Turnbull Says Premier Neglects His Constituents
D2 Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull. Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull has accused Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley of being disconnected from his Seventh District constituents, citing complaints about lighting and other community concerns raised during a National Democratic Party visit.
D2 Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull. Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull has accused Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley of being disconnected from his Seventh District constituents, citing complaints about lighting and other community concerns raised during a National Democratic Party visit.
Speaking on NDP Radio yesterday, October 28, Turnbull said residents raised the issues during a recent walkthrough. He questioned the relationship between the community and its representative, who also heads the government. “And what I don’t understand is there’s a representative now in government who sits in the highest office.
But it seems like there’s a disconnect between that representative and the people,” Turnbull stated. Turnbull made the remarks while supporting concerns raised by Perline Scatliffe-Leonard, the NDP’s Seventh District candidate. He said people had complained about lights and other matters when party members visited the area a couple of weeks earlier.
Scatliffe-Leonard described concerns involving children, recreational facilities and conditions in Long Look. She said the community needed a safe place where children could go after school, receive help with homework and obtain guidance. She proposed opening the community centre from Monday to Friday and involving retired teachers and others who could assist children.
She also said parents in the community were working two or three jobs to make ends meet. Scatliffe-Leonard criticised the condition of a playground, saying dirty water ran along the road beside it and children stepped through or jumped over the water. She also raised concerns about derelict vehicles and the community’s appearance, describing the conditions visitors encountered as embarrassing.
She said she had used her limited resources to restore lighting at a gazebo following incidents in the area. During the radio discussion, Turnbull also recalled hearing a lighting complaint on an earlier walkthrough and seeing a light installed when he returned.
Primary source: BVI News