The National Assembly Building in Belmopan was crackling again today when the Senate met to consider the BTL Settlement deal that government has
hammered out with the Ashcroft Alliance.
But first they had to talk about the General Revenue Supplementary Appropriation – that's to authorize government to get the 162.7 million needed to
pay the first part of the settlement. The second part is blank – because the figure for that won't be known until an arbitration panel decides what it
should be. That blank part really raised the blood pressure of the Senator for Business, Mark Lizarraga. Here's what he said:
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"This blank cheque that we agree to give government today; that we will agree to pay the Ashcroft Alliance has, we don't believe ever been attempted in
our history. This indecent proposal before us today Mr. President has gone way too far and is now clearly the full blown cancer the CCJ talks about."
Hon. Godwin Hulse - Leader of Government Business
"The bill clearly says the sum of money appearing in the schedule here to are hereby declared to be payable for the financial year ending on 31st day
of March 2016 for and in respect of the services mentioned. The sums of money in the schedule; the sums of money in the schedule is 162.700 hundred
thousand. The part two he is referring to is simply placed there because that sum is not known; it's not seeking approval for an unknown sum. It's
seeking approval for the sums of money appearing in the schedule."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"If it were government's intention to present to us two supplementary, it should have done so."
Hon. Godwin Hulse - Leader of Government Business
"Second amount is not known as we'll see. When that amount is known it will be presented. It's the sums of money presented in the schedule we're
talking about!"
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Mr. President, no where, no where do the laws allow for blank cheques of undeclared sums to be issued; no where! This supplementary Mr. President; we
believe is in contravention of the constitution and as such we do not support it."
Hon. Lisa Shoman - PUP Senator
"I wish that the Leader of Government Business try a slight of hand with words. I wish he wouldn't play with words to make it sound as though nobody no
the get this money until the end of March 2016; because that is not the fact. So let's have no more nonsense about how this schedule is in two parts
and number two does not apply now. That's garbage. We are being asked; Mr. President this is more than an indecent proposal. This is nothing less than
a naked usurpation by the executive of this country of the job, responsibility or parliament, of the legislature and it is arrogating onto itself the
power; which is forbidden to it by the separation of powers and the rule of law arrogating this on to itself by asking us to pass this nakedly
unconstitutional and illegal supplementary bill."
"What is the indecent haste to pass this appropriation bill for a blank cheque? I repeat, it is a naked usurpation by an overweening executive with a
paucity of cheque and balances that facedly on its own; without regard to parliament went and signed a settlement on the 11th of September, already
agreeing to what we are being asked to approve in this chamber and what has been approved in the house; and that was done by his own confession by one
man, the prime minister himself. It is his baby, he has nursed it, he has burst it and he will responsible for foisting this chucky on a Belizean
public."
"There is absolutely no reason ladies and gentlemen of the senate, Mr. President; why we should be asked to approve a blank cheque in this matter if
the amount that will be paid will be known by the 20th of September."
Hon. Anthony Sylvester - PUP senator
"What this appropriation bill seeks to do, it seeks to give the government the authority to spend money in secrecy without the people knowing the full
extent of what this settlement entails."
Hon. Godwin Hulse - Leader of Government Business
"The total, the total capital 3 part 3 is 162.700 hundred thousand dollars; which is the sum being asked to be appropriated."
Hon. Lisa Shoman - PUP Senator
"Don't tell us about any paper because the paper says the exact same thing that the bills says, to be determined an award by PCA, let's have no
disingenuous about this."
Hon. Godwin Hulse - Leader of Government Business
"The sums of money appearing in the schedule here to or hereby declared to be payable for the financial year. The sums of money appearing are 162.700
hundred thousand and as you know; and all of us know in here the financial secretary takes charge of all appropriations and those are the sums he
authorized to pay, I move the questions."
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