell you. The bridge and culvert to little Harbour which Fraser had done while in office to be from CDB Loan. What else? Who went to Barbados to get the same CDB loan? Fraser. When Fraser went to the Ministry the first thing he did was to expand water production on the JVD Water Plant.
Check the Budgets under Fraser and see if there wasn't a extra $500 thousand for both Virgin Gorda and JVD for District Rep. to do roadworks. Go blame Alvin for your dam problems, not Fraser. Then go suck an egg, if you can still find one on JVD now that the NDP has raped the island.
Instead, the honorable members should be cooperating and collaborating on innovative, creative, cost effective and practical means of arresting the problems with education, healthcare, infrastructure, crime, good governance, diversifying and sustaining the economy, mending the unraveling social fabric, youth unemployment, youth incaceration, environmental impairment.........etc. wow! What a litany of problems.
With this litany of critical issues, how can these two members waste a second at the time stroking their ego on debate nonsense. Members are elected to work on and solve issues that are of interest to the territory, the people, not their personal standing or interest. This is just a ruse to feed their inflated egos; they are acting out of self interest. This is akin Rome burning while Nero fiddled. Lets not fiddled while the BVI burn. But lets harnessed all our energy to move. the territory forward.
@Joker, You are simply a jack @$$, to be saying that the JVD water plant belongs to the people. That Plant belongs to Ocean Conversion and a partner who shall remain nameless, hint, it is not the people of JVD. Now if yo have a stiff for Fraser, go take it some place els.