Statement By

Premier Of The Virgin Islands

Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley

Opposition’s No Confidence Motion

5 SEPTEMBER, 2024

A pleasant Good Day to all the people of the Virgin Islands.

Following the Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition’s bungling of the Opposition’s Motion of No Confidence, due to their failure to abide by the Standing Orders of the House of Assembly, quite a lot of misinformation has been circulated in the public domain. I have even noted some vicious comments directed at the integrity of the Honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly and others, who are blameless in this debacle created by the Members of the Opposition.It is unfortunate that some persons have chosen to be selective with the facts, and to go down this route which is taking Virgin Islands politics to a dark place.

As I have said previously, the Constitutional Right of every Member of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition to participate in the proceedings of the House of Assembly is sacred, inclusive of bringing Motions of No Confidence against myself and the Government. I look forward to the Members of the Opposition stating their case against myself and the Government, engaging in debate, and resolving the Motion in a civil and democratic manner.

But, may I say, that persons cannot on one hand profess to be the vanguards of law and order, and truth and righteousness, and then flout the rules and regulations just because it is convenient to their agenda, and cast aspersions and blame on innocent persons when they are at fault. Mature leadership is following the rules; owning your mistakes; and being respectful to others, especially when they are innocent.

In this regard, I believe that the Honourable Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition and all Opposition Members owe the Honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly an apology for pre-empting her ruling, for walking out of the House while the Honourable Speaker was in the Chair and attempting to deliver her ruling, and for the direct and indirect casting of aspersions against her integrity by their statements and conduct, and that of their agents. Certainly, a higher standard of conduct is expected from the Government in waiting and the Premier in waiting.

Without repeating the Honourable Speaker’s ruling, because she was very clear and detailed, the facts show that the Honourable Speaker did nothing wrong in her handling of the matter Tuesday, and it is the Opposition Members who are entirely responsible for their predicament with respect to the collapse of their Motion.

The Standing Orders are the rules and procedures for the conduct of the House’s business. These Standing Orders were amended in 2016, and most of the Members of the Opposition Benches were Members of the House of Assembly at the time. So these Standing Orders were created and put into effect by them.

Standing Order 21 is very clear in the definition and distinction between Government Business and Private Members Business, and the order in which they occur in the agenda. A simple reading of the Standing Orders will show that the Opposition’s Motion was clearlyPrivate Members Business, and the Honourable Speaker was correct in her ruling. Standing Orders 23, 24 and 27 are also very clear on the proper procedure for filing. Again, the Opposition Members did not follow the procedure, which is clearly written out.

Speaking with the media after the Opposition discourteously walked out on the Speaker, the Honourable Leader of the Opposition explained their motives for bringing this Motion of No Confidence, their timing for doing so, and why they want it now and at no other time. He stated that he did not want me to get any “brownie points” if the UK agrees next week with the Government’s petition for the lifting of the Order in Council.

At present the Virgin Islands people are 94 percent complete with addressing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (COI). The few remaining items are pieces of legislation that we believe reasonably can be achieved within a matter of days, putting us in a good position for when we meet with the UK Minister for the Overseas Territories next week. It is clear that the Opposition prioritises “brownie points” over the completion of the recommendations and the removal of the threat to suspend our Constitution, or worse for the UK to take away the democratic and constitutional rights that our fore parents fought for.

This behavior raises serious questions. Success in completing the COI recommendations and having the Order lifted is a victory for all Virgin Islanders, including the Opposition Members who have assisted in moving the reforms forward. Why would any patriotic Virgin Islander wish to up-end the political stability of the country at the time when we are inches away from completing the COI reforms and making a strong case for lifting the Order in Council? Certainly, any notion of political instability, such as the dissolution of the House of Assembly or the calling of elections, would be grounds for the UK to keep the Order in Council in place.

Ladies and gentlemen, my Administration remains united and firmly committed to our responsibility to do the People’s business. In the House of Assembly, there is a lot that needs to be done instead of staging walkouts and press conferences. For instance, we have a several pieces of legislation that are important for the economy, such as those dealing with the recommendations of the Mutual Evaluation Report of the Virgin Islands by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF). We have the remaining work on the COI recommendations which can be completed in good time for our petition to the UK Minister for the Overseas Territories to have the Order in Council lifted. We believe 94 percent and counting is a reasonable position. If we can make it to 100 percent, that will be even better for the country.

We will continue our focus on repairing the roads and leaky pipes in the Territory. This weekend we start work to repair 4.5 miles of roads from Sea Cows Bay to East End. And there is a lot more work that the Government is doing.

I hope that I have been able to set the record straight on the issue of the Motion, and I look forward to responding to the Motion when it does come up for debate, assuming the Opposition complies with the Standing Orders of the House.

I thank you.