And while the CWU hopes for much improved labour relations at the Port - the question we'll be asking over the next few days is "how did we get here?"
The fact is - government didn't set out to buy the Port out of Goodwill - it was forced into that position by a nasty ad campaign led by the Ashcroft Alliance.
Yesterday in the house - we heard both sides of what the motivation for settlement and acquisition may have been:
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"And the only reason, Madam Speaker, the only reason that they have come up with this solution is to save the Portico Corrupt Agreement. That is the only reason because the consortium has them cornered."
"But there are no good intentions with this government and they're only doing this because they have to, not because they want to, Madam Speaker."
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
"This is a restoration of city pride. This is a restoration of labour pride. This is a restoration of southside pride. This is a restoring of our dignity. This is about correcting an original sin. It's about getting it right. No more problems for the stevedores, Madam Speaker. No more fighting with the stevedores."
"The man them will finally get their 400,000 dollars that the Ashcroft litigation was blocking. The man them will finally get their 400,000 and they will get it before Christmas too."
"And now I think we've rid ourselves once and for all of public enemy number one."
"We can never, ever let another foreigner treat us like this again. First time, it's a shame on them. Second time, it's shame on us. This is a valuable lesson for present and future governments. You can't make people treat you like that. You can't make people run you in the down. You can't make people abuse you, tell you what they want, do you what they want, whenever they want. You have to be able to stand up. You have to be able to say enough is enough."
"You can invest your money you know, but you can't own us. You can't treat us like chattels. You cannot abuse our people. You have to be for our people. You can make your profits. You can invest in our people. But you cannot be allowed to do what this man did to our people for the last 30 years. And it's not just one government to blame for that. Successive governments danced with him. Thought they could outsmart him. They could sleep with him. You can't sleep with him, because he is the devil, G. He doesn't care about this country. He doesn't care for our people."
Patrick Faber, UDP Collet
"You see them here play now like, oh boy, this, you know, we were doing this for Belize. Well your history, the ghosts of Christmas past since we were in Christmas, is what will haunt you and haunt you forever and will say to the Belizean people, never trust any deals that the People's United Party makes with Michael Ashcroft, It is bad for Belize. They signed that secret accommodation agreement with Ashcroft. They told him if you take back the company, if you take the monkey off our back because we are saddled with it, if you take it back, then... this is what we are going to give you. I think it was 15 million... I don't remember, all kinds of things they promised. I don't remember what all was in the accommodation agreement. They would give them, they would pay them, you're correct."
"Remember all of this? You remember all of this? Or for the sake of the younger people listening at home? This is what happened. This is the history of Michael Ashcroft and Belize. And you all are amazing, its like when you all, solve the problems that you create and saddle the nation with these huge problems, then boy, give me a pat on the back, look what I did that, I pulled that off, please."
"This PUP administration, feel like I should say they have more nerves than 32, bad teeth. Sick. They sell the airport. They sell BTL. They sell BEL. They sell WASA, BWSL. Everything they sell, you know. Everything."
"Just to remind the Belizean people, so they come now, boy, I acquired back to the hands of the Belizean people. Sirs, you and madams, you were the ones who first sold off these things."
"So when you see him coming today, like he cares so much for Belize, teleprompter and all, which didn't help him, it is not because he loves Belize, you know? Not accusing him. Let me come off that part, Madam Speaker."
"But it is because this is a direct solution, now to the problem that has been plaguing the PUP administration as it relates to the ports, he has to get rid of one of the projects and you think Lord Ashcroft doesn't know this? He has to get rid of one of the projects so let us and the man is getting up in age, so he must be tired of going through all of these troubles the Lord I'm speaking about and want put an end to this thing and so they come know madam speaker with a proposal to end it all as they put, it end it all and they are claiming that oh we will nationalize the port again. My brother its you all that sell it out."
