Legislators okay extra spending

Last week in a Wednesday meeting that started after 5 p.m. and continued into the night, the House of Assembly approved a schedule of additional provisions, a code of conduct for HOA members, and the formation of six standing select committees, among other business.

In outlining the terms of the SAP, which had not been Gazetted as of Beacon press time yesterday, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said it includes $8,522,100 in recurrent expenditure.

Of that, he added, $2,638,246 is to be spent in excess of the previously appropriated amount, and the rest will come from reallocated savings.

Capital expenditures

Also included in the SAP are capital acquisition expenditures of $2,621,900, with $1,820,800 to come from a spending variation and $801,100 to be charged against the Consolidated Fund, the premier said. Finally, capital expenditure of $750,000 will include $437,000 in spending variations and $313,000 to be expended in excess of the originally appropriated amount, according to Dr. Wheatley, who described the SAP as a routine procedural move.

‘Willy-nilly way’

The SAP ultimately passed with amendments made in a closed-door committee session.

First, though, opposition members expressed various concerns. “I’m seeing the willy-nilly way in which government resources are being spent and the willynilly way in which things are being done without proper planning,” Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn said.

He then claimed the SAP was passed because a no-confidence motion proposed by the opposition was on the order paper (see story on page one), alleging that the premier was using “his financial powers” to get support for the vote.

“The premier called around to every minister: He wants to make sure that when that vote comes that he has all of their support,” Mr. Walwyn said. “And he uses his financial powers to ‘Tell me what you want; I will write you and I’ll make sure you get it so that when you come to the vote of no confidence you will make sure that you are in my corner.’”

The no-confidence vote was meant to occur later in the sitting, but it never took place due to a government walkout.

‘Magnifying the negative’

In closing the SAP debate, Dr. Wheatley shot back against the opposition’s criticisms.

“What the opposition typically would do is to magnify the negative and minimise the positive,” he said, adding, “We do have challenges — the same challenges that exist now existed before. Let’s not fool the people of the Virgin Islands. You know we want to portray ourselves to be persons of integrity, but yet we want to manipulate and deceive. That is not our job as legislators.”

Other HOA members who contributed to the debate were Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton and his opposition colleagues Lorna Smith, Mitch Turnbull and Stacy Mather.

Additional government-side contributions came from Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley; Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie de Castro; Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer; Culture and Tourism Junior Minister Luce Hodge-Smith; and Deputy Premier Julian Fraser.

Code of Conduct

After the SAP debate, Mr. Fraser introduced the motion for the code of conduct, which he said will “provide clarity for members and the public about the rules of conduct which all members are expected to observe in undertaking their legislative duties.”

The motion was supported on both sides of the aisle, with Dr. Wheatley, Mr. Skelton, Mr. Turnbull, Mr. Mather, Mr. Walwyn and Ms. de Castro all speaking.

After the motion passed, Mr. Rymer moved a motion that “there shall be the following Standing Select Committees: the Public Accounts Committee; the Standing Orders Committee; the Services Committee; the Committee of Privileges; the Regulations Committee; the Register of Interests Committee.”

Dr. Wheatley seconded the motion, and then it passed.