Anguilla’s Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. Lorenzo Webster, delivered what amounted to a US State of the Union type Address, at the opening of the Second Session of the 12th Anguilla House of Assembly, on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
Cora Richardson-Hodge and her colleagues, Mr. Evans Rogers, Mr. Cardigan Connor and Mr. Jose Vanterpool, walked out of the House, just minutes before Dr. Webster commenced the delivery of his address.
The Opposition Leader contended that she only received a copy of the address the afternoon before, rather than some three days in advance. She argued that sufficient time was not given to her to make a substantive response to the Premier’s address, and subsequently requested an adjournment of the House, suggesting that she needed a longer time. The argument between the Government, represented mainly by Premier Webster, and the Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Haydn Hughes – and the Opposition, represented by its Leader, went back and forth for well over half-an-hour.
Premier Dr. Webster was of the view that he was not under any obligation to make available his address to the Opposition Leader – at her insistence and time of request. During the delivery his delivery, he apologised that Mrs. Richardson-Hodge had received the copy of his address 24 hours before the sitting of the House, and He felt, however, that it was sufficient time for her to review it to make her intended statement in the House.
He stressed that he had the right to deliver his address in the House of Assembly, and not anywhere else, as the Opposition suggested, with respect to the Government’s legislative agenda, programmes and policies. He thought his address was similar to the Throne Speech, delivered many years ago, on behalf of the Anguilla Government, by the Governor, at the start of a new session of the House, following earlier proroguing. He was pleased that he, as the Premier of Anguilla, had the opportunity to deliver the address, for the first time, on behalf of his Government.
The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mrs. Barbara Webster-Bourne, gave the Leader of the Opposition quality time to present her case for the adjournment of the House and, after much debate, put her request to the membership of the House. When the vote was taken, the Government’s side gained the overall majority vote, thus allowing the Premier to freely deliver his address.
The Speaker commented that the Premier’s address, being a non-substantive matter, did not require a vote of approval by the House at that time.
Meanwhile, at the adjournment, the Speaker regretted that the Opposition Members had walked out of the House. She described their departure as “disrespectful”, saying that they needed to get the approval of the Speaker or Chair of the House of Assembly to leave the parliamentary building.
