What repeal? Malone says NDP helped pass ‘greedy bill’, collected benefits
Members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) — including its current Chairman, Marlon Penn and Sixth District candidate, Myron Walwyn — have vowed to partially repeal the controversial retirement bill for lawmakers, if they are re-elected to the next House of Assembly (HOA).
The two essentially argued that first-term lawmakers are not sufficiently vested in the legislature to benefit from the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Act, 2021 which residents have angrily pushed back on and decried as the ‘greedy bill’.
When he spoke at a rally last weekend for the launch of NDP candidates, Walwyn said diverting much-needed financial resources to the retirement package for lawmakers is one that should offend the national conscience of every single person in the territory.
“I have no problems with the first part of the Act which provides for the pension of legislators to be calculated on their full annual package. However, the second part of the Act is the height of political wickedness,” Walwyn argued. He explained that a three-term legislator would essentially receive in excess of $600,000 in cash by the end of three years after retiring; in addition to half of their monthly salary until their death.
According to the former Education Minister, this essentially meant that residents would be paying the salaries for two governments simultaneously – one that is working, and one that is not working.
NDP helped pass the law
But Territorial At-Large Representative Carvin Malone pushed back on what he described as duplicitous claims by the two NDP members, arguing that it was Penn who helped push the bill through the HOA for it to become law in the first place and questioned whether they would repay benefits already collected.
“Who seconded that bill?” Malone asked on the VIP Let’s Talk show earlier this week. “NDP, the NDP seconded the retirement package bill [in the HOA].”
He continued: “Who approved it? All ‘yeas’, no ‘nays’ [during the vote for the law]. You’ll hear people talking. Who benefited first from it? Members of the NDP benefited from it first. I’m wondering now whether or not they will be prepared to pay back the monies. Now they have the buzzwords, ‘we will repeal’ part of it.”
Malone further contended that ever since the formation of the Government of National Unity, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had been seeking a repeal of the law. However, Malone claimed that the premier was consistently told to ‘leave it alone’ by other members of the HOA, including the NDP, Progressives United (PU) and the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM).
Malone also claimed that the section of the bill that NDP members want repealed does not affect him or other first-term lawmakers within the VIP as Walwyn and Penn have claimed.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Go sit down from looking points Malone. The NDP government will repeal the greedy parts of the greedy bill.
Yes, they were the Ones that passed that Bill. Now MW wants people to believe it was the VIP. If this is what he coming with, undermining and trying to deceive People, We are not stupid and guilible to not check the Facts. Look how they want to get into the Cabinet by smearing and pointing fingers and don’t see that it all comes back to NDP. Bunch of phony boloney.
Hear this moo moo again. Carvin continues to insult the intelligence of the people. The vip had the majority in the HOA of Assembly. They brought they bill and they had the majority to pass it. The concern is the second part of the Act where legislators will be paid their monthly salary years after they retire. That second part of the Act starts with people like you Carvin who were in the last HOA. Stop trying to mislead people.
Do you really want to trust somebody who does not know that the name is NOT ‘humpy dumpy’? What is this world really coming to?
You must be a VIP die hard supporter! They (VIP) brought the bill to the house and they had the majority to pass it.
Do you even live on planet earth? A grown adult sat down a land posted this blog that they know to be completely untrue. Something has got to be wrong with you mehson. You drink the juice that head coach mixed.
DO NOT VOTE FOR THE VIP CANDIDATES
The only person to benefit so far is Head Coach, who collect nearly half mil. The othe provisions except for pension apply only to current and future politicians, not past politicians, further since when opposition seconding govt bills. That is a lie.
Did the NDP members in HOA vote yes for the bill yes or now? If YES, they need to explain to the people. Fair is fair, this is not about which party you like, it’s about principle. NDP and PVIM obviously have no political strategy and put their feet in mouth every time they speak. Myron should have never brought up the topic knowing the politics and reality behind it, now they have to answer.
VIP also voted for the bill..
There is still more money left to thief, and they are going after it, and the people are gullible enough to vote them in to thief it. We frig!
Fu**y man is a fraud
So what Malone is confirming is that the Bill was a greedy move. Shame on all of them. I want pure independents in this election no establishment or career politicians or parties. PVIM, VIP and NDP need to take a 10 foot walk on a 9ft pier wearing 300lbs of chains
Mitch and Marlon are both hypocrites. They voted for that Greedy Bill. And now talking about repeal to score political points. NDP and PVIM you are opportunists and no better than VIP. People should not be fooled.
It’s funny that both sides pointing fingers about this because all of them vip/ndp… every last one of them was in favor of it.
Just yapping show me one ndp family that got 10 and 16 checks HEAD COACH make sure all a you hand grease and well. Shot you trap you should be ashame to go run again old f**l.you knew all and everything coach was doing now you talking hog wash
How on earth did the Governor assent to rape of the taxpayer, there are supposed to be checks and balances and oversight.
“Malone further contended that ever since the formation of the Government of National Unity, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had been seeking a repeal of the law. However, Malone claimed that the premier was consistently told to ‘leave it alone’ by other members of the HOA, including the NDP, Progressives United (PU) and the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM)”.
People don’t be fooled by the rhetoric, pause for a moment and do the maths. Three individuals from two different party, although members of the House can stop a bill from being repealed if the majority wanted to repeal it. Who holds the numbers in the House, it is clearly member’s from the VIP Government.
Squeeling like a P.I.G are we ! jajajajaja
@ Conscious Voter – we all know that Mitch made suggestions regarding receiving private insurance to supplement their NHI benefits. While the rest of us have to deal with this flawed NHI system. So it appears that all of them had input into their compensation under the Greedy Bill. They are all greedy rats on this one
Malane is a … Do you think he wants this bill repeal?? H**l no..
Not even the members of the VIP CONGRESS wanted him
They voted 60-15 against him.
In regards to the greedy bill… say you retire from politics and receiving the benefits of the greedy bill… If you decide to run for office again and win do you still get all your greedy bill benefits plus your current salary?
It wasn’t me. Who brought the Bill to the House to begin with? Wasn’t it Head Coach? Maybe they were all under his spell……
I thought I was the only one who was like, what is he saying??
@ looking points. I wonder who besides Fahie put this bill together. that`s the Question of the day.
Any Civil Servant who votes in the VIP creates a death sentence for themselves.
Imagine Civil Servants are 5 years behind with increments, over 10 years behind in a raise, struggling with food prices yet allowing this greedy bill to take root.
We need to get rid of the VIP. Civil Servants future is at stake.
oink oink
that’s just blondie blogging his us propaganda using different names , that’s how he get his kicks ? especially since the premier dropped kicked him off his throne of fantasy in his mind ? . So we will have to pray for that lost fellow , looks like the devil ? got his hand on him