Don’t mislead people for political points — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has suggested that the Opposition is attempting to score political points by focusing on the $3.48 million travel bill his government racked up between 2019 and 2023.
Fresh criticisms are being thrown at the government, following a House of Assembly sitting earlier this week, where D6 Representative Myron Walwyn questioned the Premier about the government’s travel budget.
Speaking on Tola Radio yesterday, the Premier said he doesn’t want others to mislead the public, saying the government must travel and more was spent on travel under the D Orlando Smith-NDP administration.
“I have information for the years 2013 to 2018 and there was more travel during that period than the four-year period from 2019 to 2023,” Premier Wheatley stated.
He continued: “What I don’t want is for us to play games with people’s minds. Some people call it tit-for-tat – I’m not interested in that. But what I also don’t want is that we don’t try to mislead people for political points,” the Premier stated before reiterating that the government must travel in order to maintain relationships that will help to develop the BVI.
The Premier also said persons should note that the members of his Cabinet aren’t the only ones responsible for the $3.48 million that was spent on travel from 2019 until 2023.
“When we give numbers for travel in the House, it’s not just ministers. This involves people who travel from the Governor’s Group, every single ministry and anybody who travels in government, these numbers represent them. Some people, when they hear the numbers they think it’s just Sowande up and down but it’s anybody who travels in government,” Premier Wheatley said.
The Wheatley administration continues to face criticisms for their frequent international trips amid the failing public infrastructure that continues to frustrate residents. However, the government is taking steps to fix roads, water and airport infrastructure, which has been in a state of disrepair for some time now.
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I am not sure that all the travel is necessary, but I am sure that it is unnecessary for that travel to be first or business class. The same people travel in economy when they pay themselves (although some of them manage to find a conference to attend whenever they want to go on holiday and have the Givt pay for travel). It is nonsense that anybody working for the government has to travel in business or first. Get in the back!
But why would someone who always diametrically oppose to colonialism as Wheatley touted, just can’t get enough of running like a child to the neo-colinials? It’s infantilism to go get instructions from them, you go to have your brains harvested by them, to carry out whiteness, maybe that’s why the roads and infrastructure down, they will teach you black people are animals and don’t deserve any better, while they make you feel great to bank monies in their offshore banks and buy real estate in their country and you selling rich white folks BVI lands.he Wheatley does a lot of simple WhatsApp video calls, why can’t he Skype conference instead and sign documents electronically when you would have properly peruse it, rather than just jump on plane and sign in a hurry, they had time to sit and draft these documents and do a camera show of you signing, which is done by ego and not careful thoughts. Wheatley should consider how presumptuous he would be to ask these same countries to fly to the BVI to sign a already worded document, the Caribbean leaders has gotta stop been treated like little children of a lesser god.
Natalio asking others not to be misleading is so hypocritical.
Is he lying and condoning a misuse of funds all the time?
Snake in the grass.
The Premier has no shame. Yes he has information that there was more travel for the years between 2013 to 2018 and realistically the territory was wide open untill the hurricanes of late 2017. Also even though there was more travel he failed to show that they spent more, they could not have as inflation came after the pandemic.
Now fast forward to 2019 to 2023, the whole world was on lock down for the entire 2020, there were very few places that the government could have gone to in 2021 to 2022 as many meetings were via zoom for safety. What is alarming is defending the huge travel bill with little to nothing to show for it.
How do you spend $3.48 million on travel and all you can show for it is the receipt?
How is the opposition misleading people, the facts are clear.
2020 and 2021 was Covid so you spent most of that money on travel in two and a half years. You are not fit for this job we need to march you out of office.
Send the guy to the 7th to attend to his district. He’s an embarrassment. The fools who voted for him should be ashamed of how they got their children schools, the roads they walk on, the safety in the district, and the cleanliness of their district. The guy don’t even feel comfortable walking through his district and you guys voted for him, bloody fools.
How has any of these travels improved BVI? Anyone can say travel is needed but to prove that such travels have helped or created relationships that have improved BVI is what the people want to know. Every citizen has to pay for there own travel so why is it okay for government to travel on the backs of the people’s taxes.
Maybe I’m a pessimist but honestly I don’t even expect nothing from this premier. He not capable. Leave him let him travel. He is prime example of a flaw in our system. The whole country need to vote for who’s going to be premier.
If you stop spreading untruths there wouldn’t be a need to fact check you.
Man, score some political points by giving peopler their increments, especally the rtid elderly who are suferig while alyo feasting off of the country with that greedy bill…
If we don’tget our money we ain. votig nextt time for none ah alyo.
Honorable Premier, while I am concerned also of some travels and am not an Enemy, My biggest concern is: Who is your Legal Advisor? It seems like whomever it is, they are doing a lousy Job at it as it is evident whenever you go to the HOA like you seem to not know what is right or what is wrong to even bring to the House and that not only makes YOU look unqualified for your position But it makes the entire Territory looks bad. Many people are tuned in to the HOA and other Media Outlets and while I know that No one is perfect except God himself, I also know that it is a plus for anyone in any position to always seek to gain
as much knowledge in their particular position to elevate themselves and be more efficient and productive. This includes You having more knowledge in Political Science and in particular as it pertains to the Laws and Policies and whatever our BVI Officials should be up to speed with. Like I’ve said, I am not a Critic But something is not right. Why on a second occasion another elected Official would relate on a popular Radio Station as recent as Thursday that the statements made in the HOA recently concerning The Festivals and fairs Committee being transferred to the Tourist Board and the way You, Mr. Premier presented it to the HOA was illegal? What is going on Hon. Premier? Aren’t you reading from the same script or following the same set of Rules? Please Hon. Premier, I know you have a lot on your Plate But it looks like too much Vegie and not enough Meat. No Pun Intended. I too Love My Country.
Unbelievable! Uk NOW
Have a pertinent question for “YES TO UK.”
WHEN YOU BRING IN YOUR UK PEOPLE WHO WILL TAKE AND CONTROL EVERYTHING, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PILLARS OF THIS LAND THAT OUR ANCESTORS BUILT, WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT THOSE WHO WILLREVOLUTION TO BEAR WHEN THEIR WAY OF LIFE HAD BEEN TAKENOVER,HALTED AND USURPED?
we see you are accumulating new names for the new year t what would be your new name when you become our wannabe premier ❓️
“I have information for the years 2013 to 2018 and there was more travel during that period than the four-year period from ???
People hungry and this is the piddle you all
Worrying about?
Practice what you preach M’son!