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So, the only real business was the introduction of three bills: the Immigration Amendment Bill, the Belize Nationality Amendment Bill and the Passport Amendment Bill - which legislate sweeping reform to Immigration policies, procedures and practices. More on that later, but first to the fireworks. That came when the opposition leader spoke on the adjournment. He spoke about that most burning issue, Immigration and accused the Government of going passive/aggressive on Penner, privately coddling him, while publicly shunning the Cayo Northeast Representative, who, if you're dying to know did not attend today's house meeting. And while Penner wasn't there, his ears must have been ringing because his name sure came up a lot. Here's the exchange:...

Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition
"What is scandalous Mr. Speaker is that the Belizean people still don't know what these irregularities are. What is this new evidence? What are the new findings that led for this sudden change of heart and this decision from one week staunchly defending the member for Cayo North East and pledging to spend millions to keep him in office to then a few days later to saying we don't want anything to do with this man and trying to distance themselves from this man. In fact you see they've put him in a corner there as far away as possible from any of them. Its really absolutely ridiculous and we the Belizean people and we on behalf of the Belizean people demand to know what are these new findings. It is not acceptable and satisfactory for them to just come out and say that there are new finding, there is new evidence and leave it at that. The Belizean people deserved to know what these new findings are. What are these new irregularities that have been uncovered, that has led to this position where you no longer want to be associated with the member for Cayo North East. The Belizean people deserved to know and stop hiding the individual. The man is hiding and he is hiding on the instructions of the United Democratic Party."

"Mr. Speaker, 42 days later the Honorable Prime Minister has yet to satisfactory explained to the Belizean people his decision to negligently and recklessly confer authority on this man (we've talk about it already) to sign nationality certificates. Everybody in Belize knew that this was the member for Cayo North East weakness, it was his weakness. It is his weakness and the Prime Minister knew that."

"At the same time we repeat our demand that the member for Cayo North East must resign, he must resign immediately from the National Assembly. Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the United Democratic Party must stop playing games. Publicly they are trying to distance themselves from the member for Cayo North East - trying to say that he must resign from the party, he must resign from the national Assembly, yet we all know that privately they are saying to him stay, stay, stay privately."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Let us talk about when the immigration scandal broke in 2002 when the member for Fort George was then Prime Minister."

Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition
"Mr. Speaker, point of order 385."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"One second member. members of the gallery, display some respect for the members."

Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition
"The Prime Minister is about to engage in another round of impunity suggesting that others on this side of the house are engage in illegal activities. Please, the Belizean people are sick and tired of this kind of rhetoric. Deal with the corruption in your own government! People don't want you to be talking about Said Musa or anybody. The Belizean people are sick of that. You went to LA to complain about your Deputy Prime Minister - talk to the people of Belize about the corruption and rot eating away at this UDP Government, every single one of them. That is what the Belizean people want and expect you Mr. Prime Minister to deal with. Deal with the rot sitting beside you and next to you."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Leader of the opposition..."

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"Mr. Speaker, try to bring everything under control because the Leader of the Opposition is behaving like a crazy man. What kind of nonsense is that?"

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"It is quite obvious that the Prime Minister came prepared for this discussion. You can't blame him because he came prepared. You had your turn, I did not stop you. You imputed several improper motives, so let the Prime Minister respond."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"When wrong occurs over here it will set right and that when wrong occurred over there it was placed on stilts and compounded by cover ups and rewards and Mr. Speaker, exhibit A; in 2002 when the member for Fort George was Prime Minister and the dam broke and the passport scandal innovated the then Minister of Immigration Max Samuels. Instead of firing Samuels - you are telling me that I must force Penner to leave the House, I can't do that. The people elected him but what I could do I have done. Compare that with the course of action you took when you were then Leader and Prime Minister when Max Samuels was involved in the kind of scandals that ultimately saw the US Embassy and the State Department revoked his visa."

"Instead of firing the minister the horribly compromise Prime Minister at the time said and I quote "It is the judgment of the Prime Minister that Minister Samuels should be retained in the Cabinet and that's the decision I took and I am prepared to answer for that." You are answering for that today if you never answered then."

"Don't talk about us and cover up. Don't talk about us and trying to distance ourselves from what happen. We accept responsibility and we deal with it and we moved on in a way that will strengthen our government."

"I will tell you what the dragon slayer Jules Vasquez had to say about it at the time; Samuels was and I quote "rewarded in a shuffle which only sees the disgrace minister make a cozy lateral move." Samuels was in fact made the Minister of Communications, Transport and Public Utility which absent the hustle. In fact amounted arguable to a promotion. In 2004 they gave the order of Belize to one Chen Shui-bian who was later accused of embezzling money and it was later revealed that his daughter-in-law was the holder of a Belize passport issued by the PUP although she had never lived here and could in no wise have qualified for Belizean nationality. You talk about Penner - we accept Penner, but don't come here you whited ciprocals, you are hypocrites and Pharisees."

"In August 2005, 200 passports went missing from the their immigration department, to be followed by another 100 in September of 2006 and who can forget the infamous Iqbal Singh, who when he landed in jail in Canada as a terrorist produced a Belize passport that they had given him and asked to be deported to the country of his nationality Belize. That is the sorry sordid saga of corruption and serial violations with respect to immigration alone under the People's United Party."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"A lady has come forward Ms. Alvarine Burgess who appeared on Channel 5 News on October 23rd fingering one of their Minister of State."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Member...."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"A point of order, the man as sued this is a part from 381 - you can't do that."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Why are you protecting this man, let us investigate that. What are you trying to hide?"

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"You are skillful enough to do that."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Mr. Speaker, I won't call his name. Since allegations have been made against one of their ministers after receiving $2,000 for every visa he procured, something like 200 visas according to this sworn affidavit of Ms. Burgess. Mr. Speaker this is a serious allegation made against a minister of government - $2,000 per visa. You all can't take it, you all want to fire but you can't take it."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Make your presentation member. Minister, allow the member to make his presentation."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Don't let me start on you Mr. Boots because you know why you had a lateral move from the Cabinet."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Member for Fort George, proceed with your matter member."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Mr. Speaker this is the very same person that another Belizean woman living in United States had reported that she paid $55,000 to that minister and she did not get her parcel of land."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Member..."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"These are matters in the public and this is the same minister...."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Rt. Hon. Member for Fort George, you know better than that. It pains me to ask you to stop and pay attention to the rules because you know them so well, the conduct of another; if you want that, you have to bring a motion. It's clear who you are talking about - it's clear. You can't do that man."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"What I am saying is on everybody's breath in this country Mr. Speaker - that the government...."

Michael Peyrefitte, Speaker of the House
"Member for Fort George, not because it's on everybody's mind this is the proper forum for that."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Well if this is not the proper forum to deal with governance in this country then we are in serious trouble Mr. Speaker."

"They are quick to stand up and defend the minister of state, quick to protect him. Quick to want to shut me down and I would like to - in fairness to the Prime Minister - repeat him, repeat what he said to his own Cabinet "for God's sake man stop it, stop!"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"When I talk about the member for Fort George, I refer to the historical records and what is documented and what is a matter of fact. For him to low blow the Minister of State in the way that he just has is absolutely reprehensible. There is no evidence whatsoever that this so called accuser and Channel 5 (in the pay of its billionaire master), not a shred of evidence that have produce. The Minister of State has filed suit, or if the suit has not been files itself, the letter before action has been filed and we (the Minister of Immigration and I) checked the files to see if there was any time at which any 200 visas were issued and there is absolutely no record whatsoever of that."

"Mr. Speaker, there has been what I said and I repeat, nothing is wrong with ministers writing letters of recommendation. That minister of state that you are trying to accuse wrote no 200 letters, wrote no recommendations. As he said in his statement to the nation, with respect to that lady he wrote a letter of recommendation when she approach him in his capacity as a servant of the public, recommending consideration for 5 visa applications. The director of immigration has confirmed that at no stage did that minister ever tried to lean on her to give anybody any visa."

"All applications go to the director and visas are given if the applicant satisfies the criteria. No minister can give a visa. I did say while constituents will come to you, If I see you write 50 recommendation letters for 50 Chinese men, I know what I will think and I know what the Belizean public will think. I am telling you that in this case there is absolutely nothing like that. It is a completely false and malicious. I almost said malignant accusation that has been brought against the minister. we are perfectly satisfied. It is completely without foundation."