'Don't spin the facts'- Douglas Wheatley to politicians
“Stop spinning things, we need facts, the people must have facts,” said host Mr Wheatley on his Speak Out BVI programme aired on a local radio station on February 12, 2013.
Wheatley related that one of the problems he saw was that when one government was in they had their own narrative about what was transpiring and another government would later come into power and they would have a new narrative. “It is hard for the people to know exactly where the truth lies,” he added.
He expressed that he would be happier if “parties would stop playing politics with a lot of things and give the population the facts, don’t spin the facts to make your side look good and the other side look bad…”
In relating one of the legacies of British colonialism, he noted that there was a good and impartial civil service. He related a tale about the government in England changing some time ago wherein the new government was able to sit with the cabinet office and receive all of the information concerning the economy and financial status of the country, “everything was laid before them by civil servants,” Wheatley noted.
“We are not in that situation, where it is the politicians who spin the information to us, and so we really don’t know where the truth lies and I would like to see that situation change here so that whether it is the cabinet office or the Financial Secretary’s office, you can get the facts about a situation.
He suggested what was needed on the water plant was simply the facts.
One caller on the programme suggested that instead of spending money on ghuts and greenhouses, the Territory should have spent its money on the water plant. “If you notice, the one in Sea Cows Bay, I hardly hear them having problems with that,” the caller expressed while questioning why the Baugher’s Bay plant was ‘suffering’.
He also felt that there was no need for another water plant – period. He suggested that the reason for this was that the other water plant was ‘doing pretty good’. “I never go a week without water when Ocean Conversion was dealing with that plant.”
“It’s not a good standard to see where we’re at when it comes to the water situation in Tortola,” the caller added, “it’s really not good.”
He was hopeful that things would get back to the way they used to be regarding the water issues affecting the Territory and noted that this heavily affected the building of houses and hotels in the Virgin Islands. “Tortola is expanding a lot,” he ended.
Wheatley further stated, “If an audit has to be run on the water plant, get an audit run on it, and when it’s finished, in an unbiased way, just publish the information so that everybody knows what the true situation is.”
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15 Responses to “'Don't spin the facts'- Douglas Wheatley to politicians”
Record! Here is something for your sorry a@$$ mind to comprehend. Biwater is going no where, so if that is what you hoping for, I suggest you take it off your NDP Ocean Conversion wish list.
Now I do agree with you that Biwater is responsible for the water shortage on Tortola, because they were supposed to be producing water over a year ago, but who fault that is? If your NDP gowerment wod stop looking at them own interest (making money for Ocean Conversion, which they own) and give Biwater the approvals to get water from the sea, Biwater could start making water so people could have water.
Until Mark free up Biwater so them could make water Tortola would continue to suffer from water rationing.
"He also felt that there was no need for another water plant – period. He suggested that the reason for this was that the other water plant was ‘doing pretty good’. “I never go a week without water when Ocean Conversion was dealing with that plant.”
Everybody knows that this is a lie, The Baughersbay Plant was handed over to Government not running, it took government a week to get it started, then only at 50% capacity. It then take government another year and two million dollars rebuilding it to get it back to 100% capacity. The plant was dead when government got it, the pictures are there to prove this. Dont take my word, see it for yourself.
This nonsense that they always had water is a lie, this is what the NDP program them to say