Premier puzzled over Opposition’s ‘obsession’ with Trinidad consultant

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has expressed bewilderment over Opposition members’ fixation on the nationality of one of the government’s political advisors, calling it unnecessary and irrelevant to the issue at hand.

Speaking during a debate in the House of Assembly, Dr Wheatley addressed criticisms from the Opposition regarding a consultant from Trinidad who had been advising the government.

He pointed out that this focus on nationality was unhelpful and emphasised the importance of assessing a person’s contribution based on their expertise and service to the Virgin Islands.

“I really do not know what the obsession is with Trinidad. When they (the Opposition) were in office, they had a Trinidadian man by the name of Winston Wilson as a consultant,” Premier Wheatley said. He added that Wilson had been paid approximately $405,000 during his tenure.

Earlier in the debate, Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn accused the Premier of reading from text messages sent to his phone by his Trinidadian advisor as he dictated terms of the government’s $100 million loan resolution.

He accused the Premier of giving the Opposition insufficient information for the debate and for not demonstrating how the government could service the loan it sought. “What did the Premier do? No documents at all before us. And then you look up at him on his cell phone,” Walwyn said. “Reading out what he’s going to do or the products he intends to do with the loan. From his cell phone. A Minister of Finance. The Trinidad man send a text and he gets up and he read the text from his cell phone.”

They hired foreigners too

However, Premier Wheatley shot back, noting that the Opposition, when in power, had also engaged foreign consultants, pointing out the apparent inconsistency in their current stance. “I really do not know what is the obsession with Trinidad. There is some type of obsession with Trinidad that I just cannot understand. Those who are on the other side, when they were in office, they had a Trinidadian man,” he remarked.

Dr Wheatley firmly rejected the notion that the nationality of consultants should be a key concern. “If persons, regardless of where they are from, can offer service to the people of the Virgin Islands and do something in favour of the people of the Virgin Islands, I don’t think we need to focus so much on their nationality all the time,” he added.

The Premier took the opportunity to remind the House that the Virgin Islands has always been a welcoming place for people from all walks of life and that individuals who choose to live and work in the territory should be treated with respect. “Here in the Virgin Islands, we are welcoming people. And all persons who come here to live among us, let’s respect them and work together with them to build a better Virgin Islands.”