Legislators Wasting Time, Fraser Warns
Deputy Premier and Third District Representative Julian Fraser told the House of Assembly on January 13 that elected officials spend too much parliamentary time on routine local issues such as potholes, water and bush cutting. He urged consideration of local government structures so district matters can be handled outside the national legislature, noting changes since the Commission of Inquiry mean government cannot operate as it once did.
Deputy Premier and Third District Representative Julian Fraser has challenged how members of the House of Assembly use parliamentary time, saying routine community concerns are dominating sittings that should focus on higher-level policy and governance. Speaking during the January 13 sitting, Fraser questioned whether it is appropriate for legislators to be repeatedly raising issues such as potholes, water supply, toilets and bush cutting in the national chamber.
He argued these are local matters better handled at a district level, and warned that continuing current practices will worsen service delivery and strain the legislature’s capacity. Fraser pointed to the Premier’s proposal to introduce local government structures as a way to move many of these matters out of the House.
He said properly constituted district offices or councils could hear community complaints, gather accurate information, and then advocate directly to ministries or statutory corporations when necessary. He illustrated the inefficiency with a common example: calls to install or repair street lighting.
Representatives are often asked to press for lights on lamp poles but lack the technical data utility providers need. Fraser recalled spray-painting poles to mark those without lights, only to watch the markings fade before any action was taken — underscoring how ad-hoc measures by individual MPs are not an effective system.
Fraser also reminded colleagues that past informal arrangements, where funds were made available to help constituents with accessing homes or building retaining walls, no longer exist. “That don’t happen anymore. It’s not going to happen again,” he said, adding that channelling these requests through elected representatives is no longer realistic without local administrative structures in place.
Calls for some form of local government are not new in the Virgin Islands. Proposals for district councils and local governance bodies have surfaced during constitutional reform discussions and public consultations over the years, with advocates saying such systems would improve service delivery and reduce pressure on the central legislature.
Despite repeated debate, however, no formal local government framework has been established. Fraser urged lawmakers to be more innovative and constructive in how they use parliamentary time, particularly in the wake of the Commission of Inquiry, which signalled that government business cannot continue unchanged.
His remarks set the stage for renewed discussion about whether local governance reforms should move from proposal to implementation so the House can concentrate on territory-wide policy, recovery and governance issues.
Primary source: BVI News