Validation bill could’ve been resolved discretely — Wheatley
Amidst the Belongership brouhaha that overshadowed proceedings during yesterday’s House of Assembly (HOA) sitting, Ninth District Representative, Vincent Wheatley, said he felt strongly that the entire affair could have been resolved in a much more private fashion.
The issue of lawmakers being recalled to the HOA to validate the status of 688 Belongers created a new talking point on the campaign trail. However, Wheatley expressed that lawmakers were being asked to address a very real problem and said he agreed with Governor John Rankin in trying to put the issue to rest.
“To put people and to politicise this, it’s very distasteful. It’s very distasteful to make people feel like somehow something sinister went on [or that] something foul went on…” Wheatley said.
Wheatley pointed to a report being tabled in the HOA on the review of lawmakers’ discretionary powers and said there was nothing illegal about this power, despite the fact that some might feel differently. “It might not be what some persons call good governance or whatever you want to call it, but it’s not illegal,” Wheatley commented.
He continued: ”I have the discretion to choose. It’s not illegal, but to make it seem like something was intentional … and then you come back now and want to shake up and affect the election; no, that is wrong. I think that is wrong and I agree with [Julian Fraser] when he said, this should have been settled in a more discrete manner.
Public debacle
He further argued that the issue was not simply about the Virgin Islands Party and whether they could survive after the upcoming general elections beyond the perceived debacle, but about people’s lives and how they fit into a community they can now rightly call their own.
“It didn’t have to be no public debacle where [House] members could get up in here, pontificating on all sort of stuff on a issue that was so necessary. It is important that when we are discussing these kinds of complex issues, we leave the emotions outside this House here,” he stated.
Not ignorance
Wheatley dismissed suggestions by opponents that the issue was caused by ignorance of the law and reiterated that nothing illegal was done in making the oversight that caused the issue.
“If you’re going to say that for anybody to be in Cabinet, they must be versed in the law, then half the country can’t run for office,” Wheatley argued. “In our democracy, anybody should be allowed to run for office, once they’re qualified. You shouldn’t be a lawyer to be in Cabinet. What kind of democracy that would be? That’s why we have the technocrats.”
Although several observers have commented that there was no advance warning about the House sitting before last Friday, Governor Rankin signalled one week earlier that he would be forced to make several unreleased reports public if the government had not done so ahead of the elections.
Those reports have since been released to the public with the holding of yesterday’s extraordinary HOA sitting.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Hon Wheatley appeared to be a star in Government and was a star in VG until he got powerful and began to use his power and open his mouth for all to hear. Talk about staying quiet and allowing people to continue to believe you have sense. Talk about missing the point. Just wow.
In other words…lets throw all this transparency nonsense under the bus!
Politicians fixing up their significant others
This man is so n**ty even when faced with all the facts all he can do is lie, lie, lie. Good riddance to all of the VIP on Monday.
just went through 4 years with the worst person in BVI history representing them in the HOA. His political end is near.
That is exactly how we ended up in this position in the first place!! Yall too “discrete”
Sick of yall!
Are these the words of a current politician? Unbelievable. No wonder he is a member of the VIP Government. It is a public affair, not a oppsie daisy hush hush mistake (more like corruption) secret affair.
He has learned NOTHING. AWAY WITH HIM AND HIS PARTY! How can the blind lead?
Now you full well know it’s not just about those Validation its also about the crown Lands and other things in the report. Why should something so serious be fixed behind closed doors.
Politician wants to keep fixing an error, private …well fancy that?? What could possibly go wrong with that approach….
Lets get rid of the VIPERS nest.
this is the problem. y’all like too hide things too damn much!!!!
JUST like it was done discretely!!! Set of VIPERS
This man suffers from Hoof and Mouth Disease.
All the time, every time he will put his out in his mouth.
There is no cure for his condition. He needs to rendered unusable and discarded.
HE DRINKS TOO MUCH DEVIL SOUP
They are all still scared of Fahie. Nobody has mentioned that the previous AG probably did give the correct legal advice, but it was ignored by Fahie for the benefit of his fast track agenda.
Those status will always be questionable and DeFacto. They were obtained by fraud and misrepresentation. B**ch Now.
The bloggers out there, particularly those from news organizations that are against Hon V. Wheatley, may find it frustrating that despite their attempts to disparage him the people of VG who see him as a hard-working representative looking out for their interests, will vote for him again. I have also observed that some of the more defamatory accusations have disappeared. Come Monday night your heads will explode , who will be drinking then .
Mr. Man wanted to keep this secret just like how he wanted to keep the Rapist belonger status a secret but the COI exposed them. I hope the Human smuggling in BVI for hefty gains will also soon become public.
Ya’ll think we don’t know?
Im from the 9th and you do not speak for me. I will cook rice grains one at a time before I ever vote for this xen***obic mo**n again.
Well we’ll
This man is serious
Of all that has happened he opened his mouth to make such a statement
Perhaps he had in a Mout Gay
This is unbelievable
More reason for the entire VIP team to go
Shameful
Governor take over this place if VIP and PVIM goes back