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More Opposition complaints about Speaker’s reported bias

“Leader of the Opposition, I have ensured in this House — and you will agree if you’re honest — that the rules always apply to everyone.” — Speaker Julian Willock

House of Assembly (HOA) Speaker Julian Willock yesterday clashed with Opposition Leader Marlon Penn who accused Willock of continuous inconsistency with regards to his rulings.

The confrontation happened after government legislator Neville ‘Sheep’ Smith made a snide remark about the Opposition Leader. Penn sought to interrupt Smith with a point-of-information but Smith told the House he would not yield for Penn to make his point.

Willock sided with Smith so, towards the end of the sitting, Penn accosted the Speaker for his perceived one-sidedness, which has become a recurring complaint from members of the Opposition.

“We cannot continue to seem to attempt to shut down the Opposition from speaking in this Honourable House,” Penn stated.

He further told Willock: “I want you to be consistent, Mr Speaker, when you’re applying the rules … [they] [can]not just be rules for one set of members in this House.”

“You have not been fair and the public could see that as well, Mr Speaker,” Penn added.

Speaker rejects accusation

Willock fired back stating that he rejected Penn’s assertion of him being biased and inconsistent in his role as Speaker.

Further defending his decision to side with Smith who is also his Deputy Speaker, Willock cited a section of the Standing Orders — the rules that govern the HOA.

“Standing Order 37(b) speaks to if a member is unwilling to yield then he continues speaking unless the Speaker recognises the other person … Days ago you accused us of making up the rules as we go. So now we are sticking to the rules and you still have an issue.”

“Leader of the Opposition, I have ensured in this House — and you will agree if you’re honest — that the rules always apply to everyone,” Willock further said.

Malicious tone?

But Penn took umbrage to the Speaker’s use of the phrase “if you’re honest”, arguing that the tone of the phrase was malicious. He further said the tone resembles that of “particular websites in this country”.

Penn did not specify the websites to which he was referring or whether they included Willock’s own news website, Virgin Islands News Online.

Opposition legislator Mark Vanterpool — who describes himself as a senior member and statesman of the House — later interjected and said his experience is that a Speaker usually allows any person who raises a point-of-information to speak even if another person who was already speaking refuses to yield.

Vanterpool further said he does not want a precedent to be set whereby a person who has a point-of-information is disallowed to speak because another member refuses to yield.

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23 Comments

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  1. Willock says:

    aka F*t Alberts Boy gone wild. Did you guys see the latest on his *** text messages 😉

    Like 14
  2. Resident says:

    This gives a good indication of what can be expected if BVI ever goes independent. No effective scrutiny by elected representatives because the deck has been stacked by the ruling party.

    Like 36
  3. 1EYE says:

    The petty behaviour in the HOA must end. The HOA isn’t just a media outlet or a watering hole. Penn made his pt, and wanted the record to be clear on where he stood on the bill but then went into a personal attack about website comments or articles & he tried to discredit the HOA. Willock then instead of understanding his frustration and letting it pass, also descended into nonsense with a snide remark, that Penn took personal issue with. I am not upset with Penn b/c he has a right to defend his reputation. Smith has a right to speak what he was speaking. Willcok has the power and that should also be respected in the HOA. Maybe Willock didn’t realize that Penn would be sensitive to his choice of wording. Penn clearly wanted to provoke him in his anger by questioning the legitimacy of the HOA. But Willock should be more considerate as the Speaker with the authority, understand it is ok for mortals to be human in moments like that. Mark understood that and gave his best advice as a senior member. But what about having respect for the BVI ppl in the HOA? Make those loose comments outside the HOA. Stay focused in the HOA. And the Speaker should remember that he wasn’t elected by the ppl, so although he has the power, not to dominate, unless absolutely necessary to keep order in the HOA.

    Like 10
    Dislike 1
    • ??? says:

      The Speaker of the House needs to be impartial no matter the Party Affliation. I personally don’t know what the VIP was thinking when they selected this present individual to be Speaker of the House. What shame, humiliation, disappoint and arrogance has befallen the Legislative Council Chambers. Hon Howard Penn; Hon. Ivan Dawson; Hon. Reial Georges; Hon. Omar Hodge; Hon. Keith Flax; Hon. Patrick Harrigan and Others in their Capacity as Speaker was NEVER SO DISGUSTED!!!

      Like 29
      Dislike 3
  4. Citizen says:

    Even if the rules say a member does not have to yield. For Smith to say he is not yielding is unparliamentary and unprofessional. It signals that his intent was personal, which should never be the case.

    Like 24
    Dislike 2
  5. BIAS BAD says:

    TOO ONE-SIDED

    Like 13
    Dislike 2
  6. Jackson says:

    He who pays the piper calls the tunes. The Speaker serves at the pleasure of the Government. Of course he is b**s.

    Like 10
    Dislike 1
  7. Hush says:

    The man is doing exactly what the people that hire him put him there to do.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  8. Election Where you?????? says:

    Hurry come, please.

  9. Please wake me up says:

    from this nightmare. Pleasssssssse

  10. The doc says:

    If it serves me correct when Hon. Penn was with the past government the former speaker/s were bias as well so don’t try to have it one way. We all witness how Hon. Moses chastised Hon. Fraser back then

    Like 6
    Dislike 3
  11. Anonymous says:

    I can confirm that all former speakers were biased but the last NDP one was terrible.

    Like 5
    Dislike 2
  12. BviBuz says:

    I guest smurf forget ms Moses the mother of all bias speakers he should be ashamed to call the esteemed bias

    Like 3
    Dislike 3
  13. Going Forward I will Suggest. says:

    The Governor should appoint a speaker..All Speakers for the past 20 yrs and more have been bias and thats expected..They are hired by the ruling party..They will always support their boss/bosses. Get that pay check. Thats why I think Going forward the Governor appoint a speaker / or the Governor appoint 2 prospective speakers and let the house vote for one…Keep the politicians out of the appointment process..it will be more bias, more curruption.

    Like 9
    Dislike 1
  14. Rubber duck says:

    Even in the other islands they said speakers are bias; what is new here? Marlon is a big child and not ready to be premier

    Like 1
    Dislike 2
    • Rubber Duck says:

      If you want to be me, first learn to speak English.

    • Jah Know says:

      Y’all need to come out of this “other islands or places are the same” with whatever the situation is. Not because other places have the same behavior, means that its okey if we’re like that too. We need to break that cycle. We need to have an un-bias speaker, not cause other islands have bias speakers means we too should have one.

  15. @ @??? says:

    YEAH RITE , I HOPE HE GET S WIG FOR YOU TOO , BUT WE KNOW ITS HIM , JUST USING A DIFFERENT NAME

  16. Comment says:

    The thing is that the opposition leader thinks he must do as he likes,whenever he feels.

    Like 1
    Dislike 2
  17. Ya awl says:

    Hon Speaker is bias and VIP through and through. Spending tax payers money in support of VIP. Thought the speaker should be impartial, nah not with Willock.

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