Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley rejected the suggestion that his government should face the newly established Human Rights Commission over long-standing water shortages in the British Virgin Islands, instead directing blame at the former National Democratic Party administration.
The clash erupted in the House of Assembly when Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn asked whether the government's persistent failure to provide reliable water could amount to a human rights violation within the Commission's jurisdiction. Wheatley accused Walwyn of breaching parliamentary standing orders by seeking an opinion on a hypothetical legal question.
Wheatley said the people of the Sixth District should instead hold accountable the NDP administration that governed from 2011 to 2019, a period when Walwyn held office. He claimed that administration did "absolutely nothing" to address water problems, leaving the current government to manage the crisis.
The exchange grew heated. Walwyn objected to Wheatley's description of Sixth District residents as "esteemed," suggesting it was condescending. Wheatley defended the word as positive and told Walwyn to consult a dictionary. He then dismissed Walwyn's question as not serious, asking what a Human Rights Commission had to do with water supply.
Speaker Corine Georges Massicote intervened twice during the exchange, first demanding Wheatley answer the original question and later stopping him before he could finish his dismissal of the issue. Proceedings then moved to the next question.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.