And while that was an impressive show of parliamentary Kumbaya, there was a heated disagreement about the Briceno Government's 3rd Supplementary Appropriation Bill for the current fiscal year that's about to end.
The Government wants Parliament's approval to spend another 70 million dollars that weren't budgeted for. Here are a few excerpts from that debate:
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Government Business
"We are here because section 114 and 115, 116, 117 of the constitution speaks to the way public finances are to be dealt with. We will hear those who violated the constitution speak in a short while. We on this side are not ashamed of coming here on every occasion to comply with the law. The law breakers we will hear them shortly."
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Lead U.D.P. Senator
"We were here in October for a supplementary budget, we were here in December for a supplementary budget and now we are here in February for a supplementary budget, asking the people for 70 million dollars. Purchase of vehicles, $750,000 they have spent already for the year budgeted for, they come back one month before a new budget is to be read after spending $750,000 worth of vehicles. They are asking now for $733,000 worth of vehicles now. Taking us to just under 1.5 million dollars for the year. So you can look at public servants can't give them increments, telling them to wait, we are all punishing in this together, we are all taking this lick, but I as the prime minister get to sit on $45,000 worth of furniture and get 1.5 million dollars' worth of vehicles. You really think that's going to fly with the Belizean people? Some of the expenses make no sense and some of them go to projects that you didn't allocate a penny for the entire year."
Hon. Darrell Bradley, UDP Senator
"The devil is in the details, the government is coming to this house to ask for the approval of the house to allocate in one month an additional 15 million dollars for pharmaceuticals and supplies, in circumstances where the entire years' budget 11 months was only 10 million dollars. With the absence of any explanation, just the figure, so that with respect, but to tout the idea that this is transparency in my view is not accurate. I will not respond to anything that he would say that the United Democratic Party has done, but I will say that if we are debating this budget allocation and the government is asking for an additional 15 million dollars in the final month, in order for me to vote in favour of that I need to have details, I need to know why."
Hon. Christopher Coye, PUP Senator
"Even into this fiscal year, these 3 supplementary appropriations also had to account for 68 million dollars again of unauthorized expenditures under the past UDP administration."
"Senator referred to the ministry of health and the 15.5 million, 5 million, that 15.5 million in a sense is a bit of a catching up because of payables the past administration that had not been paid. 5 million were taken out of the approved estimates to pay those past payables, so this 15 million, a portion of that has to account for what is accrued for this year, but is not available because of having to pay under the 5 million accrued under the past administration."
Hon. Elena Smith, Labour Senator
"We don't come to the senate to just go against or vote against what is presented. We do our very best to support what comes to us, but we can only support if we have enough information. When we are asking legitimate questions, we ought to be given the responses."
Hon. Kevin Herrera, Business Senator
"I am sure that many of these expenses are very necessary, but for the ones that are not urgent and critical, that perhaps they could have wait, because even as we speak the population of this country is under tremendous strain."
