Premier hopeful Order in Council will be lifted after deadlines met

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley stands beside Governor Daniel Pruce during his (Pruce’s) swearing-in ceremony on January 29, 2024. (Photo by Andre ‘Shadow’ Dawson.)

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has expressed hope that the threat of a United Kingdom (UK) Order in Council would be lifted once some Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommended governance reforms have been implemented in the coming weeks.

In the wake of UK Overseas Territories (OTs) Minister David Rutley’s visit, Premier Wheatley announced new measures that would allow his government to accelerate the governance reform process to meet a revised May 2024 implementation deadline.

However, Premier Wheatley shared that some reforms would go past the May deadline since they will require constitutional amendments that will not be in place by that time. 

“We’ve set out that the majority of them will be done by the May 31 deadline and I should be clear, I’m only speaking about the ones for which the elected government is responsible. Those under the governor’s group, I have not given timelines for those. They will have to update on when those would be completed,” Dr Wheatley said.

Given that some of the reforms will remain outstanding at the end of the May deadline, Premier Wheatley was questioned about whether the Order in Council will still be lifted under those circumstances.

“This was the deadline set out — I believe it was [by] Minister Goldsmith when he was Minister of the OTs — and I would hope that once we fulfil our obligations, that would still be the case,” Dr Wheatley said. 

Action Plan

Following Minister Rutley’s visit, seven specific actions were identified for closure.

He pointed out that the Amendment to the Jury Act, which hinges on constitutional changes, and actions related to declarations of interests and contracting policies for House of Assembly Members, are addressed within another recommendation and the Constitutional Review. Additionally, Dr Wheatley disclosed that an action concerning legislative amendments tied to the Statutory Board Policy is closed, pending approval.

Premier Wheatley noted that someone will be appointed to assist with ensuring that everyone who has to deliver actions can be held accountable so that the government can stay on track with the deadlines. He added that this will allow for a greater degree of collaboration with other actors, including the Governor and his team.

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