UPDATE: HOA to resume today April 8, 2013
The last session held on Thursday of last week ended after 4 P.M. when elected members spent hours at the committee stage discussing a Police Amendment Bill to bring more power to the K-9 Unit.
The Bill seeks to provide, among other things, for certification of police handlers and the provision of police dogs and to provide that the police dogs, under the control of a police dog handler, may enter any place or vessel where the police dog handler as a law enforcer may lawfully enter.
On Thursday also, the Premier and Leader of Government Business Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith laid on the table of the Parliament a Treasury Forensic Examination report that details the financial stewardship of the previous administration.
Also at the meeting, Minister for Communications and Works and Fourth District Representative Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool claimed that the water shortage on Tortola was because of delays of the Biwater project. "I cannot sugar coat it. This delay, is as a result of insufficient water in the wells…,” the Minister asserted.
The April 4, 2013 meeting also saw the clash between Third District Representative and former Government Minister Julian Fraser RA, and the Speaker of the Parliament Honourable Ingrid A. Moses-Scatliffe over Hon. Fraser’s interesting questions left off the Order Paper.
This news site was able, through our many sources close to Government, to obtain the questions not permitted on the House of Assembly’s (HOA) Order Paper.
A story first and accurately reported by Virgin Islands News Online was also confirmed at the Thursday meeting. That story was about both the Accountant General Mrs Kharid Fraser and the Acting holder of the post Anna Rabsatt, two Virgin Islanders, being forced out by the National Democratic Party (NDP) Administration of Premier Smith in exchange for an Anguilla national Ms Kalleesha C. Mendie.
To justify this government’s action against the indigenous minority, Minister of Finance Dr. Smith noted in a statement to Parliament that Government has engaged the services of the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre and PriceWaterhouseCoopers for a four to six month period to correct the deficiencies in the Treasury Department and to implement the standard operating procedures and accounting practices required of a modern Treasury.
The continuation of the HOA session will be carried live on CBN television channel 51 and starts at 10 A.M. at the House of Assembly Chambers in Road Town, Tortola.
See previous article posted on April 4, 2013
VI House of Assembly meets today, April 4, 2013
- Opposition pit-bull Hon. Julian Fraser RA, to pepper Ministers with questions
The Virgin Islands Parliament, also referred to as the House of Assembly, will convene today, April 4, 2013 according to the Order Paper released by the Clerk of the House, Mrs Phyllis Evans.
The session should be interesting with Opposition Member and Third District Representative Honourable Julian Fraser RA firing off some 35 questions ranging from Biwater to the Caribbean Development Bank loan.
Report on the VIP financial stewardship
What the public will be waiting for is the Government of the Virgin Islands' Treasury Forensic Examination, which will be made public at Thursday’s sitting.
The investigation was ordered by the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government following the 2011 General Elections in which they came to power.
While Virgin Islands News Online received the report around the same time members got it, we respect the parliamentary process and the newsroom has decided to wait until it becomes a public document before reporting on its contents.
A pro-government online news site seems to be delighted in reporting information from the report, notwithstanding it's not a public document.
Also on the Order Paper for the seventh sitting of the second session of the second House of Assembly will be the Land Registry Annual reports for 2010 and 2011 and statements from Ministers of Government.
In addition, many Bills will be introduced and get their first reading including the Youth Courts (Amendment) Act 2013, Medical (Amendment) Act 2013 and Trustee (Amendment) Act 2013.
The session will be carried live on CBN television channel 51 and starts at 10 A.M. at the House of Assembly Chambers in Road Town, Tortola.
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