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by pltm
(PLTM) - Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Hon. Kedrick Pickering announced that there is no reason the BVI should cower as it deals with its mother country, the United Kingdom. In fact, the Deputy Premier told his colleagues that as the Territory seeks recovery assistance from Great Britain, any high handed response from the UK should be met with intellectual terrorism.
“We gah pass the legislation,” the Deputy Premier announced as he opened the debate on the Bill entitled, “Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency Act, 2018,” which over the last few days has caused tongues to wag and prompted debate for and against.
The Deputy Premier took a powerful stance as he attempted to strike at some of the points critics have used in opposition to the Bill as it stands. In announcing that many false stories are being told, Hon. Pickering attempted to set the record straight stating the crux of the agreement with the UK.
He said, “The UK Government says they are offering us £300M in our recovery effort and they have said this is what we want to see put in place to ensure that there is accountability transparency whatever pretty work you want to use between the money wherever the money is coming from and ultimately the beneficiaries of the money. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that. On top of that Madame Speaker and this is where we fail sometimes as leaders… they said that you must pass your own legislation to be able to establish that Agency. You must pass the legislation…This legislation that’s drafted…this Bill was drafted by our own people. The policy directive was given by our own people,” he added. It is us and we had about four or five meetings at various levels. Sit down to discuss this Bill. It is our Bill and ultimately we must pass it,” he added.
BVI Wont Be Weak
The Deputy Premier said that despite the fact that the BVI needs the UK guarantee, it will not lose its dignity. Further the Minister for Natural Resources said that the Territory will not just blindly accept the UK’s position.
“Yes the UK Government has a veto power, let them veto it if they wanted to; but they still have to account to the international community. They can’t do what they want willy-nilly, so if we want to challenge them on certain issues we must challenge them. I have absolutely no problem with that, because I would challenge them,” he said
Nonetheless, Hon. Pickering said that he believes that the Territory should approach the United Kingdom from a mature perspective. “We must enter into direct negotiations….We must negotiate with the United Kingdom government if we disagree on what is in the Bill.”
The Deputy Premier stressed that there should be a meeting of the minds on this recovery matter. Therefore, he said that the BVI’s position should be made clear to Great Britain.
Hon. Pickering said. “I think they are out of place if they try to use a high handed approach to us…Let’s talk, because I believe that we are as educated as they are. I believe we have the same intellectual capacity as they have.”
Hon. Pickering further stated that there is no need for BVI negotiators to accept being spoken to like children because Virgin Islanders are known for their dignity, which should never be compromised.
“Ultimately Madame Speaker if the United Kingdom Government want to take a high handed approach to us we should use intellectual terrorism. That’s what we should do. That’s what social media and those media is all about. We must call on all of our people to show that the United Kingdom is out of place with their high handedness,” he added.
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