Peyreffite was known for his bullish ways as House Speaker but now he's in the upper house where decorum and civility prevail, not the boisterous style of House. Still, he's sharp on the uptake ads a debater, and that came in right on time for the UDP today when the PUP's senior Senator tried to end today's meeting before it even started. Eamon Courtenay caught everyone off guard when he proposed a surprise amendment to hold off on today's meeting completely until the NGO Senator is in place. Here's how that went:..
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Leader of Government Business
"Mr. President, I move that at its rising today the senate adjourn to a date to be fixed by the President."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"I proposed that the motion moved by the Hon. Leader of Government Business be amended to read that at its rising now this senate do stand adjourn until after the 20th January in order that the 13th senator can attend and take part in the matters on the order paper. It is the motion to amend so that the senate adjourns now."
Hon. Elena Smith, Labour Senator
"I would like to support the motion presented by Senator Courtenay, that we adjourn so that our 13th senator can have a chance to represent the people that he should be representing."
Hon. Li Mark Chang, President of the Senate
"We need for the NGO of the past in order Senator Salas to be sworn in tomorrow. If it is not passed today, Senator Salas will not be able to sworn in tomorrow."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"It is legally false to say to this senate that the amendment to the NGO act is required for the 13th senator to take his seat. We can disagree on the legal interpretation of that. I insist on my motion been voted on."
Hon. Steve Duncan, UDP Senator
"I cannot support the motion to adjourn. I believe the business of the senate and the business of the people should continue. There is no good reason why it should be dependent on any one person. This senate has function without that person for decades and will do so even after."
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Senator
"There is no such thing as a 13th senator. There are 13 senators when the next person is sworn in. We are all a part of 13 senators. We are all number one and we are all number 13. We do paused the business of the people to accommodate one person."
Hon. Aldo Salazar, UDP Senator
"His motion is that at the end of today's sitting we adjourn. So I don't feel that it is proper to proposed that amendment. Because it is not something that standing order 25 stipulates that has exemption from notice. In my view, it is out of order."
Hon. Valerie Woods, PUP Senator
"In a year in which the unions and business community and so many others rallied and asked the government to kindly put into effect what the people have been waiting for, but more importantly, what this government championed going into that first of three elections. With all of that knowledge a senate meeting was schedule for one day before, not two weeks before, not 3 weeks before, but one day before."
Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett, UDP Senator
"Based on my understanding if we did what Senator Courtenay has proposed that we don't do any at all of the senate's business today including the amendment to restrict the participation in the election of the senator for the NGO to those who are registered, that we could have a difficulty."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"It is clear to the nation who do not believe in the 13th senator being seated in this house."
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Senator
"Who doesn't believe in the 13th senator to make that last comment there? We are the ones who passed the law to bring the 13th senator. What you mean we don't believe in the 13th senator?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Leader of Government Business
"I will humbly request that we have temporary suspension of the sitting so that we can discuss certain matters."
So, the house took a quick suspension, and when they came back the President of the Senate had re-composed himself and made a quick ruling:...
Hon. Li Mark Chang, President of the Senate
"Based on standing order 92 and 95 I will not allow the motion to be amended Senator Courtenay and we will move on."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"Well the government side withdrew and they went into consultation and came back and the president announce that the motion was out of order. The point of the matter is, is that what we wanted to do was to demonstrate to the public, to demonstrate to the Belizeans and specifically the NGO community that the government of Belize has a problem with their commitment to the people. They were the ones who amended the constitution. From 2008 we have been waiting for this to happen. It hasn't happen. They made that commitment. They have now done this and there is no reason as you saw today why this meeting couldn't have been delayed in order for the 13th senator to take his seat."
Later on, we'll have highlites from the debate on the NGO Amendment bill.
