No-confidence defeat wasn’t personal

Deputy Premier Julian Fraser said the government’s strategy that led to the defeat of Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn’s recent motion of no confidence was rooted in parliamentary process and not personal politics.

After the motion failed in the House of Assembly, Fraser said he hoped Walwyn took no offence at the government’s actions, adding that the ruling administration had a right to defend itself.

“I am not gonna say anything about the vote of no confidence, because I think it’s the obligation of the opposition to do things like that. And I’m not gonna talk about the fact that they were defeated by whatever number because it’s their job,” Fraser told the House of Assembly. 

“But when I saw the direction that it was taking — I hope the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t feel a way. You know, this parliamentary democracy that we’re practising, you have the right to move your motion and the government has the right to defend itself. I think that’s what played out. I have to commend the Opposition for his stamina and his presentation that he did,” Fraser added.

His remarks came after he invoked parliamentary procedure to block Walwyn from wrapping up debate on the motion. Citing Standing Order 36, Fraser argued that since no member of the government had responded to Walwyn’s nearly four-hour presentation, there was nothing new for him to reply to. He said the House should move directly to a vote, a move backed by his government colleagues.

The tactic proved decisive. 

The motion was defeated 6–2, with one abstention and two absences. Fraser’s intervention, which Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley later praised as a demonstration of “experience over theatre,” became a key moment in the debate. The Premier went further, describing Fraser as “a patriot for the country” and one of the strongest defenders of his leadership during the vote.

Observers also pointed out that Fraser’s procedural know-how neutralised Walwyn’s attempt to deliver a closing statement that could have swayed public opinion. Former Speaker Julian Willock noted that Fraser “handled it masterfully,” saying it showed the value of seasoned lawmakers in moments of political tension.

For his part, Walwyn later admitted he never expected the motion to succeed numerically but argued it was important to raise issues of governance, from persistent water shortages and infrastructure problems to government overspending and healthcare challenges. He called the lack of collective support from his fellow opposition members “shameful.”