House Speaker Blocks Opposition Leader From Discussing West Indies Oil Company Deal On Day One Of The 2015 Budget Debate

The budget debate featured its own share of drama.

The back and forth disputes surrounding claims on the purchase of the West Indies Oil Company by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda continued.

In his debate, Opposition Leader, the Hon. Baldwin Spencer claimed that on January 12, Prime Minister and Finance Minister, the Hon. Gaston Browne, asserted that the purchase price agreed to by the former Spencer administration was 81 million US dollars.

Spencer vehemently denied this and said that he had a document showing that the price agreed to by his administration was 30 million US dollars.

When asked to produce the document, Spencer admitted that it was not signed. He, therefore, had to withdraw his claim that he had such a document in his possession. Here is the ruling of Speaker of the House, Sir Gerald Watt.

Prime Minister Browne did promise that he would provide evidence relating to the claims.