Only a political play if gov’t passes key laws now — Fahie
Leader of Opposition, Andrew Fahie.
Bringing key legislation such as Freedom of Information or Consumer Protection before parliament now will be nothing more than a political play from the NDP government, Opposition Leader Andrew Fahie has said.
He told BVI News the appointed hour to implement these laws has long passed for the NDP administration, whose leader, Premier Dr D Orlando Smith, this week said he is ‘working towards’ getting a Consumer Protection law passed before 2018 ends.
While Premier Smith also asserts that the Freedom of Information law is actively being worked on but might not be passed before the end of December, Fahie said he remains suspicious of government’s intentions as it relates to these laws.
“I’m not saying the legislation might not be good legislation but it’s a political checklist. It is one in which to say on the podium ‘I’ve passed these things that they have been talking about all the time’. But, you pass them close to election so you might be passing them as a checklist to help you get another term with absolutely no intention to abide by them,” Fahie told BVI News this week.
“Any government that is serious about these kinds of legislation would pass them on their first year or into their second year. Even if you did it in your third year we could take that but, coming into your fourth year for elections; to pass all these meaningful legislation would leave a question mark in the people’s minds,” Fahie added.
He noted that Freedom of Information and Consumer Protection are both legislation that has been mentioned in Speeches from the Throne “year after year”.
Speeches from the Throne are annual statements from the territory’s governor that outline governments agenda for a new fiscal year.
Elections
The next general elections, in the meantime, are constitutionally due in the summer of 2019.
So far, three political organisations have noted their intentions to contest these elections. They are the governing NDP, the opposing VIP, and the newly-established Progressives United.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
So Government should essentially pack up and stop working because elections are near? WTF?
This guy is amazing! You want the laws to be passed then when they are passed you call it a gimmick! Make up your mind buddy! You cant complain both ways.
You are unbelievable. One year now since hurricanes Irma & Maria has devastated us and since then the banks and insurance companies continue to devastate us and the contractors and construction workers continue to rob us and to date the NDP has not passed one law nor amended any existing laws to protect we the people and it is hurricane season again and election season. Fahie is 100% correct.
Now that youve said all that, why passing these bills is politics again? Im waiting!
Finally a Consumer Protection Law. Would love to see the law published for all to read. It’s about time the people of the Territory are protected from unscrupulous companies like those of the insurance industry. The government has allowed these companies to act as thieves and crooks and have allowed them to operate as criminal enterprises without any consequence to their actions. How many residents were devasted by the loss thriough the storms. Even government buildings and public property was ignored. The insurance companies acted recklessl abandonment and refused to pay what was do the people of the Territory. It is a shame that this simple law has been ignored to protect the people but rather protect the owners of the large companies.
The longer they take to call election the less desirable Fahie looks. Well sah!
Doc Smith, will you please release the past due audit? Will you please explain why you gave BVI Airlines $7 mill of our money? Will you please disclose all of the BVI companies that you and your family own?
offshorealert.com
We want to know about the 600 thousand medical study
Don’t forget the $1.7 million dollar wall and the PR hotel matter.
Tall boy need to stop coming down here as a hide away to meet up with his buddies. LOL
BREAKING NEWS!!! HAHAHAHA
CONDADO PLAZA
Check the record and names on the list!
Say what? Dr Smith want to pass a law now that will protect us? We been taken advantage of for the past 16 years that he was leader. Why don’t he jus give us back all the money he misspent like the $7.25 milllian airline.
We been taken advantage of for much more than 16 years. These are laws that both parties failed to pass. there is no difference between NDP and VIP. NEXT
I agree with fahie political gimmick
LOL. ALL Fahie been doing is playing politics but now he come with this gimmick. Sick ah he now.
Fahie is the king of “political gimmic”
If so then he’s only a distant second to the deceptive NDP gang
Last I check both!!!! Parties failed us. Andrew govt was in power and he was just as much the problem. Funny how people forget that!
VOTE FOR THE NEW PARTY…NDP/VIP MESSED UP THIS COUNTRY
P U sounds like vomit. Like what you say when you smell the stench of a dead carcass. PU
Absolutely yes!!!
Andrew Fahie don’t mind nobody & the discrimination it only coming from the people who with the NDP. As I said & going to say again you for the win. Say hello to the next premier of the BVI!
NOT HE!
We will keep a few beds in the hospital vacant for you and the few others for when you hear that Fahie is the next Premier because it will happen.
WHERE WILL HE GET 7 SEATS FROM????
@Please, Money has been taking the place of God in these islands for sometime now; but its not going to stand. The same God who was with us during the worst hurricane experience in history, with hardly any loss of life, (just a warning), the same God will redeem us from the Exploitation of the most corrupt government of the BVIs. There is simply no lower for us to go. Imagine a tiny 60 sq miles of islands with a population of an average size company outside of the BVIs over the last several years earning hundreds of millions a year income yet our country is broke and hardly any better off than Haiti, while we are back in the height of another hurricane season and senior citizens like the lady I talked to just this afternoon; now at her 88th year, her roof still off with a single pallet of T111 covered over in her yard. The $250.00 she normally receives monthly from government hasn’t been received in months. Why, her government wasted taxpayers moneys on Million dollar walls, $7-million dollars airline that can’t be found anywhere, $40-million hijacked out of the Treasury on a grossly over run Pier Extension, and these Legacy-less thought-they-were politicians are here still talking about Representing Us. Represent Us who? God is still in control. Mark my words.
God is not a Sleeper (^/\^)
A few months or weeks before a general election, government should be taking only routine actions to 1)protect life and property and 2)deliver basic services. Major legislations, especially major financial expenditures, should be punted to the next government. Major financial expenditures, if done, should require at least 80% of HOA members’ approval. Of course, genuine emergencies, not manufactured emergencies, should be addressed at any time.
Is this law written somewhere? If so, please share where it can be found with us.
Thanks
I agree with Fahie 100%. The NDP had 8yrs to pass some of these needed legislation like Consumer Protection and laws to protect we the people from abuse from the banks and insurance companies and they did absolutely NOTHING!!!
So nothing good happened in the BVI for 8 years huh?
work have to be done and it will be done. Everything is political. that’s just today’s world. its political for you to say that out in the public so that when it happen you would have already said it. smart. !!!
So … he’s basically saying, damned if they do, and damned if they don’t!
The few Fahie haters can rest their fingers because the majority of persons in the BVI agrees with what he’s saying. This government had all the time in the world to pass laws to protect their people but they didn’t until probably now that it is election time.
Well said Hon. Fahie. Good job.
This —-self is an idiotic gimmick.
What a ridiculous statement. Never thought he was too b—- and this is one instance which highlights his m—— d——.
Is it true that only idiots run for office in the BVI is it really a matter of only idiots electing idiots in the BVI?
I know that I speak for the majority of people in the BVI when I say that we resent your ignorant statement and you need to go to h**l.
fahie call these bills meaningless laws that shows how much he cares about us the people stop playing politics my brother we wanted those bills for years even under the previous administration and we couldn’t get them thank you ndp for having the balls to bring them to the table