All you need to know about the government crisis and today’s vote
Wayne Panton and his PACT government have “run out of road”, Progressives leader Roy McTaggart insisted as he called for disaffected government members to help oust the premier from office.
Speaking as Parliament met in an emergency session on Tuesday morning, ahead of a knife-edge vote on the future of the government, McTaggart called on MPs to publicly turn on their leader and support the opposition in a ‘lack of confidence motion’.
The motion needs the support of at least two thirds of the 19 members to succeed. However, a straight majority would leave Panton in an untenable position. The rival groups are currently locked at 9-9 with Speaker Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, a part of the PACT group, able to vote in case of a tie.
McTaggart, in his opening speech, referenced the deep divisions within the coalition group, particularly around the budget, painting a picture of chaos, disunity and infighting at the heart of government.
“The current PACT government and Premier Panton have run out of road. It is clear that this premier cannot lead the kind of stable, effective government that is needed in these times. It is time for change,” he said.
Taking particular aim at Panton’s leadership, McTaggart suggested there were two alternatives on the table – for PACT to continue under a new leader or for a Progressives-led coalition to take over until the next election.
Either way, he said it was clear that the premier would have to go.
“The country cannot go on like this,” he said.
He insisted he bore no personal animosity towards his former colleague Panton, and was acting in the best interests of the country.
But, he said, Panton had allowed divisions and disagreements to fester and, after three resignations from his government in the space of a year, he no longer commanded enough support in Parliament to govern effectively.
“These three resignations have left the government unviable under the leadership of the current premier. That is the reality,” he said. “And as the famed expression goes – the buck stops with the premier. He is the captain of the PACT ship, and inevitably responsible for the position that his government now finds itself in.”
Citing the constitutional requirement for 10 sitting members to be present to form a quorum of the House, he said Panton’s government could no longer perform the basic function of calling and controlling meetings of Parliament.
Highlighting the failure to agree a budget – with just seven weeks left in the year – McTaggart said PACT was failing in the most basic functions of government.
“Our sincere belief is that these failures lie in the main with the premier’s failed leadership,” he added.
Alternative coalitions
He suggested the Progressives would be willing to either form a coalition with some of the PACT members or to give some leeway to a reformation of PACT under new leadership.
He said, “My preferred solution would be to form a new Progressives-led coalition, if possible. Despite the difficulties of working within this dysfunctional government, there are those on the government benches who I believe we can work with to implement important policies that make a real difference to people’s lives.”
He urged those people on the PACT benches to support the motion and put aside “misplaced loyalty” or risk being tied to a “failed premier and a failed government”.
Despite that challenge, he seemed to acknowledge that, the Progressives motion was unlikely to get the support of 13 members it requires to force a change of government.
And he suggested, “An alternative path is for the PACT government to reform itself under new leadership with a new premier.”
In those circumstances, he said, the Opposition would give the new formation time and leeway to organise themselves and get a budget passed. He insisted, however, that they would continue to challenge the government on key issues.
He added, “This is a time for responsible politicians, whatever their past affiliations, to come together to tackle the country’s challenges.”
Related Videos
