Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

‘I will not yield’: Premier Wheatley & Hon Turnbull clash in HoA

‘I will not yield’: Premier Wheatley & Hon Turnbull clash in HoA

They may be Ministers in the so-called Unity Government, but blood is thicker than water was proven in the House of Assembly (HoA) on March 2, 2023, when Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Hon Melvin M. Turnbull (R2) clashed.

It was during the debate of the Auditor General’s Report on COVID-19 Border Security Contracts for Static Marine Platforms [COI R23] when Hon Turnbull accused Premier Wheatley of double-standards since he, Hon Turnbull, believed the Premier was heavily critical of the contracts offered by Government to Claude O. Skelton-Cline, who is Hon Turnbull’s cousin, but defended the contract given to EZ Shipping for the usage of barges for border security during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier Wheatley, among other things, had said the consultancy contracts offered to Skelton-Cline were a mistake by the former Premier Andrew A. Fahie.

Hon Turnbull had recused himself from the previous debate of the Report on Skelton-Cline’s contracts, stating that he was Skelton-Cline’s cousin.

“There is a contrast, Madam, in the way that the Premier would have given his position regarding one issue that dealt with the spending of public funds and then a complete, almost 360 right about turn…that I am puzzled at.

“Because, on one hand, you crucify a man and on the other hand you praise another," Hon Turnbull stated at the Third Sitting of the Fifth Session of the Fourth HoA in Road Town on Thursday.

Hon Turnbull accused of hypocrisy

Dr Wheatley, during his wrap-up of the debate on the static marine platforms, said he can recall one time when Hon Turnbull was in the Opposition and he gave his own cousin, Mr Skelton-Cline, “a real tongue lashing.”

Hon Wheatley asked what was the difference then and now, for Hon Turnbull to recuse himself from debating the AG’s Report on Skelton-Cline’s contracts.

“Has he just discovered that this is his cousin? Did he do a DNA test?...wasn’t he cousin with the same cousin when he gave him a good tongue-lashing? Yes, he was, and don’t force me to play the tape, because the tape is right there. We on Youtube.”

‘Uncle Ronnie & Uncle John say ‘no, no, no, no, no’- Premier

Premier Wheatley then alleged that Hon Turnbull opted not to debate the AG Report involving Skelton-Cline because he was instructed to do so.

“So let me explain what really happened. All that really happen, Madam Speaker, is that Uncle Ronnie and Uncle John say ‘no, no, no, no, no…hear what, you don’t say a word. And that is all that happened there, and so my good friend recused himself, so to avoid speaking about the Claude Skelton-Cline issue.”

Premier Wheatley was about to move on with the debate when Hon Turnbull stood up on a Point of Order.

‘I will not yield!’

However, Premier Wheatley stated: “I will not yield,” seemingly mocking Hon Turnbull, who has portrayed himself as the moral authority in the HoA and has stated that he had always been critical of the contract for the barges and had stated since then that he would not "yield" on his position.

Hon Turnbull repeated he was rising on a Point of Order and Hon Wheatley repeated: “I will not yield.”

Speaker Hon Corine N. George-Massicote then abruptly called for a brief recess.

On the resumption, Hon George-Massicotte reminded the Members to be mindful of their behaviour in the House.

Hon Turnbull continued that he was requesting the Premier to show the evidence where “Uncle Ronnie and Uncle John” instructed him not to speak, “because I speak and have been speaking in this Honourable House on principle.”

Hon Wheatley said he was going to refrain from a “back and forth” with Hon Turnbull since the people of the Virgin Islands would have wanted him to focus on the task at hand.

It was during the debate of the Auditor General’s Report on COVID-19 Border Security Contracts for Static Marine Platforms [COI R23] when Hon Turnbull accused Premier Wheatley of double-standards since he, Hon Turnbull, believed the Premier was heavily critical of the contracts offered by Government to Claude O. Skelton-Cline, who is Hon Turnbull’s cousin, but defended the contract offered to EZ Shipping for the usage of barges for border security during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
×