Newly minted Leader of the Opposition Tracy Panton opened the debate with her formal response to the Prime Minister's budget, discussing the social protection of Belize's most vulnerable. She challenged the Prime Minister's figures, especially as they relate to inflation.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"The most recent report that inflation has dropped to 1.4% as of March of this year brings this concept into sharp focus. Ask any Belizean consumer in a grocery store and they would laugh or perhaps cry. Food prices remain unbearably high, spiraling out of control. So high in fact that storeowners have now started to post photos of people stealing food. A desperate indicator of just how disconnected this budget is from daily survival."

"Madam speaker, I hope to make the case on behalf of all Belizeans that the numbers presented by this Briceno Administration, and let me say that again, does not signal performance. Rather it reveals a government that is obsessed with spending and allergic to accountability, reform and measuring the economic impact of their failing social protection policies."

Panton then broke down the budget and added that while the government finds the finances for various projects, they seem to neglect the most relevant and needy sectors.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Madam speaker the budget for this year are broken down as follows: $1.7 billion in projected revenues and grants, $1.52 billion in tax revenue, $135 million in non-tax revenue, $11.6 million in capital revenue and $71.8 million in grants. It is also estimated that we will spend $1.78 billion in expenditures, $1.25 billion in recurrent expenditure, $336.4 million in capital 2 expenditure, $184.9 million in capital 3 expenditure. Madam Speaker, the 2025/2026 budget is framed as the largest capital budget in Belize's history."

"However, the genuine needs to teachers, public servants, healthcare providers and public officers have not been considered in theses estimates. for some time now public officers or the union have been voicing their concerns. They demand promised raises and increments, pension support and improved working conditions. These cries have fallen on deaf ears only to be addressed when the weight of the unions come down to bear on the shoulders of those who are elected to lead and elected to serve."

She then pointed out significant budgetary allocations that she found missing from Briceno's budget.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"These public facilities are literally falling apart. The Minister of Transportation on recent tour of these bus terminal committed to addressing public complaints. Not only about improved facilities but also for better working conditions. Between us, I don't see anywhere in these estimates where this commitment is being substantiated or backed with the appropriate budgetary allocation."

"Notably in cap 3 there are not capital projects envisioned for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise. There are no capital projects for the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs. There are no capital projects for the Ministry of Tourism, the goose that lays the golden eggs, Youth, Sports, and Diaspora Affairs. None for the Ministry of Public Utilities and Logistics. None for the Ministry of Public Service, Governance, and Disaster Risk Management. And none fort he Ministry of Defense and Border Security."

And while the budget does not include those key areas, Panton showed that it's not for lack of funds.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"One of our local evening news broadcast stations aired a story about two security contracts that were given post haste to PUP cronies for a total sum of 28.5 million dollars for a period of ten years via a select tendering process. That means by special invitation at the discretion of the responsibility government entity. This is not to say that the government does not have a oversight obligation to keep our citizens and visitors alike safe while traveling in our domestic airspace but one must question how these contracts were awarded. The point is when the administration wants to find money, it finds money come hell or high water."

But in the middle of Panton's speech, she had to ask the Speaker of the House for a break. Her breathing had become noticeably labored and she was taking long pauses in between her sentences. With her mic still on, she told her colleagues that she felt like fainting.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Can I take a quick break, Madam Speaker? I feel like faint."

The House Meeting went on a break after that. During that time, an ambulance was called, and the paramedics spoke to Panton. After a short rest, she was ready to finish her speech. She ended off on a note about the PCC.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"I wish to urge the government to act with some urgency to review the recommendations brought forward by the PCC. It has now been two and half years and two million dollars of taxpayers money. The PUP has lauded this as the most important exercise to be undertaken by their administration so let us treat it with the respect and exigency it deserves."