Veteran legislators against governor delivering Throne Speech
Third District Representative Julian Fraser has come out against the delivery of the traditional Speech from the Throne delivered by the Governor.
Speaking during the First Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HOA), the veteran legislator questioned the commonalities that bonded legislators and remarked about its absence in the Governor.
“Seventeen of us here. Look at us, what do we have in common? What do the 17 of us have in common? But no, you have a Speech from the Throne and somebody else have to come up there and give it [who] has nothing in common with us,” Fraser said.
“You’re comfortable with this?“ he asked.
Fraser was one of several legislators who were keen to emphasise that the speech was the government’s agenda and not that of the governor.
But he wasn’t the only legislator against the antiquated system of the throne speech being delivered by the Queen’s representative.
Fourth District Member Mark Vanterpool also commented on the antiquatedness of the traditional address, calling for it to be discontinued.
He pointed out that the Speech from the Throne is, in fact, not the Governor’s speech, but is the Premier’s agenda for the territory as prepared by the government of the day, but delivered by the Governor as has always been done traditionally.
Vanterpool said he was keen on ensuring that the wrong impression wasn’t given that the throne speech represented what the governor wants for the country instead of what the government of the day wants for the country.
“I personally don’t believe that this tradition should be maintained, I wish that it wasn’t the case and I will say that publicly,” he stated.
“The Premier of the country, the leader of the government needs to present his agenda for the country,” Vanterpool added.
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Well, if you don’t like how the UK handles things you can push for a referendum on independence and see where that gets you Gentlemen!
If the people vote to give you more power over everything through independence, you’ll get your wish. If not, things will continue to run as the UK wishes.
Simple – right?
Sounds racist to me
@Pandoras Box: Every National should aspire to be free and independent. Every BVI Patriot should aspire for BVI independence.
I think that’s a very valid statement, let’s have a referendum and get this put to bed once and for all. However, after what the COI exposed I don’t see the likes of Fraser wanting to go down the referendum road any time soon, so, perhaps that will be one of the first dictates in the oncoming COI report.
And how likely is a vote for independence after what came out during the CoI? Who wants to turn into Haiti!
…and while we’re changing antiquated things please ask the Honourable (?!?) and Esteemed (?!?) one to stop flopping around in that ridiculous wig.
Frazer is a born hater of xpats white and black. He will grow really old been one and he will die been one..Thank God He is irrelevant…
Agreed
Racism is the new bvi love…
and you will very quickly realise how many BVIslanders are sick and tired of the tiefing BVI politicians..
Frazer is always sticking up for the people when some are afraid to. hes not disrespectful but he wont lay down without pointing out what he thinks is not right. If we’re part of england in a age of equality I dont see why they cant appoint a minister to give the speech.
independence with what?the bvi is far from ready for that.ok.
It is a speech from The Throne. The Queen! The VI is a Terrirory of the UK of which the Queen is the Head of State. Who votes for these idiots.
You and me brudda
A lot of the taxpayers who actually pay tax don’t get to vote. That is one of the main reasons the BVI governments have been allowed to achieve so little with the hundreds of millions of annual revenue the BVI government has had since 1984. What do we have to show for it? Terrible education and training levels for most BVIislanders so we have all the expats; and terrible infrastructure.
Built on the backs of the expat
The right to vote is a fundamental right of citizens of a country so you cannot expect to have the same rights of a BVI Citizen simply because you pay taxes. As a matter of fact I do not know of one country that grant all taxpayers the right to vote.
The BVI’s infrastructural development is poor because of poor political decisions.
The BVI is alot of thing but if you are living here you have a right to respect the rights of its citizens and any laws developed to protect those rights.
a lot of the people who vote for the member for the 3rd district do not pay taxes here, or even live here!
And that is not your concern, they have a right to vote and you don’t.
The thing is that, this man has been in office for years, he never mention nothing like that, all of a sudden he against it, well the next throne speech, please let fraser read it.
Fraser take a seat
So they don’t want the Governor… the REPRESENTATIVE of the QUEEN… to give the speech… the speech from the throne…. the THRONE OF THE QUEEN…
man we elect a set a j@k@$$ man….
this should not even matter since it will carry the same weight.
If it was your bow tie bossom buddy Myron you will think 3 times before calling him an idiot but because he out everyone else is an idiot.
The biggest idiot is you voting for them. Just saying.
I think the local governmental system is finished, the people have seen the drawn out circus of local politicians being made to look ridiculous under interrogation via the COI, and, as a number of people have opined, let’s take a referendum on independence.
after the number that was platted on him , one can understand his wacky his style / hey ? let’s not forget trump / boris and the latest kid on BLOCK ,wigo the esteemed , the greatest ORATOR to ever controll the HOA
@BVI, You are talking about being independent, The VIP government is killing the tourist industry, they believe that the cruise ship business will keep the industry going they are so wrong. The bareboat and crewed yacht charters are the real business, but you have customers out there every week messing with the tourist, this is not going to end well if they don’t stop it. If we were to go independent the trust companies will be gone because they know there will be no stability in the BVI and you would have already chased away the tourist. China will replace the UK so we will never be independent.
What would China want? I don’t think they’d bother with BVI. They’re in other bigger islands in the Caribbean. It would just be organized crime til the US shut it down.
Frazer is black how can he be racist? Can he oppress people and enslave them and promote white supremacy?
has he raped our forparents and enslave black people?
How can a black person be racist?
Perhaps if he or she was prejudiced against or antagonistic towards a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.
Neither Fraser nor anyone alive raped your foreparents and he may or may not enslave black people but to the great shame of the human race a great deal of slavery still exists today.
If the agenda reflects the intentions of the local government, I agree that it should be read by the leader of the local government. The speech from the throne should reflect the agenda of the UK government and that should be read by the queen’s representative.
You do know that in the U.K. it works the same way? The elected government writes the agenda but it is read by the Queen, who has no part in drafting it. It is part of her duties as the head of state just like it it is the governor’s duty here.