Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

Opposition pledges to make life difficult for ruling VIP Gov't

Opposition pledges to make life difficult for ruling VIP Gov't

Promising no-confidence votes and filibustering, His Majesty's Loyal Opposition has said it will do all it possibly can to achieve its agenda when up against the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government in the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA).

It was during a joint press conference of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), National Democratic Party (NDP) and Progressives United (PU) held on April 27, 2023, that Members of the tri-party Opposition were asked by a reporter how they intended to hold the government accountable.

'We have the bully pulpit'- Hon Ronnie W. Skelton

Opposition Leader and PVIM Chairman Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton (AL), who is also Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), registered his intention to make the meetings of PAC public, as he pointed out that the Opposition has ‘the bully pulpit’.

“While the government can pass bills in the House of Assembly, collectively we have ‘the bully pulpit,’ so to speak, and we will allow the public to know what is happening so they can talk to their representatives; and based on that we believe we can control a lot of stuff that is in the interest of this country and make sure it happens,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Hon Ronnie W. Skelton (AL), left, and Member of the Opposition Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8), right, at the joint Opposition press conference on April 27, 2023.



Opposition to 'push' for Committee Stage of HoA to be public

Opposition Member Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8) was in full agreement, adding that the Opposition also wants the Committee Stage of the House of Assembly (HoA) to be made public, as he had discussed on the political campaign trail.

“The Premier agreed with this…We want to make sure that we are fully transparent with the process so the public can see the machinations in terms of how things happen, the changes that we’re making and the decisions that we’re making that are going to impact their lives, not when it comes out in a gazette. They need to understand clearly the process. And I’m going to push and I hope I have the support of my colleagues here to push to ensure that those committee stages are made public so the public can have full transparency of the legislative process moving forward,” he said.

Hon Skelton also agreed that he will push for these proceedings to be public as well.

“I will push to have a real office of the Leader of the Opposition where people can actually understand that we’re building institutions, where we will be on the road to some internal self-governance,” he said.

'If we have to resort to filibustering we will'- Hon Fraser

Meanwhile, Opposition Member Hon Julian Fraser, RA (R3) also called for the meetings of the PAC to become public as he pledged his full support.

Hon Fraser said they will resort to filibustering if they need to, in an effort to ensure this.

Filibustering is the ‘activity or practice of obstructing progress in a legislature, especially by speaking at inordinate length.’

“We have to, for the first time, attempt to prevent the House of Assembly from being a ‘rubber stamp’ to the executives… If we have to resort to filibustering we will, and the committees of the House of Assembly has to work. They have been established but not functional, and in order to serve the public in the way it was intended by the Westminister system our committees has to work,” Hon Fraser said.
Opposition Member Hon Julian Fraser, RA (R3) has said debates in the House of Assembly are going to be vigorous and embarrassing.



Motions of non-confidence ‘predicted’

Hon Fraser, acknowledging that the VIP administration has a slim majority, said he doesn’t think it will change the dynamics as far as votes are concerned.

“It’s going to be almost impossible for us to sway a member of the government to vote with us, but I could tell you whatever the issue is we are debating, it is going to be difficult to move forward with the kind of Opposition it will receive.”

Further, Hon Fraser said he sees at least two motions of no-confidence on the horizon.

“I don’t see any challenge coming from the Government side as far as the health of a debate is concerned, Opposition versus Government, [but] what I can predict right now is you will see not one but more than one, probably two, motions of no confidence coming before the Fifth House of Assembly. I can predict that is going to happen and the debate is going to be vigorous, embarrassing, it’s going to be everything,” Hon Fraser said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×