1 week Ago By Davion
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacey ’Buddha’ Mather has expressed concerns that government ministers are blindly supporting Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, withholding their opinions on crucial issues facing the territory. During a recent Opposition-hosted forum, Mather expressed disappointment that only two ministers had spoken out on important matters while others remained silent. “When you bring a motion of no-confidence to the House of Assembly, the hope is that the ministers on the other side and the junior ministers will become more vocal about things that maybe they have said privately,” he said.
One of Mather’s main concerns centred around the government’s spending priorities. He questioned whether funds allocated to certain areas, such as entertainment, could have been better spent on urgent needs like education infrastructure. “There’s no catchment unit there,” Mather said while highlighting the lack of essential facilities at the Elmore Stoutt High School.
“No cistern...
Could we have used that money to build the remainder of the wall? [Currently], every time it rains too hard the school floods?” The first-term legislator also pointed to the roughly $930,000 invested in clearing land behind the government complex for a failed concert earlier this year, noting that the area is in disrepair. “We’re not using it. Is it a parking lot? But yet the bush surrounding that area.
.. it needs fixing,” he stated.
Mather further criticised the Premier’s approach to leadership, urging for more consultation and transparency. He suggested that the Premier should engage with stakeholders before making decisions. “Had you gone out to stakeholders in the business community and had conversations about what you were planning, maybe then they could go into the public domain and have a conversation,” Mather reasoned.
The Territorial At-Large Representative also expressed frustration over the handling of agriculture and fisheries, pointing out that Premier Wheatley has held that portfolio for the past six years. He criticised the lack of progress on projects like the reservoir for farmers and the fishing complex in Paraquita Bay. “They talk about the fishing complex.
.. but what fish will they bring when they don’t have ice? They don’t have vessels.
They don’t have wire. They don’t get trained,” Mather stated. Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited.
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