It was a masterful stroke.  

The Hon. Speaker, on Tuesday, demonstrated her independence, competence and control of the Hon. House.  And if she represents the future of leadership in the Territory, the ship of state is in good hands.

The proceedings allowed other things to emerge, principal among them, the fact that when the leaders of a democratic land disregard the principles of democracy, bad things happen.

The fireworks in the Hon. House this week had their genesis last August when the Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition brought a motion of ‘no confidence’ against the government.

The Leader of Government Business relied on a technicality to thwart the Opposition and to silence the motion which has yet to be heard.

When, in October, all was set legitimately for the debate, the Front bench, in an unprecedented move, walked out of the House.  And the motion was ‘pocketed’ once the House was adjourned sine die.

But the Front Bench is not the sole repository of inveigle and cunning in the House.  On the eve of the Premier’s visit to Asia, with pending, urgent business on matters of Financial Services, “The Alliance” brought and defended a motion which, despite veiled threats, won the Speaker’s favour.

It was important that due process and the Standing Orders were upheld but unfortunate that the fight was about the half of the economy over which a normally divided House always demonstrated unity and solidarity.

And it was the same Leader of His Majesty’s loyal Opposition who poured oil on the troubled waters, calmed the seas of recklessness in the making and saved the day.

He looked and sounded like a Statesman and demonstrated the level of maturity and leadership we expect from our representatives.

If only the Leader of His Majesty’s loyal Opposition felt willing to spend some of that political capital on the Retirees of the Territory; People who served the state for periods between 25 and 45 years, (some more) we know that they would receive some attention.

And it should not matter to him that the Leader of Government Business spoke of a steering committee to look into the increase for pensioners.  

He would recognize that, as the pensioners do, as a smokescreen; stalling tactics and a holding pattern for people whose level of desperation is high; some receiving less than $400 per month for their decades of service.

They have been as forbearing as Moses but even his patience had its limits and cost him his ticket into ‘the promised land.’

Increasingly, the Retirees believe that the Members of the House are demonstrating scant respect for and disinterest in them.  Perhaps, because their current utility to the political class is extremely low.  No election looms on the horizon.

And it may be because Elected Members have settled their own issues given that they receive their benefits after 5 years of service, reduced to 4, for some, under the greedy bill that they can easily forget those lower down the totem pole.

In any case, BVI politicians have, rightly, ensured that the Civil Servants were given increased wages.  They also made sure that they, themselves, were paid although that is more a secret than necessary for the workman is worthy of his hire. 

But they went further.  

The only retirees who received an increase were the retirees from the political class.  So, we are back to Orwell’s political allegory ‘Animal Farm’ where one of the commandments was changed by the propagandist Squealer, by night, to read: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

We know that this neglect of the retirees is not an accident because we have spoken about it ad nauseum as we have about the squalid and hungry conditions under which some of the elderly live and that, too, has fallen on deaf ears.

It seems in the BVI that if we are not speaking about the COI over which the crown has invested heavily and has a strong and demonstrated interest;

And if we are not speaking about independence which seems to be the Premier’s legacy item, which his advisors seem to think will emanate from dictates of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization although Committee Members said during their visit that it is a matter for the people to decide.

Now, the proponents of the initiative are trying to see how to bypass the will of the people and do away with a referendum.  That was first suggested by their consultant during a talk show interview and we will get to observe, if yet again, the boundaries of democracy are elastic.  Certainly, if independence for the BVI is a family heirloom or the expressed wish of the people.

And the leaders will note that the mayhem that almost occurred in the House, where personal disrespect to Members was also in play; That disrespect can spill over into the community where the next generation of leaders watch and learn.

“The most fascinating thing about power is that that which can so effortlessly be given;

Can so easily be taken away.”

Meanwhile, the body politic, the people, are keeping the score.  And on our Fridays, we observe.

Happy Friday!