Government fails to muster majority - Speaker casts his vote
The government this evening failed to muster a majority in two parliamentary votes and, for the first time in 11 years, had to rely on the Speaker's casting vote.
The votes were on opposition amendments to motions for the setting up of new Select Committees tasked with drawing up regulations on assisted procreation and the re-codification of the laws.
The government had proposed that the committee on assisted procreation should be chaired by government MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia while the committee on the re-codification of the laws should be be chaired by government MP Franco Debono. In both cases, the committee members were to be two MPs each from the government and the opposition.
However Labour MP Anglu Farrugia moved amendments for the committees to be chaired by the Speaker so that the two sides of the House could then be equally represented by two MPs each.
The amendments were not a surprise and had been printed on the Order Paper for the sitting. However when the first vote was taken after a division, the outcome was 32 votes in favour and 32 against.
The Speaker, Dr Louis Galea, who could have immediately opted for the casting vote, instead suspended the sitting at 9.25 p.m. to consider his position. The sitting resumed at 10.20 p.m. when Dr Galea explained that he was casting his vote in line with parliamentary practice as explained in Erskine May. He was therefore voting against the opposition amendment so that the original (government) motion could be retained.
Labour MP Alfred Sant said he was seeking a clarification over whether there had been similar circumstances where the Speaker cast his vote. Dr Galea said the last casting vote was in 1998. Dr Sant said the circumstances were different. Dr Galea said there could be no further debate.
The vote on the second Opposition amendment also ended in parity and the Speaker again cast his vote.
The absent MPs were George Pullicino, Carm Mifsud Bonnici and Franco Debono for the government, and Charles Buhagiar and Joe Debono Grech for the Opposition.
Mr Pullicino is in Brussels for a meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers while Dr Mifsud Bonnici is in Paris for a conference on immigration.
Mr Debono returned to the House before the final votes were taken and the motions as proposed by the government were then approved with 33 government votes in favour and 32 against after a vote where, following an Opposition request, every MP declared his vote.
The sitting ended shortly before midnight. The House meets again on January 11.
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mario scerri
Dec 16th 2009, 13:27
Sur Martinelli,
Min jiggverna l-pajjiz b arroganza left, righ and centre ma jimmeritahx pairing ma jistax ikun ma tisma l-hadd mbad tippretendi l-pairing.
Il-pairing il-gvern ghandu bzonnu mhux i-oppozizzjoni missu beza ghalih. Mhux se naghtu pairing sempliciment biex nzommukhom fil-gvern. Issa jekk ghandkhom problemi biex tiggverna dik problema taghkhom.
laurence schembri
Dec 16th 2009, 12:59
@ Christian Ellul
The joke is on you. Take your blinkers off.
joanna farrugia
Dec 16th 2009, 10:04
@ Christian Ellul pairing for what? gonzipn always said that he is the gov right?so why all this fuss for pairing? well done dr debono for showing his guts not like gonzipn who hides or throw everything under the carpet.so mr ellul why doesnt gonzipn call for an elec and like this he avoids pairing but must bring majority.
Roderick Micallef
Dec 16th 2009, 08:51
@Martinelli
Hasra u misthija sur Martinelli huwa li wara ma nafx kemm il-sena fil-gvern, il-PN irnexxilu ibiegh kull ma kellu il-pajjiz tista tghid, u mhux talli ma naqqasx id-dejn u d-deficit imma talli ziedu b'mod li dalwaqt il-club li il-PN tant insista li jinghaqad bis-shieh mieghu jibda jfaqqalna multi kif jghidu 'left, right and centre'.
Hasra u tal-misthija huwa li avvolja il-gvern ipatpat fuq 'green energy', 'sustainibility' u paroli sabih iehor. Kull ma rnexxilu jaghmel huwa li joghli l-prezzijiet tad-dawl u l-ilma u jwahhal f'krizi internazzjonali meta KULLHADD jaf li l-krizi internazzjonali issa spiccat, il-prezz taz-zejt xorta qieghed inqas minn 80$ il-barmil imma xorta wahda il-PN gholla il-prezzijiet b'madwar 30%.
Imma l-ikbar hasra ghalija personali huwa l-fatt li hawn nies bhalek sur Martinelli li donnu jaghmel x'jaghmel dan il-gvern, xorta wahda icapculu u jidhkulu ovvjament dan il-ghaliex probabli ghandhom interessi personali u huma partigjana. Mhux ta' b'xejn forsi hawn min jibza li il-partit Laburista jkun fil-gvern ghax inkella jitilfu xi akkwist li ghamlu bis-sahha tal-PN minn fuq shabhom stess Maltin.
Mela allura jien nghidlek illi imnalla il-Partit Laburista m'ghamilx xi pairing agreement mal-PN, kif tista oppozjizzjoni serja taghmel xi tip ta negozjati mal-PN?
A.Gauci Cunningham
Dec 15th 2009, 10:30
To be completely honest we still have to see what Dr.Franco Debono has to say about this before concluding that this was a premeditated vote against the government. What is for sure though is that Dr.Franco debono is the only MP on the PN's side that 'dared' to open his mouth in protest against the huge environmental effects that the "new" power station (working with HFO) will have on the towns and families in the Marsaxlokk/Birzebbuga area which makes him far better than the load of useless 'yes' men (leeches for a better word) that surround the Prime Minister of the day. No doubt, whether this was a premeditated move or not , it has already created an amount of bad publicity against the establishment and so GonziPN's canons are all set for a showdown of a subtle character assasination campaign to see Debono's political career come to an abrupt end!! After this power station saga I honestly can't see how anyone in the south would have the temerity to vote GonziPN again but if they persist in doing they should really consider supporting Debono! He's the only decent MP left within the Pn's ranks in the area!!
Christian Ellul
Dec 15th 2009, 10:27
This is the joke of PL. One ONETV they should do an advert as follows...'PL, a complete joke'...it should continue with... 'we can prove it'. Lets start by the word 'PAIRING'!!!
J. Mifsud
Dec 15th 2009, 10:11
@ C. Gafa
Please re-read what I have stated. The silent majority consists of PN and MLP supporters.
But alas, Dr Franco Debono will suffer a great political damage to his career, because the Party machine does not only consist of voters like you and me. Their doctrine is that if you dare to disagree with me, then you are against me, you are my political enemy. Time will tell.
C. Gafa
Dec 15th 2009, 09:48
@J. Mifsud, I disagree. Dr Debono is the only person in the PN government who is doing something about the environmental issues in the south of the island. I think that every PN supporter from the area acknowledges this fact and would not consider another PN government without Dr Debono in it. The situation in these villages is unsustainable and unfortunately the government is trying to find new ways to make the situation worse! Keep it up Dr. Debono!!
joe psaila
Dec 15th 2009, 09:33
ja poplu ..ibqa ivvota lil dawn in nies !!...u ibqaw ghatuhom l ghotjiet lill partiti ! u oqghodu xejru l bnadar fil meetings!
ghaz zewg nahat qieghed nghid !
laurence schembri
Dec 15th 2009, 08:45
The opposition is not there to convey favours to this present unsettled administration,
If the goverment is incapable of governance, then they should take the alternative, call an election, they can not rely on the speakers casting vote.
After 35 years of being a Republic , the government cannot go around practising the Erskine May theory, it`s a joke.
K Willie
Dec 15th 2009, 08:37
@Martinelli from Canada:
x qed tghid Martinelli??? Mhux 32 indaqs kienu??? mela insejt li l PL ghandu 34?? imma l importanti li tikkritika l PL l ewwel u qabel kollox hux hekk
J. Mifsud
Dec 15th 2009, 08:23
I sincerely think that Dr Franco Debono should definitely rethink his political position.
If one had a look at the PN's political history, any member of parliament who stood up to be counted had lost his parliamentary seat in the next general elections.
If I remember well, Dr Mario Felice in the seventies, a Sliema PN stalwart/heavyweight, who had done a small favour to the then Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, lost his parliamentary seat in the next Elections.
In our political sphere there is no forgiveness for such moves. But I admire Dr Franco Debono's political courage. Although he is definitely in the minority, his courage is admired by the majority, especially the silent majority.
g.c.Forte
Dec 15th 2009, 08:21
The way I look at it is that the parliament are making a farce, and playing with the people`s minds. So two M.P. members from the government side were abroad on governments business, O.K. understandable...Why two of the opposition M.P.`s members were absent ? Is this the way that the P.L. are giving the pairing. @ J. Martinelli......Jekk il P.L. irid jiehu il gvern f`idejh, ghandu cans kull jum li jghaddi. Ma inthix tara kif qeghdin jghadduna passata. Ghax tnejn BARRA , tnejn min naha l- ohra ma mmorrux. Tibqax tara blu biss, jien ahmar, pero abjad nejdlu abjad u iswed nejd li hu iswed.
V ictor Laiviera
Dec 15th 2009, 08:17
@Mr J Martinelli
Please don't try to confuse the issue.This had nothing to do with pairing. In fact, Charles Buhagiar and Joe Debono Grech did not vote to make up for George Pullicino and Carm Mifsud Bonnici who were abroad on business. So pairing WAS agreed.
This was a case where a Gov MP did not vote with his party.
Pairing does not come into it. A fractured PN parliamentary group does.
C. Cilia
Dec 15th 2009, 08:12
@ Martinelli
Your arguements make me laugh!
Karl Borg
Dec 15th 2009, 07:21
Mhux ahjar l-MP Franco Debono jaqbad u jaqsam il-kamra, ghax jidher car li huwa l-uniku membru parlamentari nazzjonalista li vera jrid gid il-poplu. Franco tibzax tigi mal- PL kif ghamlu qablek certu shabek..............ejja u tkun komdu iktar.
Miguel Borg
Dec 15th 2009, 02:00
Xi dwejjaq ta' Gvern. Kontijiet, instabilita', qghad, incertezzi, korruzzjoni, etc, etc.... Ajma buti u but familti!
laurence schembri
Dec 15th 2009, 00:03
This government fits exactly to a farce. Even the late satarical commedian Brian Rix at the Whitehall Theatre fame couldn`t master such silly events. Call an election if you cannot govern please, the citizens are the victims of this confused administration.
J Martinelli
Dec 14th 2009, 23:34
@ Mnauel Micallef
Tad-dahk l-Oppozizzjoni li m'ghandiex kuragg li tasal ghal ftehim ghal 'pairing' sabiex jekk id-deputati tal-gvern li jinsabu barra minn Malta fuq xoghol, l-Oppozizzjoni tnaqqas il-vot taghha bl-istess numru. Imma l-Oppozizzjoni nteressata fhaga wahda biss - li ssib ruhha fil-poter u taqa w tqum mill l-interess tal-pajjiz! Hasra u misthija!
ivan scicluna
Dec 14th 2009, 22:57
Something strange has happened in the House tonight. A government MP who is to act as chairman of a Select Committee being established by the motion moved for a vote, did not attend for two of the votes. And this MP is Dr. Franco Debono.
Mnauel Micallef
Dec 14th 2009, 22:03
Ma nafx jekk dan il-gvern hux tal-biki jew tad-dahk....