Government, Opposition agree on confidence debate procedure

The government and the opposition agreed today that the debate on a government confidence motion proposed by the prime minister will be held between 6 pm and 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday, waiving question time and the adjournment.

The procedure was agreed between the party whips David Agius (PN) and Joe Mizzi (PL).

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi gave notice of the motion yesterday, immediately after the Speaker's casting vote was needed to defeat an Opposition no-confidence motion in Transport Minister Austin Gatt when Nationalist MP Franco Debono abstained.

The PN parliamentary group is also due to meet on Monday afternoon.

Dr Debono has already declared he will back the confidence motion.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who has also declared his backing for the government, while seeking the parliamentary group meeting, said today that he was amused to see that there were those who seemed to have the impression that when he took certain stands about particular issues, he did so because he wanted to destabilise the government.

"The stands I took had clear aims and there was nothing sinister behind them. With me, what you see is what you get. Take it or leave it," he said.