But the UDP wasn't even in the House when Utilities Minister Michel Chebat announced the pause. As we told you, they boycotted the first working session because of the acquisition. But the LOO went further to state that they didn't regret it since the PM arrived over 3 hours late. Panton called it a disrespect.
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"There has been no regret that the UDP via its parliamentarians will not allow the government to use the National Assembly and to use the House of Representatives as a rubber stamp for corruption. There is nothing that, and the opportunity is not lost, this matter, in my view requires oversight by parliament and the fact that the prime minister who knew nothing of this deal, nothing, he doesn't know that BTL was talking to his family's company but he now knows that he is directing the prime minister of this country has inserted himself to direct a pause on a deal he knew nothing about. The UDP parliamentarians will not be treated like cunumunu. You were in the House, Channel 7 went to Belmopan and had to wait until 1:30 so that the Prime Minister of this country could go to another event and they would have had us, the level of disrespect, would have had us sitting there until the Prime Minister and his members decided to show up. Now the prime minister was not aware on that morning that he had a commitment at SJC at 10. He knew that before. And I know he knew that before because I knew that before. So the House Meeting, if the Prime Minister did not want to show the level of disdain and disrespect he has for members of parliament, would have asked the Speaker to convene the house meeting at 1:30."
The Speaker of the House has told us that the house meeting actually started at 10:27 am without the PM, and she adds that the cause for the delay - which was announced at the start of the meeting - was because they were rectifying an audio issue.
There was also a suspension to allow for a change in a committee chair, during which the parliamentarians present were taken on a tour of the new National Assembly. They then broke for lunch and resumed the full session after.
