Irion opposes latest travel for MPs as Grenada workshop delegation approved

GREAT BAY--Parliament on Tuesday approved a proposal to send a delegation to a regional workshop in Grenada for Caribbean parliamentarians, but not before opposition Member of Parliament Ardwell Irion raised objections over the value, timing, and cost of the trip.

The matter came up as Agenda Point 1 during the meeting, with Chairlady Sarah Wescot-Williams outlining a request for parliamentary approval of a delegation to attend a workshop on care systems for Caribbean parliamentarians, scheduled for April 16 and 17, 2026, in St. George’s, Grenada.

The invitation was extended through ParlAmericas and centers on how parliaments can support the development, implementation, and oversight of comprehensive and inclusive care systems. In presenting the item, the Chairlady said the workshop was relevant not only as a training opportunity for Members of Parliament, but also because of its connection to broader public policy and social development issues.

Wescot-Williams also used the opportunity to explain the “5R framework” for decent care work, developed by the International Labour Organization and promoted by UN Women. She said the framework is intended to transform the care economy by recognizing the need for care, reducing time spent on unpaid care work, redistributing care responsibilities, rewarding care work, and representing care workers. According to the Chairlady, the framework seeks to move care from being an often ignored and disproportionate burden on women to being a valued, shared, and supported societal function.

Under the proposal before Parliament, a delegation of up to four Members of Parliament, each from a different faction, in addition to the President of Parliament, would be authorized to attend the workshop. The Chairlady explained that when Parliament as a whole is invited to an event abroad, only four MPs, excluding the President, are permitted to travel, with participation determined on a rotational basis by faction in alphabetical order.

Based on that rotation and previous participation, the proposed delegation would include MPs Ludmila de Weever and Sarah Wescot-Williams, with the next eligible factions being the United People’s Party and the Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement. If one of those factions declined, the Democratic Party would be next in line. The delegation would also include the President of Parliament, the Secretary General of Parliament, and a staff member from the Secretariat. Travel arrangements and per diem were included in the request for approval.

Irion was the only member to openly oppose the proposal.

While making clear that he would not ordinarily object to such travel, Irion said he could not support the trip in this instance. He questioned whether the workshop represented the best use of time and resources at a moment when St. Maarten continues to face pressing domestic issues. He argued that some Members of Parliament appear to perform better when it comes to matters not directly related to St. Maarten than on issues requiring urgent local attention.

Irion also said he was not confident that other factions would return with the specific kind of information he would want to see coming out of the workshop. In addition, he raised concern about the cost of travel, particularly with airline ticket prices increasing, and questioned the budgetary basis for approving such a trip at this time.

In response, the Chairlady addressed the issue of budget authority, stating that in the absence of an approved annual budget, the previous year’s budget serves as the basis for management for both Parliament and Government. Her response indicated that there remained a legal and administrative basis for the expenditure.

After Irion’s remarks, no other Members of Parliament requested the floor on the travel matter. The proposal was then approved.

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