But the answers the opposition wanted were right outside as the party staged a protest to coincide with the debate. Our team was on the stairs of the National Assembly to see how that went:
Jules Vasquez Reporting
About 275 PUP supporters gathered in front of the national assembly building - while another 100 or so stood around - bring the total that we could count to about 400.
Not an overwhelming crowd but the leader was satisfied:
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the opposition
"We came here in solidarity with the people, with our people and also to tell our people out here that we appreciate them coming out here demonstrating their frustration with this government demonstrating that they are tired of the suffering and the hard times that is being administered by the Dean Barrow government."
Jules Vasquez
"It's not a huge crowd."
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the opposition
"I am happy that the people are out here with us. If it was 10 people or 1,000 or 10,000 what is important is that the people of this country have gotten enough of Dean Barrow and this administration."
Jules Vasquez
"The main area that leads the plaza here only has 275 people?"
Julius Espat, PUP Treasurer/Standard Bearer
"No, no, you had over 1,000 persons here, Jules. You need to have your numbers correct."
Jules Vasquez
"Julius, we can do a unitary head count. You don't have a thousand persons here."
Julius Espat, PUP Treasurer/Standard Bearer
"I challenge you to do a unitary head count and bring the numbers to me."
Jules Vasquez
"So you feel like this crowd is 1,000?"
Julius Espat, PUP Treasurer/Standard Bearer
"It's only 1000 person we brought. We didn't pay anybody. People wanted to express their opinion; they want to show their solidarity to the party leader. They wanted to show that the PUP can bring out people at any time."
Jules Vasquez
"Is this something that the PUP can afford to sustain or is this just a one time effort to coincide with the budget?"
Julius Espat, PUP Treasurer/Standard Bearer
"No, no, this was a request made by true PUP's that wanted the party leader to be here with his people and we can do it again, because the people are now changing. They want a change and the money will come with it."
And while their chants were spirited - and they had signs, hats, shirts and taunts even an underwear suggestion for UDP talk show hosts Joe and Alfonso - but we couldn't really home in on what the issue was, why a protest?:
Jules Vasquez
"At this point there is no central galvanizing issue or is there one that you all see?"
Julius Espat, PUP Treasurer/Standard Bearer
"Jules, how can you say that? The central galvanizing issue is we don't have any jobs out here. People have to feed their children, if that is not a central galvanizing issue then nothing is."
Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the opposition
"But everywhere we go, all across this country everybody is telling you that people are losing their jobs and they can't get a job and that the unemployment rate has increased significantly, since they took over in 2008."
What is important to note is that our people are reaching a breaking point; that people are suffering out here and people want to come out here and demonstrate their displeasure, their disappointment on how the government continues to deceive them.
