Fahie spends over $9K ‘out of pocket’ for Opposition duties
Opposition Leader Andrew Fahie (foreground).
Local legislator Andrew Fahie is claiming to have spent more than $9,000 of his personal funds to carry out duties as opposition leader.
He said he spent those funds last year before government agreed to reserve allocations in the annual budget for Her Majesty’s Opposition.
“Everything for the Leader of the Opposition was paid for out of my pocket. I thought that this was not right. I stated to them (government) that in order to have true democracy, there should be a budget for the Leader of Opposition to perform their duties.”
The government subsequently awarded $30,000 to Her Majesty’s Opposition. These funds fall under budget appropriations for the House of Assembly, BVI News understands.
Fahie used a quantity of those allocated funds on Wednesday to host the first of series of Leader of Opposition press conferences.
Now seven months into the calendar year, Fahie said fewer than half of the allocated $30,000 sum has been used, so far.
“The little $30,00 that I have; I’m trying to make it stretch,” he said.
Fahie, in the meantime, said Her Majesty’s Opposition should always be granted a portion of the annual budget, regardless of the governing party.
He said that is an opinion he has held even before becoming part of the parliamentary opposition.
“When this [NDP] government was in the Opposition, I had lobbied, at that time, for money for the Opposition to do their work because I was always convinced even in the government that you should always have a balance when it comes to running a country to ensure democracy reigns.”
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Hmm life is something else he had to spend his own money and not the Government money.
…he well know he use his district allocation money to do those things. Show us the evidence that you used your own money. Never see someone who could concock a story so.
Please tell us why the Opposition Party should be funded by a budget? That makes ZERO Sense to me……Lets fund a party who is against what we want! Am I totally wrong here…..please explain….because it sure isn’t clear from this posting…..
If we follow your view then we will end up in a full DICTATORSHIP!!!
The Opposition office should be funded.
NDP Government should be ashamed. No matter who is the Leader of the Opposition the office should be adequately funded. This allows for true democracy.
Was the NDP ALWAYS IN POWER.What happen when the VIP was in power. Did the oppisition get a budget.why should the NDP BE ashamed
You obviously didn’t read the article nor did you listen to the press conference or you would have found out that VIP is who started the funding of the Opposition office.
Sorry but I don’t believe Hon. Fahie. For the sake of transparency and accountability please show us the bills.
Nice try but exit stage left. Just check the budget last year and you will see that the Opposition office wasn’t funded. In addition why you didn’t ask for receipts for the $7.2 million dollar plane? A set of hypocrites.
Do you think they would give him the 30,000 if he did not already prove that he did indeed spend his own money?? Stop wasting your time on here if you dont have any sense.. But then again…you could be on to something… because NDP does give money out like water with no accounting trail.. 7 mil and counting!!!
I agree with this because it allows for true democracy and balance inorder to protect the people and the BVI.
A few persons want Fahie to show everything about his personal expenses but the NDP gone with millions of our tax dollars and none of them asking for them to account for that. No wonder the BVI is suffering.
Please show us the bills for the thirty thousands, only some people know where it gone.
Show we the people the bills for the $1.5mill school wall and the $7.2mill plane first. At least Fahie came forward and declare what his budget is and not hide until caught like this government does.
So what ! We have all had to spend thousands out of our own pockets because of all governments failures to the people here… damaged cars from the roads.. massive damage to our properties from the pathetic drainage during the August floods.. no consumer laws to protect us… the list could go on and on.
When the new NDP launches you won’t see Andrew or his minions anywhere.
A new set of political croaks?
Is he using that money to campaign?
Why would the opposition leader need $30K? I’m confused.
The Post dictates that it needs money to run the office not the individual so stop belittling the post out of hatred for Fahie.
Whether u like it is not..give some credit to the NDP. this position has NEVER BEEN FUNDED PREVIOUSLY..under any administration…
If you had bother to read the article or listen to the press conference you would have realise that you are incorrect. The VIP is the administration who first funded the Opposition so stick to the facts.
Don’t believe the hype. I like Fahie but is he another wolf in sheep’s clothing?
You can stop there with your negativity towards Fahie out of hatred but you’re in the minority with that. Fahie is a regular common man that represents the people uncommonly well. That’s what the majority feels and knows.