A new day has dawned: The “cookie monster” has gone!
Notice to all, especially some of you online commentators: The election is over; the voters have made their choice and elected a National Democratic Party government. Virgin Islands Party members have graciously accepted defeat and confirm that they will work with the new government for the benefit of all in the VIP (oops! that’s a Freudian slip, I mean in the BVI!). So stop your carping, sniping, electioneering and so on, and work with what we have. Give credit where it is due and criticise as necessary.
Government should know that the public is extremely alert now to any perceived “underhanded” activities, and members should keep their hands clean, at least for a while.
So, I couldn’t believe my ears!
At a recent post-election district meeting, a newly elected member of the legislature, Archie Christian, announced that he had already received several requests for financial assistance from members of the public: requests such as assistance with paying bills, buying airline tickets and so on. He didn’t mention lingerie (yet). He also said that other members had received similar requests. How do voters have the gall to make such requests?
And did he say that he turned them down? No! He said he couldn’t help them until he and his colleagues were sworn in as members of the House of Assembly, because they did not have access to funds! This suggests that he plans to help them!
In view of the audit report making public the sort of things the previous members were found to be doing, and the bad publicity it received, I am amazed that he should even contemplate such assistance. We are not running a Middle Eastern sheikdom here, with the ruler holding a majlis and handing out funds and justice to his retinue as he sees fit. Or are we? We are a democracy, sort of, with everything supposed to be out in the open. Remember “government in the sunshine” from last time around?
Ports consultant
I suppose it’s only natural for the winners of the election to reward their supporters, but what on earth are they doing handing out a $96,000 contract to a losing candidate? What does he know about ports? I suppose providing he uses the money not as his own salary, but to employ experts who do know something about port operations and development, then some good might come out of it.
But he had a huge contract with the previous government, and what was the result of his efforts? Very little, it appears. Nice work if you can get it!
So on to Virgin Gorda (before the Ministry of Communications and Works visited), to see how you are doing over there. There is a nice new concrete road from Nail Bay to North Sound, costing millions. Which budget did the millions come from, and who got the contract?
In contrast, the road to The Baths, our biggest tourist attraction, is in an appalling state. And there are still no dedicated toilet facilities at the Top of the Baths. If the new government needs to know, there is a “portable” public convenience erected at the West End Ferry Terminal. A similar one would be perfectly adequate for The Baths and would not cost the millions demanded by VG contractors. This has been pointed out by others before, with no response from the former government.
Government definitely needs to improve the ferry and cargo docking facilities in The Valley, which are appalling. Why has it been so bad for so long when the representative for the Ninth District was the previous premier?
HOA meeting
On to the first meeting of the second House of Assembly at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex. This nice piece of theatre was witnessed by hundreds, if not thousands, of community members. Everything went very smoothly until poor Mark Vanterpool (R-D4) swore himself in as attorney general, instead of minister of communications and works!
Governor Boyd McCleary gave an address on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, outlining the government’s heavy legislative programme, which will be difficult to accomplish in a four-year term.
A few promises were of basic importance, in my opinion: the introduction of a freedom of information act; the opening of the legislators’ register of interests and the register’s expansion to include senior public servants; and a shakeup in the contract-awarding arrangements. The introduction of these measures, which the governor is determined to see carried through, will give the electorate confidence that our new government really means what it says.
One thing missing, again in my opinion, is a determination to find a piece of land suitable for the Humane Society of the BVI to carry out its important work with animals. Governments of both sides have prevaricated over this for years, but why?
UK questions
Those who complain about the idea of the United Kingdom government asking to see our budgets before presentation should remember that we are still a dependant territory of the UK.
Those who want independence in this area, and are affronted, should remember that the UK would dearly like to get shot of its remaining overseas territories, but only when the majority of the population of each OT asks for it. We seem to be a long way from that. Until then, like any mother, she worries about her offspring, and has an obligation to look out for them.
The UK has the experience and worry of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and sees us as a near basket case, having overstepped our borrowing guidelines, and only just saved, one hopes, by the election without incident of a new administration.
Did anyone hear the Government Information Services programme where the engineer of the traffic lights was being interviewed? He was trying to explain the really technical details of the electronic sequencing to a lady who obviously did not have the faintest idea what he was talking about! Nor did I, considering this was radio, and the lights were not actually working at the time!
Nice to see they have done a good cleanup of the Queen Elizabeth II Park after the concerts. I guess beautification and future use will come later, assuming there was enough profit from the event. That will be interesting to see.
Finally, an island tour after the heavy rains last weekend sees lots of the new tarmac bubbling up nicely, especially from the ridge down to the bays.