Residents recently turned out in numbers to protest government’s intention to move a motion in the House of Assembly to outrightly pay Speaker Julian Willock’s legal fees for an aborted court injunction against three Commission of Inquiry lawyers.

Juxtaposing this protest to the historic 1949 march that saw Theodore Faulkner and others march against the British government’s proxy rule in the BVI, Penn said residents are now venting their frustration in the direction of local elected representatives.

The 1949 march ultimately led to the restoration of the House of Assembly, which was at the time called the Legislative Council.

“Our people, instead of holding us up and us representing their interests, they’re marching on us. Do you see the irony?“ Penn asked.

Cindy’s character was diminished by VINO cartoon

Penn also pointed to the deplorable depiction of popular government detractor, Cindy Rosan-Jones, in a cartoon run on the Speaker’s website, Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), as something to ‘diminish her’ and ‘break her down as a woman’.

He also commended Junior Trade Minister, Shereen Flax-Charles for her stance against the government’s aforesaid motion. He praised her for her conviction.

Flax-Charles was also one of a few legislators who condemned the cartoon, which was pulled shortly after its publication on the news site.

The Opposition Leader said the government has to be more responsible with public funds, and insisted that they cannot continue to reward bad behaviour and take advantage of already strained public resources.