So, as you saw, at the end, when the Senate took that short recess, the members went to figure out what to do with Ashley Rocke's motion. There appeared to be consensus among the senators that it was deficient in some areas, and it was not as legally thorough as Senator Courtenay's motion. So, in those deliberations, it was decided that they would improve his motion with portions of Courtenay's - a rare moment of all sides coming together.
Of course, they left out Courtenay's part about the composition of the Senate Committee which would reduce the Government's representation from 2 to only 1. They put that and Rocke's more Government-friendly configuration to a division, and as you saw, his recommendations passed, while Courtenay's was defeated. Notably the PUP - while they didn't vote for Rocke's motion -they didn't vote against it.
So, in the end, the Government gets what it wants, and as you saw, Church Senator Ashley Rocke is once again under fire for it - even though he did work out some truce with the PUP. Still, he's being accused of colluding with the Government, and when the hearing was over, we got a chance to challenge him on that.
Here's how that conversation went:
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Once again, the critics are accusing you of siding with the government over the interest of the Belizean people. Your motion allowed for them to get the 2 senator representatives that they were pushing for. What's your comment to that?"
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"When I left the office of the churches, it was with Rev. Roosevelt Papouloute, bishop of the council of churches and the Belize association of evangelical churches. When I left that meeting, I was asked what to say when asked these questions. I was told to say, if you have questions about whether pastor Rocke acted on his own initiative, come and check with us."
Reporter
"That paper, the motion that was presented actually came from the office of the prime minister and that is what has been presented today by the churches?"
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"Well I am not sure what you mean."
Reporter
"So who helped you? What legal advisors helped the church put together the motion that was presented today?"
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"I am not privi to that information."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir but this is supposed to be your mention, wouldn't you be able to share..."
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"It is the church's motion, not my motion."
Reporter
"Then you should therefore be knowledgeable of who helped to prepare that."
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"Not necessarily."
Reporter
"Were you consulted in the making of that motion? With the legal advisors, with Mr. Papouloute about affirming this motion?"
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"My responsibility was simply to come here to do what they put together."
Reporter
"Sir but as senator, you would think that you'd be instrumental, be a part of those meetings if you have to come here and defend such a motion."
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"Well the motion was easily defended I believe."
Reporter
"Did you simply just come to read a paper that you were given to read?"
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"No I knew what was in there and the whole issue of the balance of persons was the real issue that this motion was written out."
Reporter
"The other social partners who came here today representing their membership who have said that there was no consultation with them when in your motion it stated that there had been."
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"They said that and you all don't know the facts but we know the facts."
Reporter
"So share those sir."
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"I am not going to share those, no I'm not going to do that."
Reporter
"You've been accused of being a traitor and a liar by those people who are there, as having gone against the people of Belize and the teachers."
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"Now I am going to end this conversation."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir but isn't this a cop out to not answer some of the questions that we've asked?"
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"What cop out? I'm not cop out, I gave you the answers to the questions you asked."
Reporter
"How comfortable are you that you are playing this kind of controversial role or at least accused of playing a controversial role?"
Hon. Ashley Rocke, Church Senator
"From I woke up this morning and the first thing we did was to pray about this issue because we are people of prayer. We believe in prayer, we cried on our bed this morning because this is a heavy matter."
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