Will Speaker decide Austin Gatt’s fate?
Transport Minister Austin Gatt’s fate in Cabinet during Friday’s vote of no confidence may very well be decided by Speaker Michael Frendo.
With Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono saying he may abstain on an opposition motion calling for Dr Gatt’s resignation over the handling of public transport reform, the parliamentary vote could be tied.
If the motion gains an equal number of votes in favour and against it will be the Speaker who will use his casting vote to tip the balance either way.
According to the Constitution the Speaker shall exercise his casting vote if the votes are equally divided. But it makes no provision as to how he shall vote.
Normal parliamentary practice is for the Speaker to vote for the discussion to continue but parliamentary veterans told The Sunday Times that this case was different and Dr Frendo’s hands were not tied either way.
Sources said the Labour Party was expecting Dr Frendo to vote against the opposition motion not to embarrass the government.
The vote of no confidence does not carry legal consequences for Dr Gatt and the government.
Article 81 of the Constitution only makes provisions for the removal of the Prime Minister from office if a parliamentary resolution of noconfidence in government is supported by a majority of MPs.
This is not the case since the Labour motion specifically calls for Dr Gatt’s resignation and the Constitution makes no provision for the removal of ministers by parliamentary resolutions.
Even so, the motion carries moral weight and Dr Gatt has already publicly declared that he will resign if the Labour motion passes.
Dr Gatt yesterday stood by this statement but declined to elaborate when asked what his stand will be if the government side carried the day with the Speaker’s casting vote.
“The minister has nothing to add to the previous statement,” a spokesman said.
Ironically, Dr Gatt’s fate may rest with the same man whose bus reform was criticised in a 2008 document on public transport reform drawn up by his ministry.
As transport minister in 1995, Dr Frendo was responsible for the bus reform that guaranteed all bus owners a stable income through subsidies irrespective of the number of passengers they carried.
This aspect of the reform was described as a failure in the 2008 report by Dr Gatt’s ministry that laid down the vision that would eventually materialise three years later.
The motion of no confidence in Dr Gatt will be discussed on Friday and the debate will be spread over the morning and evening sessions.
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Victor Vella
Oct 31st 2011, 20:32
Dr Gatt it seems that you are taking revenge of the people who put you there. Ahna ahna jew m`ahniex. Peppi ta` xarabank kien ghamel programm simili t`hekk. Sewwa jghidu li ma zmien il-mohh jiehfief u jidher li issa il-mohh tal-PN hfief ukoll kif kien hfief tal-Lejber. Ft zmien il-Lejber kienu jghidu the wind of change issa hurricane Gonzi gherra il-mohh u l-idejn.
Francesca Abela
Oct 31st 2011, 14:32
Dr Gatt has publicly declared that he will resign if the Labour motion passes - do us all a favour Dr Gatt and GO NOW! You failed with Arriva totally as Marsascala residents will gladly testify!
mark borg
Oct 31st 2011, 20:16
Plus the ones in FGURA !
Carmel Cilia
Oct 31st 2011, 07:36
One thing for sure the Speaker would be voting against the citizens whose democracy and constitutional rights he is there to defend. But this is Malta in the E.U. what would one expect.
Carmel Garcia
Oct 31st 2011, 07:30
Only Dr Jimmy Farrugia as speaker of the house voted against the Governement sometime after the election of 1987.
Henry S. Pace
Oct 30th 2011, 22:34
According to parlamentary history no Speaker in any parliamentary democracy ever voted against the government of the day.
Henry Mifsud
Oct 30th 2011, 20:58
If the Speaker had to cast his vote, it would only mean that the vote of non-confidence did not go through because of a technicality. It would be evidently clear that the majority of the MPs have no confidence in Minister Austin Gatt. If it was me, under such a situation, I would resign just the same. But then who said that Dr. Gatt sees things the way I, and the majority of people, do? His arrogance, which he seems to be quite content with, has no limits.
On the other hand, the question being asked "Will Speaker decide Austin Gatt’s fate?" is hypothetical to which I would like to add another hypothetical question:
"Will Franco Debono on his own decide Austin Gatt’s fate?” He did state more than once that he shall be abstaining. So if he is expected to change his mind, he might either vote against the motion of the Opposition or he might vote in favour of it.
He might also be assisted by others on the government benches. Lest we forget how many times, Austin Gatt criticized (or shall I say rubbished) his predecessor for making a mess of the Transport system. Lest we forget indeed ....... but did those who were verbally abused so many times by Gatt forget at all?
FRANS H SAID
Oct 30th 2011, 20:37
Speaker - Only in Malta he is not appointed by consensus. A speaker should be an independent arbiter, and I stress independent.
If Agostino had the least iota of decency he should resign. The proposed changes are no changes at all. The slots in Valletta have not been increased. Until he re-instates the original terminus, Agostino will keep on defying the people.
But who cares, with Gonzi "behind" him, he can continue with his arrogance.
Mr Hans Borg
Oct 30th 2011, 19:16
Who ever said that the Speaker of the House did not have political inclinations !!! If Dr Frendo were to base his vote on what is required for the common good, just like his predessessor, he would obviously be replaced. His vote must be for the good of the PN ONLY. We all know this.
George mifsud
Oct 30th 2011, 18:02
Billi jirizenja Dr Gatt hajieranga it transport .mhux ahjar jibqa ministru u igaluh jiranga issitwazzjoni la marnexic. nahseb kulhat jaqbel li kien hemm bzon ir rforma. Gorg.m.
Kurt Mifsud
Oct 30th 2011, 20:10
Kien hemm bzonn konsultazzjoni sura ta nies fl-ewwel post!
Jonathan Camilleri
Oct 30th 2011, 16:57
I feel sorry for Dr. Gatt
James Camilleri
Oct 31st 2011, 20:05
How about feeling sorry for all those frustrated commuters?
Charles Sammut
Oct 30th 2011, 15:59
Will speaker decide austin gatt's fate?....the whole Maltese archipelago is waiting with bated breath!!!.....
Could it be that the speaker Dr.Michael Frendo, who was a Nationalist Minister for Transport in the Eddie Fenech Adami regime,will vote against the present gonziPN regime and force the removal of the present arrogant minister for everything including that of minister for Public Transport ??!?!?
Or would the citizens of the island in the sun ( not today as it's drizzling ) get to see pigs fly first??!!?..Me thinks the latter eventuality is much ,much more possible !
...and the beat goes on....and the beat goes on......
Peter Pace O'Shea
Oct 30th 2011, 15:49
Dr. Austin seems to forget that he was elected from the people, by the people and for the people. He made a mess that has drained our country's finances, caused hardship to the all those individuals who have to use public transport, those who have been foced to use private transport and the image of public transport in the eyes of the tourists who came to visit us last year.
He should do the most decent thing - resign and not promise to resign when he probably knows full well that this will not happen in parliament. We are not politicians but we are not fools!
Carmel camilleri
Oct 30th 2011, 15:45
Franco has been an embarrassment to the Nationalist's Govt for too long now. He is abusing the system just for the gallery. One hope that the N P will has learned the lesson not to accept such pompous persons into its fold in future .
James Camilleri
Oct 31st 2011, 20:13
I think Dr Debono is doing what he was elected for - to safeguard the interests of his consitutuents. That is the first and foremost obligation of each MP. Agreeing with or for someone or something which caused the people hardship should be embarrassing to politicians not toeing the party line. Look at the UK - a good number of backbenchers are causing a revolt for the new administration. No one is calling them traitors or an embarrassment to their party. Wish we had more MPs who like Dr Debono criticise their own aprty when it is in the wrong. All the country would benefit as things would have to be done right and correctly and not in "I couldn't care less manner" because my apologists would back me up and my fellow MPs would do likewise.
Mr J Xerri
Oct 30th 2011, 15:29
What no one has mentioned yet is the fact that Minister Gatt has to be saved by HIS OWN Vote, as no one expects Gatt to do the honourable thing and abstain when he is the person whose confidence is being contested.
James Camilleri
Oct 31st 2011, 20:16
Prosit Mr Xerri. No one has brought this up. I think that in such a case the person who is involved should not have his vote counted. No one should vote for himself. This is really ridiculous. Thanks for bringing it up.
Joseph Calleja
Oct 30th 2011, 15:18
Minister Gatt is not going anywhere. Hopefully Minister Gatt will stick around to correct his mistakes and I am sure he will. Dr Debono is trying to get his fifteen minutes of fame on the stand, after all he is a politician. This is nothing but theatrical moves by the opposition and we all know that if it comes to a tie the Speaker will vote in favour of Minister Gatt to stay on. I am on the assumption that politicians still take us for a bunch of fools and they still think we are so gullible that we don't know how to think for ourselves. Wrong! That was proven on the referendum vote. Us Maltese were always very submissive and very subdued but that is changing too. We are starting to see through politicians and their politics. So to both parties, stop playing games and tend to the issues at hand. Fix the Public Transportation problem and let's move on. I guess we are blessed with the talents of Dr Austin Gatt and Dr Franco Debono at least till election time.
J.C. Borg
Oct 30th 2011, 14:35
I suggest that this debate be published on TV so that we will know what VALID argument everybody has.
Jo Borg
Oct 30th 2011, 13:43
Franco Debono's stand on this issue should be applauded by all those who believe that Cabinet Ministers should be accountable for their actions, individually and collectively. The idea that someone in high office is untouchable came crashing down on many occasions around the world (from the French Revolution to the recent upheavals in North Africa). But in Malta it is still very much an accepted reality. All the moreso if your name happens to be Austin Gatt.
When Franco Debono says he expects Gatt to behave according to 'established and accepted political practices in Western parliamentary democracies' , he is alluding to one thing: Resignation. Ministers all over the world resign for all kinds of reasons. Not only when they are personally responsible for improper actions, corruption or other grave sins. In many cases, they resign (or are forced to resign) becuase they failed to do enough to avoid disasters or hardships.
Just last year, Scottish Minister for Transport resigned because of the chaos that ensued on Scottish roads following a snow storm. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/11/scottish-transport-minister-stewart-stevenson-resigns-snow . Clearly the Minister did not cause the blizzard himself, and it wasn't his fault if the snow-ploughs didn't cope with the unprecedented volume of ice on the roads. But the Minister still did the honourable thing and stepped down.
It takes courage to do what Franco Debono is doing, especially in the Maltese scenario. People elected Debono as their representative in Parliament TO DEFEND THEIR INTERESTS, to make sure that the money they pay in taxes is spent wisely and not squandered on senseless projects and failed reforms. His loyalty as an MP should be first and foremost to them. Any other considerations, including party allegiance and personal career motives, should come a distant second.
Christopher Grech
Oct 30th 2011, 13:14
Ghalija nies bhal dan u xi tnejn ohra bhalu (li hlief hsara lil partit m'ghamlux) ghandhom jehilsu minnhom illum qabel ghada.
Lil Austin Gatt ghidlu li trid... arroganti, bla manjieri, bla kuxjenza imma sa frattant kien l-unika wiehed li kellu l-gutz jghamel riforma fit-trasport pubbliku. Xi haga li hadd ma kellu l-hila jghamel ghax bezaw ghall-voti.
issa, ghax it-trasport pubbliku ghadu ma settiljax kulhadd hareg juri wiccu u kulhadd jikaza. Insejna kemm konna ngergru ghall-pastazati ta' xarabanks li kellna u l-arroganza ta hafna xufiera??? Jew issa qed narawhom angli???
Kemm hu facli toqghod gallarija u tikkritika biss. Nixtieq inkun naf x'jafu jghamlu dan-nies
Nemmen li Austin mhux xi qaddis imma ghidli fil-politika min hu qaddis!
Jien ninharaq meta nara l-ipokrezija ta' certi nies. Tinduna li tkun riesqa l-elezzjoni ghax certi nies li f'5 snin shah qatt ma tkun smajt bihom f'daqqa wahda jippruvaw jilghabuha tas-salvatur sahansitra minn fuq shabhom... Back stabbers!
Lawrence Fenech
Oct 30th 2011, 12:51
Issa mhux hekk gejja, l'onesta hajja qasira mal-GonziPN.
Giovann Demartino
Oct 30th 2011, 11:23
Lil Framco Debono qalftuh 'l barra JIGRI X'JIGRI.
joseph mifsud
Oct 30th 2011, 12:33
hallih jghid li jrid li sur debono.mela ma jistax jiftah halqu issa.jew gejjin stat dittatorjat.
dominic vella
Oct 30th 2011, 14:24
sa fejn naf jien il-pn hu pampalun ta` domkrazija u jekk int nazzjonalist ta` vera sur demartino taf li dan il-hsieb tieghek immur kontra domokrazija u liberta ta` kelma. tista ma taqbielx ma l-argument imma il-punt tieghek ma jaghmielx sens. kemm nies bhal austin kif ukoll bhal franco ghandha bzonn. ikun inutli wara telfa eletorali nibdaw nitfa il-kolpa fuq hadiiehor.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Oct 30th 2011, 15:11
Giovan, jekk Gonzi jibda jqalfat jispicca b'dawk in-nofs tuzzana ta madwaru kif kien spicca GBO meta qalftu lilu.
Giovann Demartino
Oct 31st 2011, 11:12
Domnic Vella...hu l-parir tieghi u d-demokrazija ssemmihiex ghax Dumink l-iehor tghallem xi tdisser id-demokrazija ghax ghal naqra ma qtiltuhx.
Carmel Farrugia
Oct 30th 2011, 11:17
This motion is an embarrasment to the whole Maltese nation. A no confidence motion to the only Minister who tries to carry out much needed reforms in Malta. Not everything goes according to what one wishes. No other person had the guts to carry out the reforms carried out by Dr Gatt. Vide: IT, Sea Malta, Malta Drydocks, Taxis, Motor Hearses, Public Transport and now the parkers. One needs to also mention City Gate. One may not agree to what is being built, but since 1945 now at least something is being done. A bad desicison is better than no desicion at all. Not to mention PBS -- it was unbalanced under labour and is still unbalanced under the PN -- as least it is no longer a drain on the government coffers. Which other Minister can boast of the above. One may not agree with how they were done -- but he delvers one way or another and solves problems that were with us for years and years with noboldy having the guts to tackle them.
Lawrence Fenech
Oct 30th 2011, 12:53
@Farruria.
This is not construction but distruction of what had been built during the past years. Mr. Arrogance did it all on his own.
Jason Galea
Oct 30th 2011, 12:57
Riforma ma timplimentahiex bl-arroganza!
Dak iz-zmien ghadda, illum il-gurnata is-socjetajiet jiddiskutu mhux jimponu!
Kull partit ghandu t-tajjeb u l-hazin tieghu, kollha, imma Austin Gatt partikolarment hsara qed jaghmillu l-PN
Lena Hahn
Oct 30th 2011, 14:18
Dan x'ragunar bazwi hu?
"A bad desicison is better than no desicion at all. "
- No, you are wrong. That statement only applies to a 9-year old deciding between jam and butter for his morning toast. It certainly does not apply to a *government* that has been in power for decades, and especially when the issue at hand had been known to everyone "since 1945" (as you rightly say).
"Which other Minister can boast of the above."
- You are implying the rest of the Ministers are uselss. You are right. However, as the proverb teaches us, having 1 eye when living with the blind does not really mean you see very well.
"No other person had the guts to carry out the reforms carried out by Dr Gatt. Vide: IT, Sea Malta, Malta Drydocks, Taxis, Motor Hearses, Public Transport and now the parkers."
- I don't care about "no other person". Dr Gatt is in power, and Dr Gatt must therefore be the one to fix these things. The Public Transport reform that you mention turned out to be a fiasco. If you think this is false - you either don't use it and rarely go out or you're brainwashed.
"This motion is an embarrasment to the whole Maltese nation."
- Yes it is, but only for allowing Labour to do it...so late and in such a half-ars*d manner.
Lawrence Anastasi
Oct 30th 2011, 11:13
Gatt is not worried. He is so arrogant he expects the vote to go his way and IF it does, it will only feed his ego even more. Then his arrogance will just grow.
Politics, not a respectable profession, never has been, never will be. Look at the players, I rest my case.
Jimmy Magro
Oct 30th 2011, 10:42
I see this as free advertising for Dr. Debono.
I fully agree with those saying that the Speaker will save the day for Dr. Austin Gatt.
Then there is the conspiracy theory as Dr. Debono is a parlaimentary assistant with Dr. Gonzi. Maybe there is Plan X - putting pressure on the Minister who has embarrassed the government. It might have been fabricated in NY or Brussels.
Alfred Vassallo
Oct 30th 2011, 12:59
Or pn Headquarters
John Zammit
Oct 30th 2011, 13:15
Jimmy no need for the speaker he himself will vote yes I bet about it
Joseph E Briffa
Oct 30th 2011, 20:36
I believe that parliamentary assistants are not allowed to criticise the government in public, let alone vote with the opposition or abstain. As public officials they must toe the line at all times, or give up their post. This stands to reason, as parliamentary assistants are junior ministers and therefore form part of the inner circle of government; so it's inconceivable that they go against the establishment of which they form part.. . This applies in particular to parliamentary assistants in the PM's office which ranks above all the ministries.
Ashley Cumbo
Oct 30th 2011, 10:38
Social anaesthetic, that's how I consider all this farse. Haven't you all got used to it? Franco Debono's propoganda, putting pressure on Prime Minister for the Justice Ministry.
I do not think that the motion will pass, amidst I agree with thought itself. Unless other PN MP's who speak a lot, but do nothing else (there are a couple of these, huh?!) listen to some holy advise (nah, neither this is possible), the servile speaker will not vote against an ex-colleague!! I feel it is all false hope when having a biassed ruler of the house as he owes his place to the current administration.
Wally Vella-Zarb
Oct 30th 2011, 10:30
"...the 2008 report by Dr Gatt’s ministry that laid down the VISION that would eventually materialise three years later"
One would suggest that the word 'NIGHTMARE' would be more appropriate than 'vision' to accurately describe the situation!
Aaron Vella
Oct 30th 2011, 10:16
Europe is engulfed by the crises, and in Malta they are discussing the no confidence vote for a bus reform. Ara vera dal-pajjiz sejjer tajjeb biex l-ikbar problemi li qed inhabbtu wiccna maghhom ghal-poplu huma ir-rotta biex naslu sal-Belt.
George Azzopardi
Oct 30th 2011, 14:52
Jidher li int komdu bil-karrozza tmur ix-xoghol siehbi. Pero ftakkar li mhux kulhadd bhalek!
Peter Pace O'Shea
Oct 30th 2011, 15:50
Mr. Vella, are you living in Malta?
John Zammit
Oct 30th 2011, 10:05
DR Gatt will not be ousted from his Ministry because no matter what Dr, Debone is saying he will vote against the opposition's motion.What I am sure of is that bit is not true that all localities are going to have the routes they had before These include the residents of Marsaskala(siberia and st Thomas area) Ghaxaq,and Gudja because the route of the X5 bus from Marsaskala takes you to Zejtun,Ghaxaq,Gudja,Airport,MarsaP/Rand then to Valletta
James Camilleri
Oct 30th 2011, 13:18
@John Zammit - with the above mentioned routes please include also B'Kara.
Alfred Grech
Oct 30th 2011, 09:44
Austin Gatt will not be voted out. The Speaker will vote against the motion so this whole thing is just waste of time.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Oct 30th 2011, 09:32
“Article 81 of the Constitution only makes provisions for the removal of the Prime Minister from office if a parliamentary resolution of no confidence in government is supported by a majority of MPs.” This article is superfluous as it states the obvious.
Our confrontational parliamentary system works with two group Leaders. The Leader supported by the majority of MPs has the final say-it follows therefore that if the PM loses that support parliament can’t function.
In a situation like that, if the Leader of the opposition obtains the continued support of the majority in parliament, the President will ask him to form a new government without the need of fresh elections. We had seen this happening when Mintoff dissolved parliament in 1958. Sir Robert Laycock asked GBO to form a new government; GBO declined the offer as he knew that no Labour MP would have supported him in the House of Representatives.
A Dimech
Oct 30th 2011, 09:30
If Debono abstains, (I doubt he would - as I believe PN will put pressure on him no to), then the Speaker will vote with the government. That has always happened.
BUT - if Gatt survives just because the speaker saves him, then Morally and Ethically - he should do the right thing and pack his bags anyway.
We shall see. In my opinion, as I said before, nothing of this will happen. This are all theatrics - no substance. Debono needs to be careful, because if he doesn't abstain, he will loose credibility and we will nto believe him any longer come next time!
Joseph Camilleri
Oct 30th 2011, 09:12
Bye Bye Mr. Arrogant Gatt! You are an embarrasment to the government and the Maltese.
jesmond zammit
Oct 30th 2011, 08:46
issa donnu hemm anka moviment fi hdan il pn , nazzarda nghid strategijja ,li gatt jitwarrab . jista jkun li ghal elezzjoni jitfghu il kolpa kollha fuq gatt , biex jidher nadif il prim..kullhadd jaf li jekk delia talab ir rizenja u gatt m accettahiex allura gatt jiehu r responsabilta ta xi haga hazina , u la l pm , qed jghamel dawn il laqghat isterici jew teatrali ,biex isalva dan il vot ,mela allura il pm gonzi huwa ukoll responsabbli.
Anthony Pace
Oct 30th 2011, 08:31
I hope that Dr Frendo will do the right thing and vote Dt Gatt out of power. He has made a number of big hiccups notably on Air Malta initially and now on the public transport system.
The PM should willingly accept the Transport Minister's resignation and replace him with Dr Debono who has firm views on public transport.
Mr twanny borg
Oct 30th 2011, 09:33
mhux dak l-ghan ta' franco debono x'jimpurtah mill-pn. jghidilna jekk kellux kuntatti ma' xi hadd tal-pl biex titressaq il-mozzjoni halli jsir ministru huwa. jinnega li mhux veru jrid isir ministru?
TONY C. CUTAJAR
Oct 30th 2011, 11:07
That's Debono's greatest ambition. He's been posing enough. Give us a break, Franco Debono!
Emma Grima
Oct 30th 2011, 12:35
Replacing Dr Gatt with Dr Debono will be going from the frying pan into the fire. They're both arrogant!!!! Better the devil I know!
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