I would have voted no, says Christopher
Delores Christopher
Government member Delores Christopher said she would have voted against the Recovery and Development Agency bill had she been present on the day of the vote.
Christopher said she was absent on decision day because of illness.
While speaking on radio recently, Christopher said: “It was not a deliberate thing on my part … I was really feeling very ill, and it is a laborious task to sit in the House [of Assembly] all day.”
“However, that being the case, I want to say that my position is still the same. My vote would have been emphatically no,” she added.
The bill passed in parliament after Premier Dr D Orlando Smith agreed to make amendments to appease legislators who were initially against the bill.
While accepting that some changes were made the Recovery Agency bill, Christopher said she is still cautious of ‘those claiming they want to help the BVI’.
She did not specify whom she was referring to.
“I am not even aware of all the changes that were made [to the bill] but when you look at the whole picture … and how it purports to operate, I can’t [support the bill],” she reasoned.
Pay attention, our rights eroding
Christopher continued by warning residents.
“I want to say to people: as we go forward, let’s pay attention to the changes that will be taking place in our country as a result of policies that will come forward – the erosion of our rights and freedoms as a people.”
“Let’s pay attention to our economy … This is an important matter. I still have my concerns over the Agency and how it will operate. We still don’t know the terms and all the conditions.”
What about residents suggestions for recovery plan?
In the meantime, Christopher has also questioned when government’s proposed recovery plan will be updated to include suggestions from residents.
Residents were allowed to give feedback on the plan during a series of public consultations put by government weeks ago.
“People raised a number of concerns they wanted to see in that recovery plan. I would like to see when the people’s concerns are going to be inserted and when that plan is going to come out what the final outcome will be,” Christopher said.
Government has an indicative cost of $721 million to fund the recovery plan, and the Agency will have full control over the monies that will be used to finance the plan.
Part of that $721 million would be from grants and government borrowings, and the United Kingdom has offered a £300 million loan guarantee so the BVI can borrow the monies needed to finance its recovery plan.
However, the BVI would not have been able to benefit from the offer if it did not pass the aforementioned UK-mandated Recovery Agency bill.
It passed in the House of Assembly on March 27 with a majority 10-2 vote.
Opposition member Julian Fraser and government backbencher Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull are the only two legislators that voted against the bill.
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I’m tired of Casper and her sorry e—s. Guess she’s been ill since being elected to the 5th cause the residents of the district allegedly haven’t seen her in quite a while.
I detest this kind of mindless xe——- by our politicians. I am looking forward to expressing my opinion at the next election.
Just say no
Nopes our rights are not eroding because of UK policies but because of greed , corruption and bad spending that has been done since 2002. And unlike these past administration Theresa May’s administration is not playing.
You want it as business as usual giving the monies to your government to spend so we can find ourselves with a country that looks like Haiti with unfinished projects like the pier park and meanwhile the rich get richer.
You all are blaming the premier for bringing the bad news but all of you all including him is to blame.
You would have vote “no” and then we would have gone fishing like your father use to do years ago you say? Hon. Christopher I thank you for your valuable history lesson in the HOA. I appreciated it very much but we are where are today. We need solutions. We need assistance. We need the loans. Now, I am not advocating for us to be blind and give the country away but those of you who voted no offered no viable alternative to the loans. Your job Hon Christopher is to get the best deal for us. What you offered up was nothing more than a good history lesson which I agree has value but doesn’t help us now.
You people need to wake up.
I do not agree with this lady not showing up in her district, but what we learn from her and others over the last few days before they vote on the bill took guts to stand against it.
Yes we need the money but we need to know our history and see the hidden lines so we can understand what the UK is looking for in return.
We also need take fishing serious and stop sleeping on this. Process foods and canned fish we are importing daily is killing our people.
Examine the high rate of people in the BVI taking sick with Cancer. If you don’t have vision to plant your own food and eat fresh fish from our waters instead of man made process junk food you would be making a big mistake. Know Your History and learn from the past mistakes other made.
Just cut the BS!! If we are so concerned about History and not trusting “THOSE PEOPLE” then we should have saved our own f—–g money!!!!! The point is WE ARE BROOOOKE!!!!!!!!!!! You don’t get to call the shots when you are flat on your face! Stop the proud beating up your chest BS and face the facts. If we are such a proud respectable people why are we broke after raking in billions of dollars over the past few decades with nothing to show for it? Our kids are attending the same institutions their grand parents attended, only difference sometimes is a coat of paint, new windows and the teachers. We have been irresponsible now we are here pretending to be victims. Cut the nonsense out now! Where are the local businesses that made millions off the Government over the years for doing little or nothing? Now the few people that are coming forward we are supposed to be afraid of them? When talking about history let it not just be about what the white man did to us but also what we have done and continue to do to ourselves. Ask Delores and the other naysayers how we are so proud, passionate and love history but we have no money put aside? All elected officials past and present are to be blamed not the UK and the white man!
Bang on the money A Harris. Where was Dolores and Mitch and the others when all this was going on and the schools and infrastructure sank to the bottom of International standards? Their snouts were stuck in the trough.
This deal is to keep the BVI from being any closer responsibility for the UK and to finally give us the infrastructure we should have had and paid for many times over before. Without it, the country may not compete and will slip further as a place to live for our residents and future generations
If she is against, she should have said without waiting on the sidelines for misguided M— to take her licks.
. At least she knows her history and her father worked hard to provide for her family unlike those that came from antigua and Anguill hungry and the Huntums ghut people had to feed them because there were so many on them without a father, because they were different fathers, and none of them were around to provide for them, up to this day some of them still look mal nourished.
Well let’s see how many vote no for you at the next election just as unwise as M and F who also just moaned needlessly and offered no solutions ! Your no vote wouldn’t have changed anything anyway as it was unanimously approved so just accept it and represent your constituents rather than bleating on about it.
Talk brings Talk Sam. This is not about votes my brother.
Sam the man is right. M or D haven’t brought any solutions to the table just pure fear mongering. It’s the white man fault the bvi governments never saved money for a rainy day. In fact its the UK white people that demanded that government had a reserve and if it wasn’t for that after the storms the entire civil service would have been laid off but nobody is talking about that. If it weren’t for the reserve that the white people in Europe demanded us to have we would have been f—-d all now but ahh boy we forget. We are our own worst enemies and it seems we are comfortable with it as long as there is someone else to blame. SO many locals get rich off the country back and here we are talking about history and blaming other people like our hands are so clean.
Christopher continued by warning residents.
“I want to say to people: as we go forward, let’s pay attention to the changes that will be taking place in our country as a result of policies that will come forward – the erosion of our rights and freedoms as a people.”
“Let’s pay attention to our economy … This is an important matter. I still have my concerns over the Agency and how it will operate. We still don’t know the terms and all the conditions.”
Saying all of that to really say what? We are BROKE! We need money to rebuild and we do not have it, that is something to be proud of? We beating our chest talking about we are the best this and that, but we squandered the money for over 20yrs when things were good and now it’s the UK fault? How can we expect to be treated like adults if we don’t act like adults? We failed horribly to prepare for a rainy day, we were spared for the last 15yrs from major storms, why didn’t we have money put aside for it? Now all of a sudden everyone knows best while the Territory sinks deeper and deeper and surrounding islands eat up our market share. What is Christopher’s solution to our issues? NONE!
WTF? So those ‘claiming’ to want to help the BVI are evil so where are the ‘good’ locals lining up to help the BVI? Oh, wait there aren’t any? Okay! Makes sense Delores, makes a lot of sense.
“Terms and conditions”, “pay attention to economy”, “need residents inputs”.
This nice lady is good at using buzzwords and catchphrases to say basically nothing. Brilliant at straw man arguments and distractions.
True politician, she is. She seems to have been schooled by uncle R, who we still love, by the way.
You all people so f….ing disrespectful. If you all think that you all would get to spend any of that money.
Who cares.She is finished anyhow.
Ok take the money with out understanding the terms and conditions, Keep stealing the government’s money and let England full control of our country and 7 years later we will know who brokes!!
She has a lot of balls to come out and said she would have voted no without a solution. Mrs. Doloris Christopher I wish you all the best.
whether you vote or not still a damn waste to NDP (5th district) same way 5th district going vote no for u
Glad you feeling better but you should have stayed absent for this interview too!