Email

Print

As per custom, the leader of the opposition got it rolling. And while the Honorable Fonseca is not known for his oratorical style, he did show a few flourishes today. Here's a few portions of his 40 minute reply to the budget:

Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of Opposition
"Again this year, Mr. Speaker, it is deeply regrettable that we must record the absolute failure of this UDP Government, to carry out any consultations in respect of this year's budget. This shameful failure is of course consistent with the UDP's total disregard and disrespect of the Government's social and economic partners in development. It is a budget disconnected divorced from the Belizean reality. This a budget, Mr. Speaker, in which 'full belly di tell empty bell, kip haat, bredda, kip haat, sista'. The budget continues a 5-year pattern of excuses, cruel empty rhetoric. Loud mouth, dirty mouth, and sharp tongue are all we've gotten from the UDP for 5 years. Let the record reflect that we on this side of the House join with our teachers and public officers in demanding that this Government delivers at a minimum, a 5% salary increase this fiscal year. Where are the 5,000 new jobs promised 5 years ago? Where is the reduced GST? It went in the other direction, Mr. Speaker. Where are the lower utility rates? I just told you that it went up 17% in January. These are things that they promised. Where is lower cost of living? Where are the shares in the national oil company you all promised the people? Where is the 6% annual growth? Next year, it's going to go back to 2.7%. Where is lower fuel cost, Mr. Speaker? 5 years of UDP nothing, 5 years of UDP waste, 5 years of UDP corruption, 5 years of growing unemployment, 5 years of increasing crime, 5 year of higher prices, 5 years of petty, arrogant leadership under the United Democratic Party."

Hon. John Saldivar - Area Representative, Belmopan
"And he's talking, I'm sure, for political gain again to say that they are on the side of the public officers and the teachers. Let me remind him that it is they that froze the increments for teachers and public officers in 2005. Public officers and teachers will get their raise. They deserve their raise, and they will get it when this Government, and this country is able to responsibly afford to give them their raise. When it comes to the Union, Mr. Leader of Opposition, what do you think has been central to the negotiation with the Unions in terms of the salary increase that they are asking for? The budget has been central to those negotiations because it is the budget upon which the Prime Minister has promised that if we get the kind of revenue performance that we wish to have, that it is based on that, that the public officers and teachers will get their raise. So, they have been studying the budget. We have been talking the budget with them. And then, to talk about the Chamber and the business community which we are not consulting; it is this Government, Mr. Speaker, that appointed a liaison officer in no place other than the Prime Minister's Office."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa - Area Representative, Fort George
"The Prime Minister presents a budget for 2013-2014 with another gaping hole of 127 million dollars in financing shortfall. Is that outward and upward, or is it backward and downward? The reality in Belize today, Mr. Speaker, is that the masses of the Belizean people are sinking deeper and deeper into poverty. The cost of living keeps going up higher and higher, the grocery bill, the light bill, the water bill, the rent, the mortgage payment, the school fees, and the medical expenses all have become a heavy burden which the bottom half of the population, mired in poverty and misery, are finding it increasingly difficult, if not impossible to bear. Now, the Member for Belmopan, the Minister of National Security, was talking about the PUP freezing the increment of the public officers and teachers in 1 year. That is so. What he did not mention is that it was the People's United Party Government that gave not 1, but 3 annual salary increase of 8% for junior officers and 5% for senior officers. The New Year's gift for 2013 from this UDP Government was to slap an additional 17% increase on electricity to consumers in Belize. The people will recall, Mr. Speaker, that the PUC had proposed that the Government should pay part of this increase on the street lighting bill. But the pro-poor UDP Government said, 'None of that, Government will not pay a cent more. Let the people pay.' Mr. Speaker, even in his budget presentation, which should be a serious discourse on the country's finances and the state of the economy - I cannot let this pass, Mr. Speaker, because it really was very insulting and despicable of the Prime Minister, if I might say so, in his boorish arrogance. He could not resist inherent proclivity to be nasty, describing the Opposition members as vermin-like behavior, equating us to excriment. Now, Mr. Speaker, if I were to get up in this House and talk - accuse anybody of being a piece of _ over there, I'm sure you would stop me. But this is really unacceptable."

There's was much more from the house - and we'll have it for you later as Fonseca calls Mark Espat, the UDP's "Red Eye Bwai."