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‘I have not been hired by the NDP; Information is a lie!’-Dr. Scatliffe
Background
The article published on June 21, 2013 related to an exclusive interview with the Leader of the Opposition and Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, in which he stated that he would never give his wife a government contract as was done by current Premier, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith.
In the same article, Hon. O’Neal accused the National Democratic Party of creating a new political culture of rewards to people who had run and lost the election, “so it pays to lose an election and be a part of the NDP inner circle…you can still get a nice consultancy or a government job despite your qualifications,” he told this news site.
Claude Skelton-Cline, who ran against Second District Representative Hon. J. Alvin Christopher, was hired as a government consultant following the 2011 elections and was then appointed as Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority.
Kevin C. Smith was also hired as a government consultant after he was defeated by Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser RA, and then appointed to the Trade and Consumer Department.
Pro-Government Online News Site’s misleading article
In response to Hon. O’Neal’s statement from Virgin Islands News Online’s interview, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith fired off a statement defending his wife’s $100,000 consultancy contract and claimed that his government had also hired Virgin Islands Party political losers.
On June 24, 2013 the pro-government online news site BVI Platinum News published an article entitled; ‘My Government Is on Record for Hiring Opposition Politicians - Premier’
The article, which was referring to the Premier’s statement, went on to say; “In recent months, information has revealed that at least two members of the opposing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) are working for Government agencies. Mr Elvis Harrigan, who lost the re-election bid in the 5th District, has been contracted through the Recreation Trust. Dr. Vincent Scatliffe, who lost his re-election bid as the Fourth District Representative, has been appointed to serve as a member of the Non-Profit Organizations Registration Board,” BVI Platinum News claimed.
The pro-government online news site also had a photo of both Dr. Vincent G. Scatliffe and Elvis J. Harrigan attached to the article.
Dr. Scatliffe outraged and sets the record straight
However, this article has outraged Dr. Scatliffe. In an exclusive interview with this news site, Dr. Scatliffe sought to set the record straight and said categorically, “I have not been hired by the NDP. That is a lie.”
He went on to explain that he has been appointed to the “Non-Profit Organisations Registration Board,” which is not a paid position. He told the news site that how the Non-Profit Organisations Act, of 2012 is set up, the Opposition Leader has under the law the right to nominate someone to serve on the Board, so he was the nominee of the Opposition Leader Hon. O’Neal and it had absolutely nothing to do with the NDP government...It’s the law; I am not hired by the NDP so I am not sure where Platinum got that misinformation from.”
The Non-Profit Organisations Act, 2012 mandates for the registration, supervision and monitoring of Non-Profit Organizations in the Territory and took effect on Tuesday, January 1, 2013. The membership is covered under Section 3 of the Act. The power of the Leader of the Opposition to nominate someone before it goes to Cabinet is covered under Section 3 subsection (2).
Leader of the Opposition and Premier duke it out!
Since Virgin Islands News Online posted its article on June 21, 2013 about the Leader of the Opposition telling this news site that he would never give his wife a government contract, especially under a Ministry he was heading, it generated a response on June 22, 2013 from Premier Smith who said “I would have thought that Lorna would have been thanked for what she has done and continues to do on behalf of and for the good of the Territory.”
On Monday June 24, 2013 Opposition Leader Hon. O’Neal stood his grounds and reiterated what he told our news site about the $100,000 contract awarded to LGS and Associates, which is headed by Mrs Lorna Smith.
He told this news site in an exclusive telephone interview “I remain firm in what I told you, I will never give my wife a government contract; especially under the same Ministry I am heading…it’s the principle of it.”
Hon. O’Neal went on to say, “I am not questioning Lorna’s qualifications or whether she will do a good job, I have worked with her and she has done a good enough job, but it’s the principle….I stand by what I said and I am not too worked-up by whatever fancy statement he [Premier] comes with.”
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51 Responses to “‘I have not been hired by the NDP; Information is a lie!’-Dr. Scatliffe”
I ain even reading this comment by Ralphie, he forget for years he had he d****** in T B**** getting paid for doing NOTHING and spending the money funds on all kinda nonsense???!!! Atleast Mrs. Smith does work and she worked hard under VIP and now she working hard, doing the same thing, under NDP Governent. The lady is working for OUR Country!!!!!!!! I ain care what the rest of you VIP cronies say in response, I once was blind and now I see. I ain making this argument for NDP because they just as bad as VIP was, I am defending Mrs. Smith work ethic and saying Mr. O'Neal did the same thing only it wasn't his wife....
This is really getting confusing!!!!
The level of incompetence in this NDP admin and their paper boggles the mind!!!!!!
Dr. Smith knows that they were going to make Vincent the Director of Community Health but instead he allowed the Chief of Staff to put that unq****** Nig*ri@n in his place.
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
We are lacking political maturity.