Hon. Elena Smith. Labour Senator
"But they are all concern that this matter has become too political and my job really and truly is not to stand here point and say who started it or who did what. But my role is to say to us that a matter of this nature must not be taken politically. Because when we do so, we are doing a disservice to our Belizean people, because if you are telling me that I must vote my conscience then how can I vote my conscience when people are coming to tell me vote yes, vote no. That is why we must be providing the proper education so that persons can vote their conscience when they go to the polls. Another concern is the matter of the re-registration failures. The people want to have their say. That's a true statement: we want to have our say. But we want to ensure that when that day comes for us to have our say, that everything would have been in place and we would be going so knowing that all is well. Knowing that we fix whatever needed to be fixed to get us to that point, so that when that time comes and the Belizean people makes that decision, there is nothing keeping us or nothing in the way. I will reteirate that we want our people to take part in a referendum, but we want it to be done properly and therefore as the NTUCB my direction today was that we say no to this bill."

Hon. Herbert Panton, UDP Senator
"It is a sad day when the national trade union congress of Belize representing the majority of workers across this nation will stand in this house and say no to this bill. It is amazing. The business community. It is shocking to me, with all of those business people who are members of the chamber and they will get up. These people are on the wrong side of history."