Penn: Q&A Change an Abuse
Opposition Leader Hon. Marlon Penn told the House of Assembly that moving the Question Time segment on the Order Paper is an 'abuse of power' that has left the Opposition unable to represent constituents for 11 months. The change is tied to the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to make the RDA a permanent agency and is currently at Committee Stage.
Marlon Penn on Tuesday described the government’s decision to push back the Question & Answer segment on the Order Paper as an "abuse of power," saying the move prevents the Opposition from holding the executive to account on behalf of constituents. Speaking during the Fifth Sitting of the Third Session of the Fifth House of Assembly on July 21, 2026, Penn told members that he and his colleagues did not support the change and remained unconvinced by the Premier’s explanation that it was necessary to constitute the board of the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA). "Changing the law does not preclude the Premier from properly constituting the RDA Board," Penn said, arguing that the scheduling and procedural adjustments were not required to address that matter.
He warned that the government was using standing orders and the order of business in ways that curtail scrutiny, calling the practice "another attempt to stop the Opposition from doing the work of the people." "This doesn't fit the bill," he added, while acknowledging that the standing orders technically permit the Premier's actions.
Penn told the House the effect has been real and sustained: Opposition members have been unable to ask questions on behalf of constituents for 11 months. He noted the recent parliamentary sitting, which began January 15 and concluded less than a week before his remarks, would have offered an opportunity to address urgent matters, but said the scheduling left the Opposition without the regular Question Time platform.
The dispute comes as the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (Amendment) Bill is before the House at Committee Stage. The bill would convert the RDA from a temporary body into a permanent agency responsible for delivering major development and infrastructure projects across the territory.
Those projects typically involve significant public spending and decisions that residents and elected representatives say require robust legislative oversight. For BVI residents, the debate highlights broader concerns about transparency and the checks and balances between the executive and the legislature, especially when long-term development agencies and large contracts are involved.
Penn’s criticism underscores a push by the Opposition for clearer procedures that preserve regular opportunities for questioning ministers and holding the government accountable. The Amendment Bill remains under consideration in the House of Assembly, and the procedural dispute over Question Time is likely to feature in further sittings as lawmakers continue to debate the RDA’s future and how parliamentary time is allocated.
Primary source: VINO