Premier says Opposition owes House Speaker an apology
After successfully having the motion of no confidence against him removed from the order paper of the current sitting House of Assembly, Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley now says that members of the Opposition owe Speaker of the House Corine George-Massicote an apology.
Premier Wheatley had objected to the motion being placed on the paper, arguing that the Opposition did not follow proper procedure. Speaker George-Massicote upheld that objection, which Dr Wheatley described as a just ruling.
But in a statement on Thursday, September 5, the Premier condemned the Opposition’s behaviour ahead of the Speaker’s ruling, indicating it was unfair to the Speaker.
“Mature leadership is respectful to others, especially when they are not at fault,” Dr. Wheatley said. “I believe that the Honourable Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition and all Opposition members owe the Honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly an apology for pre-empting her ruling, for walking out of the House while the Honourable Speaker was in the Chair and attempting to deliver her ruling, and for the direct and indirect casting of aspersions against her integrity by their statements and conduct, and that of their agents. Certainly, a higher standard of conduct is expected from the government in waiting and the Premier in waiting,” Wheatley stated.
He argued that as “vanguards of law and order,” one cannot cast aspersions and blame innocent persons while they are at fault.
What the Opposition said
Wheatley’s objections relating to the motion had sparked frustration from the Opposition, with Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn accusing the Premier of playing politics and attempting to delay the motion for personal advantage.
“It’s a bad day for democracy and it’s a bad precedent being set in this House,” Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn remarked.
At an Opposition press conference later that afternoon, Walwyn said, “I have the greatest respect for the Speaker. I think she’s doing an awesome job as Speaker and whatever her ruling is on the matter—whether we agree with it or not—her ruling has to stand and that’s all I would say on the matter.”
Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton said at the same press conference that after hearing the Speaker’s rationale for upholding the Premier’s objections, he believed the Speaker did the right thing in removing the motion from the order paper.
The Opposition is able to reintroduce the motion at a subsequent sitting.
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If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Now what? Waste a bunch of time whining about this?
I never once heard the speaker suggest that the opposition was rude to her. She is called speaker. She could speak for herself. Go do your work Natalio from talking talking. You were on Tola radio some nights ago acting like a deranged person. I’m ashamed to say that you’re our Premier.
@joker stop hiding and use your name if you feel so ashame.
Respond if you may with the truth
This is ludicrous!!! the Speaker obviously don’t know her job. She is in charge of the House. On the Order Paper is Government business and Private Members business!! She vets the paper and it is printed by her office. So she obviously was aware. If the procedure was improper why did she allow it to go on the Order Paper in the first place… just saying. NO apology owed. All ah them… the whole House … is a bunch of wags.
No Sir, it is you and your entire Government that owes the people of this Country an apology. Your petty narcissism, while destroying everything you touch has the people here at a point and state that I have never seen before.
In the past, we all knew the bull$hit going on, but all were being fed, so the mob was calm. Yes, a few were greedy, and the few still are, but mostly we all just went about our business so long as we were being fed.
However, now, there is a tension, an anger, and a frustration I have never seen or felt before. There’s always been a tolerance or acceptance for the stuff that goes on in the dark, but not anymore. It is almost like if one, or two more dominoes happen to fall, or a major storm sweeps over this territory, then all hell is about to break loose!!
So, get off your high horse, because things are at are long past a breaking point and the tension can be cut with a knife, Honourable Premier.
The incompetence across the board is staggering and soul destroying!
I could type more, but even I feel myself getting angry just typing what I have so far ………..
Well said!
Well played Premier…Well played. Rub his nose in it.
The fact is the Speaker accepted the improperly addressed and routed correspondence without issue or informing the sender. This actually was not her responsibility in any case to inform him of his mistake but clearly the sole responsibility of the sender. He is required to ensure that he properly routed and addressed his submission. You are correct. The Speaker is not members’ secretary or administrative assistant.
To drive the nail straight in you should add the need for competence and diligence to properly read and understand the standing orders…Rofl
Defeating a vote of no confidence on a technicality is arguably cowardly and certainly nothing to be proud of.
If there are genuine concerns about the Premier’s performance (which there certainly seem to be) he should put his big boy pants on and face them like an adult.
It is a cowardly low dodge. However Ronnie snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by failing to read the standing orders. He wrapped it in a bow and presented on a platter for the Premier. The motion is timely, well written, and the desire of a large proportion of the population. Ronnie’s missteps are unforgivable but Premier played his hand and quashed the Motion and the democratic process on a technicality. I hope we remember this specific point when we go to the polls and especially voters in the 7th district.
Very true! If only there was a lawyer in the opposition who they could run things like this past…
SHE SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR THE BLUNDER
The speaker should be booooted!!!
Issues aside, the Premier is a lot smarter than people give him credit for. Hopefully with the COI recommendation work almost out the way, they can get on with running this Territory. There is A LOT to be done for us as locals/residents and then to prepare to accept thousands of visitors from the end of October onwards.
INCOMPETENCE, INCOMPETENCE, INCOMPETENCE!!!!!!!
You Mr.Premier owes the people of the Territory a PSA apology for all the S that you have and is putting us through on a daily basis. How do you sleep at nights mannnn?
So tell me Premier, how does it feel to know the Territory has turned and is turning against you each day.
Our government owes we, the people, an apology for not delivering as promised.
A great disappointment they are, causing most of us to lose hope.
The house of cards is slowly toppling Slowande.
Look at goosie Lucy sitting there with her nose all turned up like yeah, look at meeeeee I’m the teachers favorite pet.
So who the H are you or do you think you are dude. The speaker have a mouth and don’t you think if an apology is needed the speaker should be the one to say such? One of the problems with you dude is you have to be up in everything you controlling narcissistic egotistical………..stay in your lane dude.
BVI and inhabitants,in general, are not familiar with apologies and admissions of guilt no matter how evident.
# 1 Example
Former Premier the convicted low as you can go criminal..
Not one breath of apology to his victims,the peoples of these VI, including those that are unalive as a result and means of his incandescent life,and those who live daily with heartache and grief.
Purely demonic,such folks!
BOI YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE /YOU ARE JUDMSR JEALOUS ,IF YOU WERE STILL OUR WANNABE SPEAKER ? WHAT WOULD YOU OF
DONE ? ? ? ■ YOU NEED TO STAY ON YOUR YELLO SITE AKA THE RACIST
SITE , THAT IS SPECIALISIZED IN SPEWING B OUT, HATE SND EVILNESS
Hey Wheatley poo, while in the UK next week, make sure to fill up on bangers and mash and don’t forget to go on a pub crawl to find the best fish and chips. lol.
People would prefer to get a hand chop off or a fist jam down their throats than apologize or admit when they are wrong. Perhaps they need to start chopping hands off and jamming fists down throats in order to get a person to apologize or admit when they are wrong.
And exactly what it is that Goosie Lucy does????? that we are paying her for?????? sitting there with her nose all turned up trying to look all prissy like she is above everyone else. Goosie Lucy get to cracking and do some real work to earn you pay or you will get toss off the farm.Farmers don’t like slackers.
I hope Ronnie highlights this undemocratic move by the Premier on the campaign trail
Both parties owes the people of the bvi and apology for all the nonsense y’all did wasting tax payers money on everything but improving the quality of life in the country. Things should be getting easier for harder.
The opposition should have submitted the thing properly bottom line. Yes it was cowardly to fight it down on some nonsense technicality but it wouldn’t have been possible if they had submitted it correctly. A motion of no confidence against the government is a big deal you would think they would have paid more attention to the rules and handled it properly.
well we have a genius of the third who should of made the wannabe opposition leader, award of what i ymthe ridht procedures that has to be followed – or did skelie acted alone ❓️ we are begining to wonder after the so called ( walk out) why did the genius returned ❓️ IS this another episode of whats 2 come •¿•
well we have a genius of the third who should of made the wannabe opposition leader, award of what i
ymthe ridht procedures that has to be followed – or did skelie acted alone ❓️ we are begining to
wonder after the so called ( walk out) why did the genius returned ❓️ IS this another episode of
whats 2 come •¿•