So while the Speaker got both cheers and jeers, Shyne Barrow is at an interesting crossroads in his own party.
He has arrived at a working truce with the caucus for change, and been forced to come to terms with the reality that, John Saldivar, the man he insisted was "significantly corrupt" and unfit for public office is now a fixture and principal figure within the Barrow-led UDP.
And as the UDP convention season is on, Saldivar allies continue winning their constituencies to be installed as standard bearers, increasing the power of the Caucus for Change.
We asked Barrow about the the fickle fortunes of political alliances:
Jules Vasquez
"Are we seeing that the Caucus for Change is solidifying its hold on the UDP by growing its numbers? Not necessarily in terms of electability, but in terms of inter party influence."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"It doesn't necessarily matter what numbers the caucus has. The caucus has agreed to support me to be the next prime minister of this country. So I am not paying attention as to whether or not they're gaining numbers or losing numbers. My responsibility is to the entire party, so I have been reaching out to all colleagues."
Jules Vasquez
"The truce between yourself and Caucus for Change is a truce based on your own desperation to be leader, and it is based on their desperation for money, which you are the only source of in the UDP. So you are paying them a thousand or $1,500 a month retainer and they are paying you with their grudging support. How would you respond to that?"
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"I know that's absolutely not true. But remember, they are the people that helped to get me elected. And so once we were able to sit down and discuss matters and reaffirm our commitments, identify many previous shortcomings, improvements that they would like to see, that was the gist of our agreement. It had nothing to do with any financial incentive. I help every standard bearer."
Jules Vasquez
"But you had stopped helping them when they supported Mr. Saldivar at the BPC. You held back their allowance."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"But then again I have personal relationships with many members of the caucus, so that's definitely not true. And I help any standard bearer in the UDP that comes to my office for support for their constituency."
Jules Vasquez
"Helping 31 people with a thousand or $1500 a month will cost you over $350,000 a year."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Well, that's the cost of being a viable opposition. So when you say that we are not, I beg to differ. The work is being done. And at the end of the day, I pray, God, that investment that I'm making bodes well for the people of Belize at the end of the day, what we want is to give them an alternative, a viable option, and we will see in short order in the municipal elections, you know, whether the investment that is being made is worthwhile based on the results. And I think I'm confident we will have positive results."
Jules Vasquez "When people make an investment, they want the return. When politicians use that word, it means that I made an investment, I want my return on the back end: I'm going to get so many deals, my people are going to get so many deals that the investment will pay off. I will get a financial return. That's what investment means."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"My investment is to win enough seats."
Jules Vasquez
"But you have to get a return, a financial return. The investments are made for financial returns."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"My return is for policy return. It's something that is a challenge in Belize. I always lament about it, but I wish we had more donors who spent money based on policy that they would support you."
"But I am one of those people that I am investing because I want to be the Prime Minister of this country for policy. Then I could implement all the things I talk about as far as access to financing."
"So instead of 10,000 houses I would lean on the banking sector. I will capitalize DFC and the National Bank so that anybody can go into the bank as a first time owner who doesn't have collateral, who doesn't have a cosigner and get a mortgage, which is a policy issue. Why? None of the prime ministers did that, I don't know, but I will do it."
"I invest my resources so that I could have the power of the legislature to put forward the policies that I believe will change Belize forever."
