Heated exchanges in Friday’s House Meeting

In usual form, Friday’s House Meeting did not go without some heated exchanges and the need for the Speaker of the House, Valerie Woods to intervene and call for order in the House.  Here are a few clips of those exchanges.

Speaker of the House: “Hold up. Hold up. Whoa. Can we take a moment to calm down ? I get it. Thank you take a deep breath. It helps. I keep thinking of Honorable Sylvia Flores, rest in peace, she was so write of her experience in this House. It really is an issue with you. It is an issue as well and I’ve made it clear to member of Cayo South but member you do it often. You say apologies then you do it again. I’m asking you please let’s get through the balance of the adjournment with your cooperation.

Moses Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “Madam Speaker when I rose on a point of order Madam Speaker most respectfully you asked me to give you the exact point of order. You need to treat the Prime Minister in the same manner.”

Speaker of the House: “Members and Leader of Opposition stop taking me on.”

Moses Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “You see? You’re doing it again. You want to be confrontational with me but you don’t do it to the Prime Minister. You didn’t even do it to the member from Pickstock.”

Speaker of the House: “Leader of the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition you do take me on. I will not get in a back and forth with you and to be clear if you check your records, all members, several meetings ago I’m not even talking about this year nor last, I made it clear if you cannot cite the exact number of the standing order then tell me in description what that standing order. Members have said to day relevance, or irrelevance and other meetings you have said tedious repetition, that’s all I ask.”

Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “Try to teach something to the Leader of the Opposition I don’t know if that is actually possible but thirty eight five – “

Moses Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “On a point of order Madam Speaker. On a point of order. Thirty eight, four you should not speak in an insulting manner to any member in this house. So when he will say that he will try to teach me something and he doesn’t think that is possible that is not insulting to you Madam Speaker? You don’t interpret that as being insulting ?”

Speaker of the House: “Leader of Opposition that’s not an insult please sit down.”

Moses Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “Okay alright well I’ll do the same. I’ll speak to him the same way that he speaks.”

Speaker of the House: “Members this is the House of Representatives it’s really not a kindergarten.”