What happened when Skelton met with former Governor Rankin?
Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton has revealed that he had to back down when he tried to make a good case for the government during a private meeting with former Governor John Rankin before he left the territory last month.
When Rankin initially threatened to seek additional powers over the BVI, Skelton said he met with the UK representative and tried to show him that there were measures that could taken before seeking additional powers.
During those discussions, Skelton said he pointed out that the Opposition was not aware that the Governor’s Office was having a major issue with the progress the Natalio Wheatley-led administration was making with the COI reforms.
Skelton also told Rankin that if the Opposition were made aware, they would have had a discussion with the government in an effort to speed up the implementation process.
But according to Skelton, his efforts were shot down when Governor Rankin pulled out evidence which showed that it was the government’s responsibility to keep the Opposition informed — something they had failed to do.
After being shown the evidence that the government was indeed at fault, Skelton said he had to retreat.
“He (Rankin) pulled out the framework agreement and showed me that there is supposed to be a committee of the House to look after the implementation of the COI recommendations. I was extremely surprised, so I had to back off of my position,” Skelton told the House of Assembly yesterday.
That reform committee, which the elected government promised to form in 2022, was officially announced yesterday — mere weeks after the former governor threatened to impose additional powers over the elected government.
The committee is made up of both government and opposition members and will give the House of Assembly regular updates on how the COI implementation process is tracking, giving all elected leaders a chance to weigh in and identify possible issues.
While announcing that the committee has now been formed, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley did not give a good reason for the long delay. He simply said the committee was constituted in the last session of the House but had to be reconstituted since a new session was now underway.
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Now you all understand that your government is not doing as much as it can do and hiding what they want from who they want.
Yet we want to blame Rankin for our own foolishness. How long did the premier know this committee is to be formed? He simply did not want the accountability and oversight. If he really understood that ultimately he will give an account to God for his stewardship over these islands, he wouldn’t be playing around with that position he is in. Haven’t you all seen by now that those people (UK) do not make decisions quickly, they ALWAYS ALWAYS have their receipts.
Our government playing checkers in a chess game. They will lose no matter how you turn it, because they cannot see their own ignorance and wilfullness is being used against them. And who will suffer? the people, but God forbid, may I never suffer under the hands of these people that we have elected as leaders.
You kidding me right now Mr. Skeleton.
I can not believe that our own government has been lying and dragging their feet yet loom over our heads the order in council. It’s almost as if the Premier and current government wants the constitution suspended. What else could be the reason for forming a committee almost two years after promising to do so?
Yet we can approve and get a free party in no time, shame on them.
…Thank Ronniefor coming clean
Ronnie its cheaper you remained silent on this one. You are the Leader of the Opp and it took the Governor to show you the framework document and what is contained? You ran for elected office, with the possibility of being Premier and you didnt do any research into the COI and requirements? Even after being elected 8 months ago you had no clue? Do yoh realizw how shameful that must have looked to the Governor to hear a seasoned politician and leader of the opp plead ignorance? I really dont know anymore!
The point is that S!0w W@nde and the A$$ Clown Brigade have not acted on any of this information. They are in power and charged to act. What kinda stupid are they in stead of acting they spending time trying to charge up the public like some kind of pawn on a chess board they are playing to try and avoid accountability.
The problem isn’t Ronnie. The problem is S!0w W@nde and his A$$ C!0wn Brigade would rather spin a narrative that the people should take to the streets like we are some kind of pawn and be travelling up and down the globe with no true plan than rather actually govern. What kind of stupid are they
Why didn’t Hon. Skelton know about this committee? Was the requirement for it hidden somewhere? While I have utmost respect for Hon. Skelton, it’s hard to believe the requirement for such an important committee would be a secret. Our opposition members need to do their due diligence, so they know how to hold the Government of the day accountable!
I hear your point but consider this. Not even some of the very public officers are knowlegeable of the timetable/deadlines given to these reforms. I still ask who all were involved when the timeframes were proposed, because truth be told the technocrats were not consulted. The timeframe became known to you if at all after the fact.
So its not surprising that he Ronnie didn’t know about the committee. But to add to that how long since they have been in have they not been trying to get the Premier to allow them to form PAC?
Better yet, this same review committee that should have been established would have more than likely been comprised of “unity government” members and others. So I think a more important question would be was what work if any was done by the past members. And if none was done, disclose who those past members were and have them give account for their failure to ensure things were moving on.
You all must remember it has some of the same actors from the last four years just sitting in different seats and sides now, so while you do want to claim if some is incompetent why they run, why not answer the question of if those you have been reelected having failed to perform, how you so willing to give them a hard pass????
Did the past ones now serving as opposition have a lack of integrity strength and courage? Yes. Is it that all of these politicians are A$……
The thing is, when you get sworn in, every day that you do nothing to advance this issue, you know full well that it must be done and you mislead the public, it becomes more of your responsibility. Bottom line is that the hat sits on S!0w W@nde and the rest of the A$$ C!0wns sitting in the current government
You mean to say the Opposition don’t have the initiative to request pertinent information from the Government. Especially on crucial issues like the COI? VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE OPPOSITION.
If they cannot even get written responses to the questions asked in the HOA, you think that kind of information would be forthcoming? We have a reactionary society in general, and so too the Government acts.
Just another illustration, how long has that stretch by UPs Cineplex up to the gas station had those major potholes? According to the minister for works they now have a functioning asphalt plant, but lo and behold it was patched yesterday “coincidentally”. Same stretch where the late Carvin Malone’s casket is to be lifted by officers on to the Complex. Can’t make this shit up.
This shows most of them only contest elections for POWER and why the Governor is sick of them. I am no big fan of the Governor or the UK but you cannot defend nonsense. Where is Mather? Mitch? Fraser? Marlon? You are telling me you guys held big Press Conference castigating Sowande and none of you mentioned the situation with respect to committees and the requirements under the COI framework document? If you are not educated about the systems and what is required to lead the Territory, why are you in those seats? It’s the pension? I am baffled and ashamed.
If you listened to the same said press conference you are alluding to you would have heard Ronnie say that somethings are “privileged” between the “Government and the Governor”. So contrary to public perception they as Opposition Members are no more informed nor have access to information than US as ordinary citizens.
If that happened to me I wouldn’t have repeated that to anybody.
What this says is that S!0w W@nder and that 70yr old Wonder, Luarna in the Corna, and their colleagues by extension are either really incompetent or flat out stupid. That’s being generous. In the case of the Reform Committee, the S!0w One agreed to set it up in the framework document, you know the one we have been asking that they make public since the beginning. Then Luarna in the Corna withholding preliminary details of the assessment that can help stakeholders start preparing in order to meet standards is also an example of gravest incompetence as financial services is our life line.
YOU STILL JOINED THE BIG YOUTH AND BOYCUTTED THE GOVERNOR’S DEPARTURE •¿• / DO YOU REALIZE HOW WISE THAT MAKES YOU AND THOSE OTHER ARISTOCRATS ON THE OPPOSITION SIDE LOOK / BUT YOU HAVE SAID THAT THE
(COI) HAS CAUSED RETARDATION / THE 3RD DISTRICT EMPEROR HAS SAID HE WANTS TO NCHASE DOWN THE ( COI ) AND YOU ALL DON’T EVEN SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT REALLY WENT DOWN WITH OR IN THE ( COI) THAT ALONE TELLS US THAT NONE OF YOU HAS ANY INTEGRITY . ITS ALL ABOUT POWER , BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
The rationale as you set out doesn’t make any sense. The sitting government has the responsibility to follow this through ie set up the reform committee and they didn’t until Tonnie brought this up with Rankin when he was leaving
This proves the complete incompetence of the Slow one and his brigade. Leader of the opposition will you now bring a motion of no confidence in these clowns? The people need it
We are in a time when unofficial meetings about official government issues cause distrust. The ability to strategize hinges on who is seeking power – Is the power for country above self or self (special interest groups)above country? Politics requires morally bankrupt individuals to make strange bedfellows, who will know when to negotiate in order to leverage for opportunities to fill their egotistic needs.
The very composition and selection process of local government fails to improve our ability to build a better BVI for residents and visitors. There are too many ministers and not enough efficiently managed systems, departments, resources and programs. We elect so many, yet so few make critical decisions, and all the responsibility/blame lies with one. Voters expect answered prayers from persons with over-sized egos, a need for gossip and greed for power in a pissing match trying to discredit and criticize each other to appear as superheroes who can do the job best.
While this provides material for chit chat, important social, educational, infrastructural, economical, developmental and psychological conditions continue to decline.
We need a vote of no confidence in Natalio. He is playing too many games with our future