Updated - Parliament unable to discuss crisis next week as PM will be away - Mifsud Bonnici

No debate on the current political crisis may be held in Parliament next week because the prime minister will be away on government business (visits to Tunisia and Qatar) between Monday and Thursday. Furthermore, the House cannot discuss the current sitation when no motion has yet been presented, new Leader of the House Carm Mifsud Bonnici told a meeting of the House Business Committee this afternoon.

The issue was raised as soon as the meeting started at noon today.

Labour MP Joe Mizzi, who is whip of the Labour parliamentary group, asked if the government would move a confidence vote.

Anglu Farrugia (PL) asked if the government would ascertain whether it had a working majority.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said there was no such motion before the House. He also pointed out that the Prime Minister will be away between Monday and Thursday.

Dr Farrugia noted that on January 7 Opposition leader Joseph Muscat wrote to the Speaker seeking an urgent debate because of the crisis. The Speaker refused the request, noting that the House would reconvene on Wednesday January 18 after the Christmas recess. He asked if the government would move a confidence vote.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the government had no such constitutional requirement (shouting and interruption, Speaker calls for calm).

Furthermore, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, the Opposition too had not moved any no confidence motion. Of course, that did not exclude the possibility of either side presenting a motion.

However, for now, the House Business Committee needed to decide the agenda of the House for next Wednesday. He was proposing a continuation of the debate  on the Civil Code (amendment) Bill followed by Bill 101 on the EU and then the Budget Measures Implementation Bill, which was crucial to the country.

The government would not object to discussing other matters, but there were no such motions, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.This did not exclude either the government or the opposition moving motions.

"We understand the situation, we are facing it in the party..." Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.

Interjecting, Mr Mizzi said this was a parliamentary matter.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the House Business Committee had to follow procedure and there was no motion for discussion of the current situation before the House.

Mr Mizzi said that was true. There was no motion for now. Would the government move one to to remove uncertainty and confirm that it had a majority?

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the Opposition wanted to seize power as quickly as possible...interruptions.

Mr Mizzi said the Opposition wanted to remove instability...(further interruptions).

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the House did not have before it any motions on the current situation and parliamentary business should therefore continue as usual.

Mr Mizzi said it was the duty of the government to remove uncertainty. Last November, the prime minister himself boasted of having acted to remove uncertainty when the confidence vote was moved. If the government would not move a confidence vote now, it should say so and the House Business should then meet again on Monday to discuss the agenda.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said he never closed the door for the government or the opposition to move motions, but the House Business Committee could only set the agenda on the basis of what was already before the House.

A day for debate may be agreed is somebody moved a motion...indeed Dr Muscat had indicated he may move such a motion and the government would not object to a debate.

Dr Farrugia proposed that the committee should meet again on Monday.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the committee had met to set an agenda on the basis of what was before the House.

Mr Mizzi said the minister could wait till Monday to see what was pending at the time.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said adjourning the committee without setting an agenda would cause instability, but another meeting could be held if the opposition wanted to move a motion in the meantime. The opposition should declare its intentions. He  insisted that the Committee should set an agenda for January 18, but could meet again on Monday or some other day if somebody moved a motion.

Mr Mizzi said the Opposition would not agree to any agenda unless the instability issue was tackled. The minister could do what he liked, but in setting an agenda he would be showing that he was ignoring the situation in the country.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said he was moving that the agenda for Wednesday January 18 would be the Education Act (amendment)  Bill and the Budget Measures Implementation Bill, but the committee could meet again on Monday if new business was proposed. If nothing happened, the committee would not need to meet again on Monday.

Dr Farrugia and Mr Mizzi disagreed. The committee meeting was then concluded at 1 p.m.