Twenty-three years ago, a song was being sung on the political campaign trail in the British Virgin Islands.

Its message was simple:

“We need accountability.”

“We need transparency.”

“For honest government, we need a new party.”

“Whole new regime.”

The song, associated with local musician and political activist Quito Rymer, became part of the political soundtrack of the 2003 election — an election in which the National Democratic Party defeated the Virgin Islands Party and formed government for the first time.

The song was remembered as “Millions and Millions and Millions and More.”

And ten years later, Virgin Islands News Online was still writing about it.

The irony is almost too powerful to ignore.

Twenty-three years later, we are still talking about millions.

Millions here.

Millions there.

Millions for this consultant.

Millions for that project.

Millions spent on studies.

Millions spent on travel.

Millions committed, borrowed, invested or otherwise moved around — while ordinary people are still asking a very basic question:

Where is the accountability?

And before anyone gets defensive, let me be clear.

This is not about pretending one political party is uniquely responsible.

It isn’t.

The VIP has had its turn.

The NDP has had its turn.

Different administrations. Different slogans. Different faces.

But too often, the same political culture.

The culture that tells us to applaud when money is spent because somebody says it is an investment.

The culture that expects taxpayers to accept vague explanations after the money is gone.

The culture that makes transparency something politicians talk about when they are in Opposition — and something they conveniently forget when they are in Government.

That is the problem.

And that is why I keep coming back to one word:

ACCOUNTABILITY.

Because accountability cannot mean only asking questions about the other side.

It cannot mean demanding answers when the VIP is in office and remaining silent when the NDP is in office.

It cannot mean defending questionable spending because the people spending the money happen to wear the political colours we support.

If it is public money, it belongs to the public.

Period.

If Government spends $5 million, the public deserves to know why.

If Government spends another $5 million, the public deserves to know why.

If millions are paid to consultants, we deserve to know who they are, what they were contracted to do, what they delivered and whether the Territory received value for money.

If a project runs over budget, we deserve an explanation.

If a contract is awarded, we deserve transparency.

If a public investment loses money, someone must be prepared to answer for it.

And if Government makes a decision that puts millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money at risk, “trust us” is not an acceptable financial control.

This is not about being against spending.

I am not.

Government must spend money. We need roads. We need water. We need electricity. We need healthcare. We need schools. We need infrastructure. We need social programmes.

And yes, we need investment.

But there is a fundamental difference between spending money to build a better Virgin Islands and spending money because Government has access to money.

There is a difference between investment and waste.

There is a difference between development and political vanity.

There is a difference between paying for expertise and paying consultants without demanding measurable results.

And there is a difference between governing and simply writing cheques.

WHERE DO WE TURN?

That is the question I want us to ask.

If the two major political traditions have had decades to fix the culture of government spending and we are still having the same conversation, perhaps the answer isn’t to keep changing the colour of the shirt.

Perhaps the answer is to change the rules of the game.

I am running as an independent because I don’t believe my first responsibility should be to a party.

My first responsibility should be to you.

I don’t want your vote so that I can defend a party.

I want your vote so that I can defend the public purse.

I want to be able to look at a government contract and ask the uncomfortable question.

I want to look at a multimillion-dollar expenditure and ask:

Why?

Who approved it?

Who benefits?

What did we receive?

Was it the best option?

And where is the evidence?

That should not make me controversial.

That should make me a representative.

Because government does not own the taxpayers’ money.

Government is the custodian of it.

And custodians have a duty to account for what they have been entrusted with.

Twenty-three years ago, Quito Rymer’s song captured a political mood.

Twenty-three years later, perhaps the greatest indictment is that some of the questions in that song still sound relevant.

Accountability.

Transparency.

Honest government.

Those should not be campaign promises.

They should be the minimum standard.

So yes — let’s talk about the millions.

Not because I am against spending.

Because I am for responsible spending.

Not because I am against government.

Because I believe government can do better.

Not because I want to tear down everything that came before.

Because I believe the Virgin Islands deserve to build something better going forward.

And not because I think one party has all the answers.

I don’t.

Neither does the other party.

What I do believe is that the people of this Territory are smart enough to demand something different.

A government where every dollar has a purpose.

Every contract has accountability.

Every investment has scrutiny.

Every consultant has deliverables.

Every decision can withstand public examination.

And every elected representative understands that public money is not party money.

It is your money.

So perhaps it is time to finish the conversation that began 23 years ago.

Millions and millions and millions more.

The question is no longer simply how much.

The question is:

More of what?

More debt?

More consultants?

More questionable spending?

More excuses?

More political blame?

Or more schools, better healthcare, reliable water, affordable necessities, stronger infrastructure, better opportunities and a government that actually works for the people who pay for it?

I choose the latter.

And I believe the Virgin Islands should too.

Progress isn’t a dream. It’s a plan.

And that plan must begin with something we should have never stopped demanding:

Accountability.