The budget debate continued today in Belmopan. But, after the PUP let off all their cannons yesterday, the tone was completely pro government during the session that started this morning. And, why not, after all, it’s like the government was shadow boxing – because their opponent had disappeared. Now, it might not seem like much fun talking to an empty Opposition bench, but from the looks of things, the government side had a good old time. Here are some samples.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The government side had its way today and as there was no opposition present to get in the way or raise even a word of protest.
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister
“I want to ask the leader of the opposition of one project that his people are proud of because if I ask him that, he might say SMART but SMART is not for the people. I want to ask what one project. He has been in government for 15 years. One project, like the draining system that we are putting up in Trial Farm. He doesn’t have anything to say.”
But the member who had a lot to say was the UDP’s Representative for Mesopotamia Michael Finnegan.
Hon. Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing
“If you know, if anybody knows the whereabouts of one Rufus X, he must report immediately and directly to the Auditor General. Mr. Speaker the Auditor General wants to know his whereabouts. He wants to interview him, it is right here in the Auditor General’s report, he wants to interview Mr. Rufus in connection with some $567,125.59 Mr. Speaker for some 25 bungalow houses
which the monies were given to him upfront for construction. This is in the Dickie Bradley period, this money was disbursed between the 27th of March to the 31st of March. According to the Auditor General they cannot find 10 of the houses, a total of $304,000. It is right here, paragraph 17, page 5.
But hear the juice of the story, when this contract was given to him, he was an employee of the Housing and Planning Department earning $48,000 a year. A public officer cannot enter into contracts with his own government which he is working for. It is a conflict of interest. You don’t need lawyer or nobody to know that. Even blind eye Jamesy could see that.”
Finnegan moved on from tackling his opponents to praising his sponsors.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“I have been fighting for freedom, justice and equality before some of unu born, before unu born, and I will continue fighting for justice. Unu think I came here and was fighting ten years against those PUP to get into power to just grab and rape. That is not my business. One Mesopotamians, Prime Minister, you Prime Minister continues to forward the monies for the goods and services of the voters of the Mesopotamia division, that is all I am interested in Prime Minister.
I am now an old man, I am ready for my master. I have lived a prosperous and good life Prime Minister. I came from nothing to Parliament. I lied in my bed the other night and said boy, you know you mek it. You have made it. Prime Minister I have made it from where I came. I came from Yabra and Conch Shell Bay to the National Assembly to one of the Executive of the country. I have made it.
If I could mek it, a lot of people out there could mek it and I will say something and you will have to take it and believe me, I didn’t mek it plain on my own. I made it because of Dean Lindo, I mek it because of B.Q. Pitts, I made it because of Collet Gill and Daisy Robateau, I made it because of you Dean Barrow. You Dean Barrow, we were small boys together but you were the man with the brains. When they put the thing on the blackboard you knew it long
time. It does take me three weeks to learn it but you knew it long time. I made it because of Denys Barrow and last but not least I made it because of Evan X Hyde. I made it because of Evan X Hyde. I am a magnanimous man. It is time for me to publicly acknowledge the part he has played in my life why I am here today.”
And without any opposition to raise even a hair of protest at all the self-congratulation, the Prime Minister wound up the debate with more cheers for the UDP government.
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
“Nobody was out there rioting, nobody was out there demonstrating, nobody was out there calling for our heads. And it is because, and this is want the member for Fort George who in his usually cowardly fashion hit and run, you notice he is not here today to face the music, but this is what I want him and the rest of them to understand, nobody is out there challenging this government because we have signed no secret deals diverting public money to cronies for kickbacks. We have inked no illegal loan notes or settlement deeds, arranging hundreds of millions of dollars in tax evasions for billionaire friends. We have not presided over a PUP system in which from the Prime Minister on down was on the take and in which hustle was endemic and all pervasive.”
The debate wrapped at a few minutes to four – bringing the total time for the two days to 14 hours. After the debate, the House took the Lotteries Control Amendment Bill through a third reading.
