Parliament will be meeting in the morning and in the evening today and tomorrow to conclude the second reading debates on the Bill to amend various laws and the Bill for the setting up of Malta Enterprise, the House Business Commitee agreed yesterday. Both bills will be considered in committee next week.
Leader of the House Lawrence Gonzi said the House next week also needed to debate a resolution on the tuna quota for Maltese fishermen which, it seemed, could have a considerable impact if it was not approved before the summer recess.
Opposition deputy leader Charles Mangion called on Dr Gonzi to keep to the agreed programme of work, which did not include this resolution. Dr Gonzi asked Dr Mangion not to take a stand before he explained to the opposition the circumstances and the implications of not approving the bill before the recess.
The Speaker, Mr Anton Tabone, informed the committee that the Ombudsman had suggested a meeting with two representatives from each parliamentary group to discuss cases which he had decided but over which his recommendations had not been implemented. The MPs would then report back to the House Business Committee which would decide whether to push the cases towards a solution or remedy.
Both sides agreed to discuss the Ombudsman's proposal in the respective parliamentary groups and report back.
Dr Gonzi told the committee that after the summer recess parliament would reconvene on September 22 and hold morning and evening sittings, Mondays to Wednesdays for some three weeks to discuss urgent business.
Dr Mangion pointed out that certain MPs had complained to him that they had received telephone bills for the period between the dissolution of parliament and election day. He asked what the practice was in such cases.
Mr Tabone said that when parliament was dissolved one was technically no longer an MP, and the MPs had therefore received their bills for that period. This did not mean, however, that the situation could not change.
Dr Mangion said that even after the dissolution of parliament, the House could still be recalled in an emergency, and therefore, technically, one was still an MP.
Dr Gonzi asked what this would mean for MPs who were not re-elected.
Dr Mangion said this should also apply to them as they were also still MPs for the period until the election.
Dr Gonzi said this was an issue which should be discussed within the MPs' Welfare Committee which should be meeting before the summer recess.
Dr Gonzi said he hoped he would soon be in position to come up with the new proposals aimed at improving the situation of chairmen of committees and whips. These should also be discussed in the MPs' Welfare Committee.
Mr Tabone said another issue the Welfare Committee could discuss was the situation of civil servants who had to give up their job after they were elected to the House. Labour MP Joe Mizzi said that this issue had already been debated and only a government decision was required.
Dr Gonzi said there were issues of conflict of interest that one could have. Administrative solutions had been found and one had to see if the situation could be further improved.
Dr Mangion said the government should be an exemplary employer. If the public sector made its employees resign when they became MPs, the private sector could do the same and this might discourage valid people from contesting elections.