The budget was presented 9 days ago and the debate on its bounty and its deficits started today and will continue tomorrow.
For 7 hours on this day 1, Parliamentarians from both sides of the House either waxed poetic or complained copiously about the General Revenue Appropriation 2022/2023 Bill of 2022.
We'll have a few highlights from the remarks made, but we begin tonight's coverage of the House Meeting with a series of confrontations that happened some 4 hours into the proceedings. That's when escalating personal attacks were slung like character assassination arrows from one side of the house chamber to the next.
It got so bad that House Speaker Valerie Woods had to put all the members in time out when she suspended the debate for a few minutes. Here's how it all started - and how Madam Speaker "gone da hundred":
Hon. Henry Charles Usher - Minister of Public Service
"If you want to do something beneficial - I am glad he is coming back into the chamber, now, if you want to do something beneficial. Mr. Leader of the Opposition."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow - Leader of Opposition
"Trying to eviscerate me with personal attacks is not a part of the debate. Mr. Speaker. I have listened to him painfully giving him much leeway. But, he just wants to talk about me. I know he is obsessed with me because unlike him, I am a self-made person. I wasn't suckling on daddy's teat like you."
Deputy House Speaker
"Okay, Opposition Leader, member, please stick to the budget debate. Please abstain from personal attacks."
Hon. Henry Charles Usher
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, he runs in here because he got hit. If it's too hot, get out of the kitchen."
Deputy House Speaker
"Member -"
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"Stop worrying about me. Worry about the People in Fort George and the People of Belize, that your government was elected to serve."
Hon. Henry Charles Usher
"If he wants to do something beneficial on one of his other trips, then he needs to go on a find, and bring back Rene Montero, so that Rene Montero can face the music. If you're serious about it, then you need to do that."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"You need to bring your father to face justice for stealing $20 million, sir."
Hon. Valerie Woods - Speaker, House of Representatives
"Members, no no - Member, Prime Minister, Member for Fort George."
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"I demand that he pulls back what he said. Madam Speaker."
Hon. Valerie Woods
"Members, I just walked into this chamber."
Hon. John Briceno
"If I [can] point out, Madam Speaker since you just stepped in. He just accused the former prime minister, Rt. Hon. Said Musa, of stealing $20 million. That's what he said just now. So I am demanding that he takes that statement back. I'm not asking."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"The former prime minister was arrested, and accused in a court of law for stealing 20 million dollars."
Hon. John Briceno
"On trumped-up charges that your father did."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"And that is why we need to refrain from personal attacks."
Hon. Valerie Woods
"Members - Leader of Opposition! Leader of Opposition."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"[inaudble] the personal attacks."
Hon. John Briceno
"We don't have a problem with that, you know, but when you lie, that's the problem."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"[inaudible] one of the biggest thieves."
Hon. Valerie Woods
"Mr. Leader of Opposition member."
Hon. Jose Mai - Minister of Agriculture
"And you are a criminal."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"It's you all who are the criminals."
Hon. Valerie Woods
"Members! I am calling you to attention members! members! Leader of Opposition, I am going to have to ask you to take that back."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"Take what back?"
Hon. Valerie Woods
"You just pointed over here and said you're the biggest thief."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"I didn't point."
Hon. Valerie Woods
"Member, you just said over there - that you said - point or no point you said it. Point or no point. Do not look at the irrelevant words in my statement."
Hon. Mose "Shyne" Barrow
"I didn't call anybody's name."
Hon. Valerie Woods
"You said you are the biggest thief. Member. I'm going to ask you again. I am going to ask you again...Members I'm going to suspend for a short while to consult the official recording of what was said when I walked into this room, and what was said afterward."
