I’ve never used my powers to block legislation — Premier
Premier Andrew Fahie said he has never used his powers as the leader of government’s business or as Finance Minister to prevent any bill or motion from being debated or properly ventilated in the House of Assembly (HOA).
The Premier expressed this view during the debate on the government’s pending Public Procurement legislation which received its second reading recently.
He argued that despite any controversy that might be attached to the legislation, he is not shying away from bringing it to the HOA.
The Premier told legislators that any areas which needed to be worked out in the legislation should rightly be done in the House of Assembly.
Despite what naysayers and those that might call him stubborn say, the Premier said he is doing what is expected of him legally to bring bills to the House and get the input and buy-in from other legislators.
“This is the importance of the House of Assembly and I’m not going to fool any constituent just for a vote to tell them because I want to get back (in office) I’m not going to bring it (to the House), I’m going to put it down,” the Premier said.
He said there had been times when he first brought bills to the Assembly, he was not sold on the legislation, but subsequent meetings in the committee stages of the bill convinced him of its merits.
He said while there were concerns about the current bill that were placed on file, some were addressed before they were brought to the House, while others still remained to be examined.
Most democracy exercised in the world
The Premier further told the HOA that no one was arrested or had their salary docked as a result of recent protesting which he said now takes place openly under his government without fear of victimisation.
“This has been the most that democracy has been allowed to be exercised uninterrupted in any government in the world,” the Premier claimed while pointing to the protests that had taken place earlier in the day.
The Premier said he was proud that the House could Debate such intense and complex legislation and said debates such as this were needed so persons who claim the BVI cannot police itself can understand that the territory is a young nation growing up.
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These grandiose but wrong claims of us being the most democratic country are exactly the kind of deluded comments dictators say.
Dictators do this to assure you that all is well in their utopian society. Ask yourself, is it? Are you better off than before this man destroyed your income and shattered your lives?
As we drop covid protocols and allow tourists back, remember him in elections and what he did to our livelihoods. I will never forget the look on the faces of my employees, ALL belongers, that I could not employ them anymore. The fear, doubt, confusion all ripped my heart out knowing they could not provide for their families. They were now on the government dole for support – none given of course.
Remember
Stop insulting us please. JUST STOP. Can someone other than Govt bring a Bill to the HOA.
Let he stay there with his head bury in the sand… I cant tell any more if the premier believes what he says or if he think the public stupid.
The word for today is ” ASSUMPTION “
We are not a democracy, we becoming a dictatorship!
You have NO POWER on your own. The POWER is in the Office of Premier which is you can only have through the people! We, the people have all power… watch!!!