Hon Wheatley, the now Acting Premier, made the statement while as a guest on the May 5, 2023, edition of The Big Story with Cathy O. Richards on ZBVI 780 AM.

“We can't do it by ourselves as a government. We must take the people, the businesses, work with the government in one accord to advance this country, to make the country better for all of us, not just for the future, but for those who are alive today.”

Hon Wheatley was at the time speaking on issues such as waste management, health care, and the local labour sector as it related to VI’s healthcare sectors and the need to build those areas.

All in VI called to pitch in - Hon Wheatley

“It's important [that] we alive today also realize some successes [and] some wins. Yes, of course, the ultimate goal is to make it better for the next generation. We can't leave ourselves out. It cannot be total, total sacrifice for us, for somebody else,” he said.

He called on the VI community, the local civic bodies, and individual businesses to work along with the government for the betterment of the entire territory.

“Old people say when the tide in the harbour, all the boats rise together, and this should be our goal, all of us working together for the betterment of this country,” he declared while adding there are areas, such as National Health Insurance (NHI), that need reform.

Hon Wheatley, in his first term in elected office, had served as Minister for Natural Resources, Labour, and Immigration but is now serving as Minister for Health and Social Development.