Mather calls for Freedom of Information Act
Speaking in the House of Assembly, Mather said the constitutional review report recommended the FOI legislation because people in the territory continue to crave transparency and accountability from leaders.
That’s why he emphasised that the FOI implementation should not be delayed, adding that he doesn’t intend to be a veteran politician like his colleagues Ronnie Skelton and Julian Fraser and therefore hopes the law can be brought into force during his political tenure.
“This recommendation – I hope it doesn’t show up again in 2047 [or] 2040, because I won’t be like Honourable Fraser and Honourable Skelton. I won’t be around. I don’t want to be around in 2040. Because this should be fixed. This is something that’s legislative and within this document, several things are legislative. We don’t need to go to the UK to do it. We can fix this,” Mather said passionately.
He also bemoaned the longstanding calls for FOI laws in the territory, saying the media and ordinary citizens continue to call for greater access to information to help them scrutinise leaders and hold them accountable.
“The media out there screaming for it. Everybody out there screaming for it. They want information. We’re in a country where information is now referred to as something by the speed bump that gets dropped. You can’t just go and get it, you have to hide in the shadows and throw it out. All our people keep saying is they want it,” Mather stated.
Mather’s comments come amid rising frustration among media, civil society actors, and ordinary residents of the BVI, who argue that access to government-held information remains limited and inconsistent. He used the analogy of a “speed bump” to demonstrate how information is still conveyed in an ad hoc, informal manner rather than through clear, rights-based mechanisms.
The calls for FOI legislation in the BVI have been longstanding. The Constitutional Review Commission recommended that specific freedom-of-information provisions be enacted, including amending the Constitution to include a right of access to information held by public authorities.
Local media editorials have repeatedly noted that without an FOI law, many government contracts and public expenditure details remain inaccessible, leaving the Territory behind many of its regional counterparts that already have FOI legislation.
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HE WILL BE A ONE-TERMER
He didnt lie, because we wont be there in the next 2 years!
We need to know how many consultants on hig salaries for little work. The entire BVI Government need sanitizing pronto!
The HOA need more voices like Mather, Walwyn and Turnbull. Not the louses and roaches currently trying desperately to cling to power.
The terrory needs poltically inept aptitudes by men and women of good moral, ethical and political hygiene, not parasites and political robbers who see and use governmet coffers as their personal piggy bank.
The country needs desperately honest and clean minded individuals to run,, become elected, who will inturn bring back some decency, cleanliness and integrity in the HOA, the politics and good standing of the world.
Our nation’s political standings have been stained beyond recognition.
The capable and well meaning people must present themselves next election.
The good people must take back the country from the crooks, criminals and thieves.
Complete political reform is needed.
BVI needs a Different Political Station in order for it to Progress. Too Many People of BVI are tuned into WIIFM and That’s the Problem. BVI needs Leaders, Reputable Leaders who are capable of Serving with Integrity and Honesty and who Care about the well-being of Country and ALL its People.
Some of US can attest to the Fact that We had such Leaders before. Unfortunately, The Ship with those type of Leaders has Sunk offshore and the New Ship that has Docked is filled with Criminals, Thieves and Liars…
You seam to have commendable ethics and values. I hope you don’t loose that as you swim in the sea of corruption. Keep pushing for good governance. It will be a hard road – and hopefully you, with other like minded, will finally succeed.
from the time you can tell a lie without batting your eye, you are already corrupt.