‘The confused one went purple’! Wheatley takes dig at Pickering
An early blow has been struck in what appears to be the nascent stages of campaigning for the BVI’s constitutionally due general elections next year.
On the eve of former Deputy Premier, Dr Kedrick Pickering’s expected announcement that he will return to active politics, Seventh District Representative Dr Natalio Wheatley seized the opportunity to take a thinly-veiled jab at Dr Pickering.
The post of Seventh District Representative was previously held by Dr Pickering for nearly twenty years. He also served in the former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) administration as Minister of Natural Resources & Labour between 2011 and 2019.
Mockery
In an appearance on the March 5 edition of the Virgin Islands Party Let’s Talk radio programme, Dr Wheatley openly mocked the dysfunction that characterised the NDP government near the end of the party’s time in office. He argued that the former administration left the country without leadership at a critical time.
“The storms were in September 2017 and from that point up until the elections in February 2019, the previous administration was paralysed,” Dr Wheatley stated.
“They just couldn’t get anything going at all,“ he continued. “And the reason for that is that they were greatly divided.”
“They had a big argument over the Recovery and Development Agency. They had a piece of legislation that they just couldn’t pass in the House of Assembly,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Wheatley argued that it was a fact that the NDP needed the then-leader of the Opposition and now Premier, Andrew Fahie, to get their legislation passed.
“When you have a government and you can’t rely on your own government members to get legislation passed, things are bad. And basically, the whole government fell apart,“Dr Wheatley stated.
“I don’t know what to say, they just fell apart as a government and were not there to provide leadership,” he added.
The splinter
Referring to the subsequent splinter in the NDP, Dr Wheatley said, “one went blue, the other went red and the one who was confused went purple.”
When members of the former government went their separate ways, former Minister of Health Ronnie Skelton left the NDP along with Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull to form the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) which chose blue as its party colour.
Dr Pickering, who eventually ran as an independent candidate at the last election, chose purple as part of his party’s colours.
Fourth District Representative Mark Vanterpool and now Opposition Leader Marlon Penn, who remained with the NDP, were the only members of the former administration to win re-election at the 2019 polls.
According to Dr Wheatley, members of the former government are now trying to take credit for some of the legislative and other work that is being done by the governing VIP.
Whether that early blow struck by the Education Minister will amount to anything other than a proverbial shot in the dark, is now left to be determined by the electorate at the polls.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
District 7 has a problem. Dr. Pickering has been there for 20 years and we cannot see what he has done for the district over that time. Hon. Wheatley, we have been able to look at you for 3 years and we do not believe that you can make a real difference. You talk a lot but you don’t do any work. Both of you have doctoral degrees but are ineffective. The district has a problem.
The problem is people thinking another man can resolve their problems. It does not matter who is elected, people need to take personal responsibility seriously and actually genuinely show love for the Territory. The only people that should be reliant on Government are those that cannot help themselves and they are in the minority. The selfishness, entitlement and greed is what has us in a mess. A representative is not good until they dole out monies, contracts, scholarships, they are never judged on their merit. Until our mindset with respect to leadership changes, we will forever get opportunists in these seats. NO MAN CAN FIX OUR PROBLEMS!
Natalio has a Doctorial Degree (in African Studies, lol), Kedrick has a Medical Degree, he is a REAL DOCTOR!
LOL I don’t think his PHd is in African Studies actually but that was funny.
Pickering wants power and significance again but can’t help move us fwd and didn’t do much of anything when he was there, let the new blood gain experience.
Young bloods like Walters, Wheatley, Rymer, DeCastro, Smith, Penn etc need to be watered and grown instead of being replaced by old weeds.
Pickering & Skelton should consult the younger folk (regardless of party) and the young lions/lionesses should be open and willing to heed their advice.
I hope when you’re 60 you think the same way. Pickering hasn’t even reached retirement age. He got a lot more in him. Leave the man alone. Tell Natalio get things right in God and he will be just fine. Some of it is just lack of integrity. Wish them the best.
Since so many of you doc didnt do anything, why don’t ALL OF YOU RUN and let’s see how much better you can do. People always saying nothing was done…but do yall appreciate anything???? The people put a playground up east end and how do yall show appreciation??? You throw your trash everywhere, do bike stunts on the playground….the list goes on
“Dr.” Wheatley’s degree is honorary. That would mean it was given to him, not earned.
Sowande is acting real cocky and he has not performed at a good level. Myron has outshined him in the education ministry and everything else under him has been a disaster. Humble yourself and improve your performance before you go out there playing big shot.
Delusional just like his boss :s
Honourable (?!?) SoWhatsGoingOn? Has done any better?
I am a realist, and the reality is NDP was not perfect, far far from it. But VIP is like having the country run by parasites and criminals (the greedy bill, the barges, COI lawyers). We need to develop some new leaders but we need to at least get the country back on track first, and I think Dr. Pickering coming back is good for one term, and Ronnie should come too.
I want to see Myron back more than anyone else.
I am tired of recycling politicians. We keep on rewarding failure.
But that’s like employment here. Aren’t you tired of the pool of candidates? Too bad, work with what you’ve got or DIY.
This is interesting. @BVIslander. Are you insinuating that Andrew Fahie and his team are criminals? Only the court of the land can publicly call them so after finding them and being seen as having found them guilty as charged. You appear to be very specific about the crime : The greedy bill, the barges. Personally, I wont vote for VIP if indeed, they robbed the country using the Barges and COI Lawyers as you mentioned. If what you stated are facts, it then mean that they used the Barge and conduit pipe to syphon tax payers’ money. Pleaseeee provide details. Save the country…. Even if you don’t have the funds to sue, we will raise funds and you will be our hero for ages. Nevertheless, you must provide the evidence to support these allegations. If you don’t have the evidence but merely speculated, you would be no less than a wicked being with a dark soul and character assassin
Natalio good in he head? It wasn’t him who run nearly 10
times in 10 different ways before he got in? Am I missing something here? He should be glad for the split because he could not have won if that didn’t happen.
I want Pickering to take Wheatley bad bad bad …
We need a woman to run the district because those men failed
One is on her way….A woman to the rescue…A breath of fresh air in the political arena
D7 & D8 will have more horses in the gate than ANY other district!! They might be more ppl running in those 2 districts than the others plus at-large! Hope the ladies from Ports and WSD don’t sip the tainted kool-aid and thinking they have a chance!!
Sowande may not be the answer but at least he has been in office for less than a single term. What we do know for certain is that Dr. Pickering is clearly not the answer and he should be ashamed to try again. More than 2 decades in power and look at the state of his district. The man did more for sharks than the people of his district.
Indeed, the greatest benefactor of his political tenure was the caucasion, period!
That is a horrible legacy to give a people who are working through the economic, social and psychological post servitude issues..
Answer to what really? The issue that you guys have is that you think you vote for someone and they should answer the phone every time you call, give you money every time you ask, give you a contract every time you bid, give you a job every time you apply. NEWSFLASH, that is NOT how it works! People are elected to manage the affairs of the Territory, that’s it, DONE! They should be judged on where we are with infrastructure, tourism, education, transportation etc. along with standard of living. The current mentality will continue to breed greedy, self-serving, sociopathic individuals while those with the gusto to get the job done will stay way because they won’t be taken seriously by the short-sighted voting populace. *drops mic*
Ok Dr Pickering that maybe the case with some people but in your case you were voted out due to incompetence. Your district still smells and look like sewage and you have no legacy in the district other than longevity. Your name is etched in stone with every bad decision that your government made. Name your accomplishments. Being nice is not an accomplishment.
BIG LIE, that IS exactly how it works for BOTH sides of the fence. They both hire and serve their friends and cronies, PERIOD! FACTS!
Dr Pickering please continue your good obstetrics and gynecology work . stay out of politics .YOU DID NOTHING SUBSTANSIVE FOR THE BVI PEOPLE POLITICALLY AND LEGESLATIVELY. NDP WAS MORE OR LESS NON EXISTENT AS A PARTY AND GOVERNMANT AFTER HURRICANE.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR DID MORE THAN YOUR TENURE COMBINE.
A woman is needed in district 7. Not them WSD and PO and former tourist board. A real woman with backbone.
So do you want someone like the Honourable Tamia Richards – Senior Magistrate?
Can NATALIO speak about confuse? One day when he’s ready to be patriotic he identifies as NATALIO Wheatley, other times as Sowande.
Haven’t you guys noticed that the African name just disappeared during and after elections? I guess it was politically smart to drop it
The man is the worst politician in BVI History – and his NDP the worst party that ever ran for power
“The man is the worst politician in BVI History” is that a fact? Cos I would say there are several serving poiticians worse than he
Oh plz go sidung piko