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Khalid Belisle, Mayor - Belmopan
"Belize renewed a rejuvenation long overdue but in progress. Belize confident certain that together no obstacle is too great, no challenge insurmountable. Belize competitive, improving our capacity and ability to contend in a globalize world. Belize committed, we all have a collective skin in the game and there is very little room for any other agenda other than the Belizean agenda to be advanced."

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"34 years after independence, 17 years of PUP, 17 years of UDP, our responsibility and obligation is to work together in good faith to change, improve and strengthen the failing systems and structures we have in place to govern and develop Belize. On this independence day, let us embrace governance reform by committing to the appointment to the 13th senator, to reactivating the integrity commission and to restriction it, the public accounts committee."

In his speech, the Prime Minister pivoted first to the KHMH - where the 600 staffers have been pushing for a raise in line with the 18% their counterparts in the public service have received. Well, the Prime Minister outlined a plan that's a win-win-win, the first win for the workers, who will get their raise; a win for those who owe the hospital money; and a win for his wife who is spearheading a project for the new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit:...

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"We have heard their cry. And the position is that GOB will find the funds to provide them with the salary increase that was agreed with the KHMH Board and the Cabinet sub-committee. As a matter of principle GOB does not want simply to hand over the monies for the salary increase as a gift. We will therefore treat it as a buyout of the debt owed by consumers, by the Belizean public, to the KHMH. As of yearend 2014, that total in unpaid bills owed to the KHMH by the public amounted to around 9 million dollars. Of course, in trading off these bills, in forgiving these bills now, we won't be giving KHMH back dollar for dollar. We though pay them enough to do 2 things. The 1st is to fund the salary increase which is expected to cost about 2 million dollars. And the second is to assist with residual costs for the new, state of the art, PICU/NICU that is to be opened next month. The figure for this should not exceed more than another million dollars, since the bulk of equipment and construction monies has already been provided by the fund-raising efforts headed by my wife. I wanted to pause to ask you for a round of applause for Kim Simplis Barrow. So, this write-off to the public of 9 million dollars in their unpaid KHMH bills, which the collection agency hired by the KHMH will now no longer be hounding anyone for, is this year's Independence Day gift to people from the Government of Belize. We will also forgive all monies currently owing by patients at the Government hospitals throughout the country. This amounts to another 2 million dollars and, we are sure, will be especially appreciated by residents of our towns and villages."

An article in last week's Guardian says the KHMH employees will get a 14% salary increase.

And moving from writing off Hospital bills to major tourism infrastructure initiatives, the Prime Minister committed to three mega projects that could re-map the tourism landscape:

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"First, there is the continuation of the North Ambergris Caye road project. We have just signed a contract for the construction of another 4 miles of the road providing land access to the premier resorts on North Ambergris, making for a total of 11 miles that we have now already funded. When this next phase is completed we will sign for the last few miles to take us to the Basil Jones airstrip, which we will redevelop, redesign and expand into an international airport. We are also constructing a new road to Lamanai via Bermudan Landing and Lemonal. That contract has also been signed, and this will mean that Lamanai will now form part of the day trip circuit for cruise passengers. Finally, and this really will constitute a new jewel in the tourism crown. We are going to do a paved highway to Caracol. In addition to the huge tourism boost this will provide, it also carries tremendous implications for a quantum improvement in our security protection arrangements in the Caracol area."

And it being independence day, both national leaders had something to say about that frontier flashpoint - the Sarstoon island. Not surprisingly, they had different takes on what should be done about it:

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"One nation, one people united in purpose to build a stronger, better society in which hope and opportunity abound. This spirit of unity and sense of purpose was on full display for all the world to see, just a month ago on august 16th when a group of some 200 hundred Belizeans under the banner of the Belize Territorial Volunteers gathered in Barranco, Toledo and journeyed to the southernmost boundary in Belize on the Sarstoon. This journey was a peaceful, powerful statement that Belize, all of Belize, from Rio Hondo to Sarstoon from our cayes and atolls to our western border is ours to protect and defend."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Of course, the BDF will also build the forward operating base on the North Bank of the Sarstoon River. And it will do so in a continuing exercise of Belizean sovereignty in that area. This is a sovereignty that Government and all our security forces, as a matter of first principle and existential duty, will always wholly maintain. But we do not need civilians, however well-intentioned, to complicate matters. In flashpoint situations, preservation of the sovereignty and security equation must be left to our trained professionals and highly skilled military."

And that is an outline of the major initiatives in the PM's 28 minute speech. The Leader of the opposition spoke for 10 minutes. One thing missing was the announcement of an election date. It had been widely speculated that he would use the 21st. address to announce the date. Here's how the PM handled that:

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"And as a government on this last Independence Day before the next general elections. I'm not going to announce the date."