Alliance Defends Legislators' Pay Review
Opposition members of the Alliance say salary increases for legislators resulted from an independent, PwC-led review that formed part of a wider 2023 public service pay exercise. They argue the process was transparent and followed established procedures, while acknowledging public frustration and calls for greater openness.
Opposition members of the Alliance have defended the process behind recent salary increases for legislators, saying the adjustments were part of a broader, professionally guided review of public-sector pay and not a self-serving decision by members of the House of Assembly. Opposition Leader and Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn said the review began before the 2023 general election as part of a wider salary exercise led by the Deputy Governor’s Office and the Ministry of Finance.
He said PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted the review and recommended pay changes to avoid anomalous outcomes in which junior public officers could earn more than elected members. "It was done by PricewaterhouseCoopers," Walwyn said, explaining that PwC assessed relative pay levels and recommended increases so elected officials would not be paid less than junior civil servants when public officer adjustments took effect.
He added that members of the House did not decide who received what and that the advice given to the House was based on PwC’s findings. At-Large Representative Stacy 'Buddha' Mather acknowledged the public’s anger but argued the salary discussion followed the Westminster system. He said the committee process is not public under current rules and called for changes to improve transparency.
Mather also noted he disclosed his own salary months before the Auditor General’s report was published. Second District Representative Melvin 'Mitch' Turnbull sought to correct what he said were misleading headlines about the increases. He said a backbencher’s base salary was $36,000, but allowances previously raised total remuneration to $99,740.
After the review, Turnbull said his total package rose to about $133,000 — figures he said were being misrepresented by summaries that showed only base salaries. Turnbull added the legislators’ increases accounted for roughly $803,000 of a broader $10 million adjustment across the public service.
The 2023 review has provoked intense public criticism since details of the legislators’ pay changes surfaced last month. Residents have questioned the timing, the size of the increases, and the transparency of committee deliberations. Opposition members have signalled they accept the need for system reform to make salary-setting processes more open and to restore public confidence.
For BVI residents, the debate raises familiar concerns about accountability in use of public funds and the balance between fair compensation for officeholders and fiscal restraint. The Alliance maintains the review was independent and evidence-based, while also acknowledging that procedural reforms may be required to address public unease.
Primary source: BVI News