And while the issue of those un-activated guarantees hangs like a Sword of Damocles above the executive chamber, the Prime Minister hopes to have the Universal one settled and re-negotiated by next week Friday in time for him to present it to the House. House tradition indicates that it would go through all three readings, and if it has majority support, be pushed through the House in one day. But not just yet. Watchdog Senator Godwin Hulse says it must, by law, go to committee for public consultations before that happens. He explained his position to us today.
Senator Godwin Hulse,
"The constitution says this National Assembly shall make always for order, peace, and good government and that is the only laws they can make and I find it incredible that the majority of Belizeans, there is a tremendous overwhelming outpouring against this and you will proceed with a law and say this is for good government. You are really really on thin ice.
So the process, quickly Jules, Friday read the Bill, whatever it is, send it to the committee, have the committee meet, have their national consultations, and come back at the next sitting. Please don't try to pass it in one sitting because that again would be violating the Finance and Audit Act.
But I continue to maintain that that portion of the Act is being violated when these loans are passed in one sitting. When we negotiated that Act, the idea was to have ventilated in committee so people can go and hear and make their presentations. In this particular case, I hope everybody demands it because each and every representative, the eyes of the nation, will be on them.
This is no longer sitting behind some, 'oh this is my party.' This is morally wrong. It is morally wrong. We can make anything legally right. Laws are made by man but the law of natural justice, which every attorney ascribes to, or should, it is morally wrong to take the money of the people, a struggling people, a people who have been saddled with all sorts of debts for benefits we didn't get, and you take our money once again when we can barely balance our budget, when we have crime and problems in school and health problems etc. and you justify it by saying, 'oh we will do it.'
Take that thing to committee, flesh it out there, if that's what you intend to do, show us where we are getting value for money, show us how this will benefit us, how this law will be for good government and hear what the people have to say."
