Premier urges ‘grain of salt’ in reading Rankin’s progress reports
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has sprinkled a dash of scepticism over the unflattering quarterly progress reports issued by Governor John Rankin in recent months.
The reports, which have been assessing the government’s implementation of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommended reforms, accuse the government of showing little signs of progress in completing some of the reforms.
But Premier Wheatley, while appearing on the Talking Points show yesterday, March 13, pushed back on that assertion, arguing that when looked at in totality, his government has achieved much progress regarding the reforms.
On the issue of missed reform deadlines, Premier Wheatley said this has been a challenge for both the Governor’s Office as well as his Unity Government, commenting that these deadlines have been missed for good reasons.
“It’s important also to note that the governor has missed deadlines under his areas of responsibility,” he said. “It’s not highlighted as much in his report as the areas where we are behind as an elected government.”
He continued: “So, we should read the reports with a grain of salt because there are areas under the governor where there have been clearly missed deadlines.”
“Of course, the governor has a responsibility to try to keep us on our toes, so he’s always gonna point out areas that he believes that we can improve,” the premier added.
Weaknesses in the law
Meanwhile, in responding to the issue of processing delays, specifically with residency and Belongership applications, Premier Wheatley said this has to do with some of the same areas mentioned in the COI report.
The Premier pointed to what he described as the COI report’s focus on ‘weaknesses in the law’, including instances which have shown a gulf between the law and the government’s policy on Belongership applications.
The territory’s leader also argued that the administrative processes are so slow that the government ends up having to do ‘fast track’ approvals. He contended that part of this challenge lay squarely at the feet of the governor, who has overall responsibility for the public service workforce.
According to the Premier, the Attorney General’s Chambers had many comments that the Immigration Department and Immigration Board had to process for the review to move forward. He suggested these included some of the same weaknesses identified in the COI.
“We have to make sure we get the process right, we have to make sure we get the process correct; make sure that we adhere to the existing law,” Premier Wheatley said. “It’s important for us to have a clear, transparent process and have a certain level of accountability in the process and that’s what we are working to do.”
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
talk, talk.
Always talk. Look at the reality, Mr. Premier.
HOA dissolved and he still speaking trash!
List your actual achievements Wheatley. It won’t take long.
Fahies poodle who did zero when left on his own other than criticise the Auditor Generals exposure of his total incompetence at Education where ordinary kids had no classrooms while the children of a small number of the elite were given extraordinary amounts of money with no criteria applied.
$104,000 to the son of one of his fellow VIP politicians.
Boot him out
Recycled news. Must be a slow day or somebody looking points.
maybe you should lay off on the ‘recreational activities’ a little bit..
BELONGERSHIP…..no where in the Immigration and Passport Act mentions that word ….Will the responsible ones fix that please. There’s NO excuse to being irresponsible.
Your government’s only defense every single time is to point to where the Gov or UK has fell short? Man stop that petty nonsense and own up to your own shortcomings. Focus on you and where you went wrong! We elected you not the governor!
“The British are coming”.
Who are the public officials that received grants during the pandemic claiming to be fishermen or farmers? Who??
Premier – you have a huge plank in your eye, so deal with your own failings before commenting on a perceived mote in another person’s.
Be gone and go back to whatever you did before to earn an honest dollar.
When the real people who were struggling needed help and asked certain officials…they were turned away,but they turn around and helped their friends and families…..SMH
Watch his face good, laughing up with the governor…the same governor who they claim is racist and coming to take over. Some people will smile in your face and stab you behind your back.
until the last 2 weeks.
What a shame the (once) Honorable Wheatley has chosen to play politics as usual.
The state of our politics and the future of the Territory are now up for grabs because this man that I (and many others) trusted has chosen to play re election games over the determintion and integrity we thought we saw.
I am sad.
I would love to see that List.
You can stuff your pathetic whataboutisms, Mr. Premier. So what if the governor also missed deadlines? YOU’RE THE PREMIER. What part of being accountable to the people do you not understand?