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NDP Gov’t behaving just like pre-Irma- Hon Andrew A. Fahie
The NDP has forever been criticised of ignoring the people and had promised to change that critical flaw when the party was re-elected back in 2011.
It has; however, remained the same and apart from being unaccountable to the people of the territory in most of their spending, it continues to have a select few, minus some of its backbenchers, make decisions for the people.
Now even its own elected party members are rebelling publicly and started to consult with their constituents without input from the Ministers.
Nothing has changed for NDP after Irma
And leader of the Opposition Hon Fahie has said the NDP Government hasn’t learned any lessons from Hurricane Irma and has been operating like ‘business as usual.'
Speaking to radio station, ZBVI 780 AM on December 7, 2017, Hon Fahie said if all 13 elected Members were called to the table from the time Hurricane Irma struck, “we would have been able to put politics aside and do what is best for the country.”
The First District Representative related that he heard he as a Member of the Opposition was invited to meetings with the other elected officials after the killer storm but that is not so.
He said he became aware of meetings involving elected officials happening at Peebles Hospital through a family member who was injured.
“I went on my own. I invited myself to the meeting but when I was there I was told that it was a policy meeting and every time I went to give an input or ask questions I was told that my questions would have to be submitted to the head of DDM and the requisite ministries would give an answer and then returned to me.”
We have to be on the ground helping, listening
Hon Fahie said sarcastically that the instructions sounded like he was in the House of Assembly.
“So my frequency to those meeting decreased and I had to go on the ground to help the people. We have to be on the ground to help the people of the Virgin Islands. The meetings that have been held, for the most part, they have their place but it cannot be the hub of where we make our decisions without the people. Our restoration plan that the Premier is unveiling does not incorporate the people’s view, for the most part, it does not include all 13 of us views. And we behaving just like pre-Irma.”
Cane Garden Bay residents should have been consulted
The Leader of the Opposition also supported sentiments by Second District Representative Hon Melvin M. Turnbull, who blasted his own boss, Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith (AL), for not consulting with Cane Garden Bay and Brewers Bay residents or helping to get those beaches ready before inviting cruise ships back to the Territory.
According to Hon Fahie, Cane Garden Bay Beach in particular is to the VI what The Baths is to Virgin Gorda.
“That should have been one of the first priorities in terms of areas cleaned up for the tourists to be able to traverse there on the beach. With no disrespect to any other area, not the Brandy Wine Bay, you know we already spent millions of dollars there but Cane Garden Bay is a natural beach. It just needs cleaning up and there are lots of other persons, even in my District, who have been diving and taking things out of the sea, that we could have called or gone on the television or radio or whatever and just call them and whoever they can get and let them go in and if we have to pay them pay them or if the community can afford to get it done and clean up the Cane Garden Bay beach.
“That one is not about politics, that is just about country and I continue to say that these ideas need to be respected.”
Hon Fahie added that Hon Turnbull is fighting for the people and not political party.
“So if there is anything to benefit, we must sit down with the very same people and hear their views, and they would have told us to go and clean up Cane Garden Bay first.”
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