“A blot on the record of the Members of the House”
Those were the words used by Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio Wheatley to describe the controversial Retiring Allowances (Legislative Service) Act as he implored Members of the Opposition to support the Government in voting in support of a bill to repeal several areas of the Act.
As he rose to bring a motion for the second reading of the Bill, Wheatley noted the contention that surrounded it throughout the campaign trail earlier this year.
“Let’s not return to the campaign trail”, he urged members of the house as he called for a united effort to act on the promises made to the people of the Virgin Islands.
The bill, titled “Retiring Allowances (Legislative Service) (Amendment) Act, 2023” was read a third time and passed after a brief debate, repealing sections 3(2a), (2b), (2c), (2d), (2e) and (2f).
These changes however will not affect members who are already benefiting, or set to benefit from the controversial payment scheme that brought great scrutiny to the bill.
Clause 4 of the Bill, titled “Savings”, explains this measure.
According to Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio Wheatley, the decision to let members voluntarily forgo their right to benefit from the payment scheme was made because it would be “problematic” to remove those rights from those who to whom they have already been granted.