Today's house meeting was relatively tame - no one got kicked out - and the hostilities didn't begin to ramp up until the end of the session.
And, a number of bills had bi-artisan support - but, even when they agree, they still end up fighting. And so it was in the debate for a motion to approve a loan facility from the Social Security Board to the Development Finance Corporation to Provide funds for a 20 million dollar Mortgage Finance Program.
Here's the back and forth:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"In 2019, interest rates on housing loans were 13%. Today, it ranges between 7.5% and 8.5% despite the inflationary pressures that are increasing the cost of money to the DFC. Demand continues to rise in 2023 for housing loans for Belizeans for home and abroad trying to secure a piece of the jewel. With this loan from the SSB, DFC has secured the necessary financing to continue to offer housing loans with flexible terms and repayment and in so doing has provided the SSB with a secure income earning investment opportunities."
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Because the false promise of giving 10,000 houses is certainly nowhere near to being delivered upon. I think they've given out 150 houses. Mesopotamia has not gotten any, Collet has not gotten any, Corozal North has not gotten any and Albert has not gotten any the last time I checked. But I am a strong proponent of creating a housing solution that allows for Belizeans to have access to financing and I've been saying it over and repeatedly and I am happy that the government is listening."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Madam Speaker, I do not yield. I think that the leader of the opposition has no moral authority to criticize our government when it comes to housing. Absolutely no moral authority. How dare him. When the UDP was voting every single year for 13 years - 8 million dollars for housing. That's what - a hundred and four million dollars and how many houses did they built? How many houses did you built in Mesopotamia? How many houses that we get? we that were in the opposition that were on the other side, absolutely none."
"We have built over 300 homes for low cost for single mothers, for poor people. That is what we said we were going to do. We are going to do our best to build low-cost housing for poor people and we said that we are going to make financing available, financing affordable so that the middle class can borrow and build their own homes."
