Myron Walwyn has denied that he failed his first major test as opposition leader after his recent no-confidence motion against Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley flopped.
Mr. Walwyn, who took over the leadership role in March after ousting Ronnie Skelton, said the motion was never intended to bring down the government.
In the end, only Mr. Walwyn spoke in the confidence debate and just one of the four other opposition members in the House of Assembly voted with him on July 31, while Mr. Skelton (R-at large) abstained.
At a press conference in Road Town last Thursday, Mr. Walwyn attempted to put a brave face on the parliamentary events.
Though the press event was billed as being hosted by “His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition,” only Mr. Walwyn, Stacy Mather (R-at large) and Mitch Turnbull (R-D2) attended.
The three members styled themselves as The Alliance earlier this year before Mr. Skelton was toppled as opposition leader.
“We went into the vote of no confidence under no illusions that we would win,” Mr. Walwyn told the press conference. “This was not the objective, because a vote of no confidence serves different purposes.”
‘The key thing’
The District Six member said he had used the occasion to highlight signs that the premier is letting down the territory, such as unemployment rates, water shortages and the lack of a tourism strategy.
“The key thing is for you to be able to articulate what the concerns of the public are, because what was written in that vote of no confidence is exactly what is affecting each and every citizen of this country,” Mr. Walwyn said.
The opposition leader stood by his actions.
“In articulating those concerns, sometimes a solo can be just as effective as a choir,” he said. “I was solo, and I sang quite well, articulating the concerns of the people of the country.”
The opposition leader also accused Mr. Wheatley and his government colleagues of disrespecting voters by opting not to reply to his accusations in the confidence debate.
“This government chose not to debate it, sending a clear message that to them your concerns are not worthy of respect,” he said.
However, Mr. Walwyn insisted that the government heard his complaints.
“The government heard those concerns, and even though they did not debate it, it must be resting very heavily on their minds,” he said. “So to me, the vote of no confidence was quite successful, because it conveyed what the people of this country have on their minds.”
United?
Mr. Turnbull was the only opposition member to vote with Mr. Walwyn, but he missed the debate on the motion, stating that he had arrived early for the parliamentary session but left the proceedings to attend a funeral.
When he returned to the chamber, he said, it was too late to speak on the confidence motion.
Mr. Mather missed both the debate and the vote, but he apologised and told the HOA that he was absent due to a personal matter.
During the press conference last week, Mr. Walwyn sidestepped questions on whether the wider opposition is united.
“People send who they want to the House of Assembly to represent their interests,” he said. “Every single person must be responsible for their stewardship to the people of this country.”
However, Mr. Walwyn then appeared to take a swipe at Mr. Skelton.
“If somebody wants to sit down and abstain, that’s a matter for them,” he said. “I chose to stand up and speak on behalf of the people of this country.”
Premier’s response
Though no government members contributed to the confidence debate last month, some of them used the subsequent “other business” segment of the HOA meeting to criticise Mr. Walwyn’s move and express support for the premier.
And after Mr. Walwyn’s motion was defeated 7-2, Mr. Wheatley stood by his record.
“It is interesting that the leader of the opposition could not find one person to debate in support of his motion,” the premier told the Beacon shortly after the vote, adding, “There are five members of the opposition and only two voted in favour. That is not a vote of confidence in his motion.”
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