Mather praises gov’t, rebuts Opposition concerns over utilities bill
Stacy Mather
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather has mounted a strong defence of the government’s Virgin Islands Energy & Water Corporation Bill, 2026, praising Works Minister Kye Rymer for showing the courage to confront long-standing failures in water and electricity services, while rejecting Opposition claims that the legislation is draconian.
Describing the bill as one of the most consequential pieces of legislation to come before the House of Assembly in years, Mather said it represents a decisive break from what he called decades of dysfunction in the management of utilities. The legislation proposes merging the Water and Sewerage Department with the BVI Electricity Corporation into a single statutory body, with separate business units reporting to one board and one chief executive officer.
Mather praised the government and Rymer in particular, for recognising that the current path is failing and taking responsibility for fixing it. He said he was pleased to see that the legislation has measures to improve the welfare of the staff who will work for the new utilities agency.
“Even when it comes to pensions and things, you can see that things are being taken care of and thought of for people. I applaud the ministry and the minister for putting the effort into taking care of our people,” Mather told the House of Assembly.
Rebuffing Opposition criticism
Mather rejected concerns raised by Opposition members who argued that the bill represents the government attempting to avoid its responsibilities rather than properly fix utility problems. According to Mather, doing nothing in the face of known failures would itself be a failure of leadership.
“We sit here, listen to utility workers tell us they need more resources and want to do more for their country, and then we do nothing. That is not leadership. That is not accountability. That is not transparency,” he said.
Mather also pushed back hard against Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn, who warned that sections of the bill seem to give the new corporation draconian powers over private property.
After reviewing the legislation, Mather said those claims were misleading.
“I heard it said that this bill means the new entity can just go on your land, chop down your mango tree and do what it wants. When you actually read the bill, Sections 9 and 12 require notice to be given and provide for minimal inconvenience and compensation. This is not a draconian exercise where people in this house are going to say, they’ll go on people’s property and just do what they want,” he said.
Mather concluded by warning that failure to act would only pass the burden of these essential services to future governments.
“Just because the problem came to you in a mess, does not mean you have to leave it that way,” he said. “Leadership must be cautious — but leadership also has to be courageous.”
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What a cr**k! That’s it. That’s all.
Well! Well! Mather made a mistake and flew pass his nest as a thrashie and landed in a pigeon nest and already chirping as a vip politician.
Just a minute ago last week he would have been opposition and verbally punishing natalio and the VIP.
That’s why watching the changing of the guard, because it’s an exercise that always remain the same in the blink.of an eye.
Money is power and it answer all things, look at the state of Fraser and Lorna for power, and even Ronnie and Marlon does freak me out mehson
This young man nas learned to play the political game very well and rather quickly .Hats off Hon.Mather/Dspite what the nay sayers predict I see him getting re elected.
Mather freak me out mehson, to see a thrashie just flew over into a pigeon nest, and start chirping like pigeon, the same thing happen to Lorna and Fraser.
Ronnie and Marlon wants to chirp so they fighting for it.
When I look at Mather I see a treacherous and deceptive man who is a ball of confusion. He is power hungry but he tries to hide it. He allowed Natalio to promise his Sharie’s job to cross over. As much as Natalio want to fire Sharie he know better than to do that. He is going to regret that decision big time.
After the merger, your electricity will be shut off for not paying your water bill.
Then pay your water bill.
Sharie will be long gone next election. Mark my words.
I would submit that the Premier is more strategic than that. However comfortable his current majority may appear, it still remains a somewhat fragile alliance, and Hon. Decastro has been among the more steadfast members of the elected VIP team — indeed, one of the original five. The Premier surely understands that any perception of disloyalty on his part could prove detrimental to his tenure. What seems more plausible is not rupture, but a recalibration — perhaps a reshuffling of ministerial portfolios
Mather will be reelected now he is with the vip
What ever you are smoking is messing with your brains.
Another political politician opportunist whose agenda is personal growth at the expense of the people and government coffers.
Another obvious kleptocratic. And kakistocrisy is a governmen of the very worst.And that is what we the people have here today.
Kakistocracy when combined with kleptocracy, which is a government of pick pockets and plunderers.
This is what the Tortola politics have devolved into.
You may not agree or you may see it and turn away, but it is real and its eating away at the core values and moral marrow of the country.
We must stop it now!!
Mather the cr**k. Watch out what you were promised will never be delivered in a silver platter Mr. Mather. Next election for sure not my vote you guys need to stop playing with people minds
And there you have it folks! Wally scaremongering tactics exposed. All ayo here disrespecting the man just as bad as Wally for playing games with critical resources. Doing nada is what y’all and Wally would prefer. GTFOH. Who more crooked than ayo who don’t pay your water bills? Same set of ayo begging for water expecting WSD to invest in pipes, reservoirs etc don’t pay no dang water bills!!
Wally gang is getting what done exactly? The opposition is so fractured with no direction. Just overinflated egos…..no wonder they can’t organize one thing in the opposition side. It’s deafening now the silence and glaringly obvious that there’s no cohesion between them. Mather got y’all vex cause he exposed the self -centered colleagues and their lack of respect for the voters.
Wow.
Too early.
They forgot to say “April Fool’s”.