Of course, while the news of the day is the protest, the event the unions were there to protest was the House's passage of the Prime Minister's budget. While the unions did effectively distract the members with noisemaking on the Hill, for the most part, the budget debate went on un-interrupted. The longest and probably the most entertaining presentation was given by Mesop representative Michael Finnegan. He's been known to speak for 3 hours in the past, but today he kept it to two, chastising the government for past promises it made and broke. One promise the government did keep was the one on casinos.
Hon. Michael Finnegan, Mesopotamia Area Representative
"Casino will bring in a lot of needed money into the country, casino will develop thousands of jobs in the country, casinos is the way to go. And they are not running a church, they are running a government and government has a right in order to engage in casino gambling etc.
Madam Speaker, with all the fanfare, they were to collect $1.2 million in revenues from casino. All they collected was a mere $577,000 from casinos. So all the story tales and all the things that were said about casinos and what casinos were going to bring for our people and what casinos were going to do for our country.
At the end of the day, Bishop Martin was right and government was wrong. Casinos has made our people poor. Casinos, it has taken advantage of our poor, our deprived and our depressed and Bishop Martin was right and you as a government was wrong.
We are living in a good country but with pathetic leadership, let us never forget that Madam Speaker. And I am the one who is still standing up and saying to you that the seven million dollar write off to the Carlisle Group is a slap in the Belizean people face. It is a disgrace, it is pathetic, it is a shame, and this government should be ashamed of yourself.
Let us not never forget that. When they were all sweet and hugging at each other Madam Speaker, nobody was criticizing Michael Ashcroft. Not the Prime Minister, not the PUP, not the Publisher - none of them were criticizing Michael Ashcroft. They were all eating this grand old potato pound that was full of spice and raisins. They were all eating at the potato pound, this government that created the Michael Ashcroft scenario. They are responsible.
How can we forget this great one of cheaper water bill, no won't forget, cheaper light bill, cheaper telephone bill, all in the manifesto of Set Belize Free. They promised cheaper light bill, cheaper water bill, cheaper telephone bill. Madam Speaker it is nine long dreaded years and we are still waiting.
Do you remember Madam Speaker that going into that 1998 elections on Channel 7 News they had a little lady at the back of Lake Independence with an iron board and the lady was ironing. He said the PUP will set up a commission for utilities and when you think your bill is too high, you will go to this commission, ha ha ha, and this commission will lower your bill. Ha ha ha, bwoy PUP could whap those people. I am telling you they are good.
They were saying that as PUP win and this commission was set up, when you see your bill goes high and people complain about light and people complain about water, that is what the lady was gesticulating, and she said don't worry because all the light and phone bill will go down and water will go down. Bwoy what a licking we tek. I can't use the right words Madam Speaker. It would be un-parliamentary.
How can we ever forget that they said that they were going to provide greater protection for women? This is in their manifesto Madam Speaker. They talk that they were going to provide greater protection for women. How do you provide greater protection for women? I am running out of time and I will come back next time and say to you how do we provide greater protection for our women.
Women are special. A woman is such a sweet apple. Women are like a milk cake. When you slice it you hope the milk don't drop off because you take your little tongue and you lick it up. Women are special man. I don't know Madam Speaker but me, I love women."
The debate ended at just after 5:00 today when the Prime Minister wound it up. One historical footnote is that the man who spoke just before PM Musa, Florencio Marin Sr. gave what we are told is his his 42nd and last budget address. Marin, undefeated in Corozal Southeast for 9 terms, is retiring.
