Richard Lewis Says He Used Personal Funds to Address Infrastructure Gaps in Rural West

Member of Parliament for St. John’s Rural West, Richard Lewis, says he has repeatedly used his own money to carry out basic infrastructure work in his constituency, arguing that government inaction has forced him to intervene.

Speaking on Observer AM this week, Lewis outlined a series of projects he said were funded from his personal resources, including repairs to public facilities, roadworks and drainage improvements.

“One time I had to purchase… large buckets of sealants to seal the roof of the clinic to prevent leaking. That’s not my job. That’s the government’s job. But I had to step in to do that,” Lewis said.

He also pointed to shortages of medical supplies at community clinics, saying he has occasionally stepped in to help.

“I step in from time to time using my personal resources to make sure that there are supplies available,” he added.

Lewis said the challenges extend beyond healthcare infrastructure, citing road conditions and drainage issues across the constituency.

“There are numerous temporary road patchings that I had to do in many areas, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars of personal resources, things that I’m not supposed to do as an opposition MP,” he said.

He added that similar efforts were made to address drainage and land maintenance concerns.

“Fixing drainage issues in several areas… that is not my job. My job is to advocate on behalf of my people and to get the authorities to do the work that government is supposed to do,” Lewis said.

According to Lewis, these interventions reflect what he described as longstanding neglect of the constituency by successive administrations, particularly in relation to basic services and maintenance of public facilities.

“But because of the neglect, I had to step in and use personal resources to do that,” he said.

Lewis contrasted his position as an opposition MP with that of government representatives, noting that he operates with limited resources.

“I get $2,000… and when I go down the list, you’ll realize that it’s a significant personal investment by Richard Lewis just to make sure that his people get something that they can feel good about,” he said.

He argued that elected officials with access to state resources should be responsible for such work, warning that the current situation raises broader concerns about governance and accountability.

The remarks come as political parties intensify campaigning ahead of general elections expected within months, with infrastructure, healthcare access and public services emerging as key issues for voters.

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