Government fails to set a date for opposition motion debate in parliament
The government this evening refused to set a date for a debate in parliament on an opposition motion on justice and home affairs.
Opposition whip Joe Mizzi said at a meeting of the House Business Committee that the motion should be debated this week.
Leader of the House Carm Mifsud Bonnici said the government's intention was for all private motions to be debated, but he could not give a date.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said parliament would this week continue its debate on the Collective Actions Bill and a resolution on Croatia's accession to the EU.
The debate on the Croatia resolution would be continued next week and the House would then resume and hopefully concluded the debate on the Education Act and the Sustainable Development Act.
Mr Mizzi and Opposition deputy leader Anglu Farrugia said the government had originally promised to hold the debate on the opposition motion by the end of January.
Clearly, Mr Mizzi said, the government did not know where it stood in parliament.
Yesterday, Labour leader Joseph Muscat called on the government to hold the debate on the opposition motion and to move votes in parliament, arguing that its failure to do so would confirm that the political crisis was persisting.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said a date for the opposition debate would be set in the future, but a number of MPs needed to go abroad, and some House business needed to be concluded. The House may also start to debate the Constitutional amendment on the 'Golden rule' for a balanced budget.
Government whip David Agius said the government never set a date for the debate on the opposition motion.
Dr Farrugia said the House Business Committee was being used as a rubber stamp for the government's programme.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that with the Finance Minister and other MPs needing to go abroad because of the international crisis, he could not set a programme for the next two weeks other than as outlined.
Mr Mizzi said Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, when he chaired the House Business Committee, had made a commitment for the debate to be held by the end of January. The current situation, he said, was unacceptable.
The House was debating various bills in parallel and not concluding anything. Even the urgent Budget Measures Bill had not been concluded.
Mr Agius said Labour would do well to remember how, in its time, Opposition motion were never put on the agenda of the House.
Mr Mizzi said the opposition was refusing to be taken for a ride. It wanted parliament to function well. There were several instances last week when all the government MPs were available, and the government could have put the motion on the agenda of the House, had it wanted to.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici reiterated that he could not indicate a date, although he was saying that it was the government's intention for this debate to be held.
The meeting ended in disagreement.
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Lawrence Fenech
Feb 28th 2012, 18:16
F'DITTATORJAT X'TISTENNA.
L'aqwa li vicin il-poplu bhal dak li qallu il-parliament mhux tal-poplu.
Gonzi ma imurx il-parliament jivvota ghax hemm il-babaw.
John Said
Feb 28th 2012, 10:10
This problem would be solved if the opposition agreed to have the pairing, so that when an MP is abroad for ofiicial meetings, votes could still be taken in parlament. But taking votes when not all MPs are present without pairing is like handing a loaded gun to your enemy. This shows that the PL had the intention to destabilise the government from day one. So to me both parties are contributing to the present situation!
More over, the opposition cannot expect that every time they move a motion it has to be discussed immediatly, its like singing I want it all and I want it know!
Tony Busuttil
Feb 28th 2012, 08:13
we deserve much better, Parliament became worse than a kindergarden school. The other half and plus of Malta needs protection and I think the HE The President has to interfer at least as a mediator otherwise we are going to finnish worse than a rough football game.
j brincat
Feb 28th 2012, 07:50
Procrastination has become the order of the day.
Is this in accordance with the democratic credentials of our country?
(jb)
Paul Giordimaina
Feb 28th 2012, 08:43
You are a selfish man jb what is happening is peanuts with what happened in your time.
charles tabone
Feb 28th 2012, 06:09
Perhaps Dr. Carm has forgotten to tell us the quote attributed to the italian fascist army: CORAGGIO FUGGIAMO.
Victor Laiviera
Feb 27th 2012, 23:48
So, despite his Famous Victory in an internal poll, Lawrence Gonzi is still terrified of a vote in Parliament.
pat muscat
Feb 27th 2012, 22:22
Is it fair to treat the Maltese like third world citizens? Its not the end of the world if a Government loses its majority, its a democratic process of democracy; indeed even strengthens it!
People are fed up with a party that has not realized that the world has changed, and continues to live in a world of yesterday. Life is now and tomorrow, give us a break, you are not God's gift to this unfortunate island!
A Trapani
Feb 28th 2012, 00:49
pat, we were like third world citizens during the labour regimes not now. I'm sure you heard or remember when we used to beg for pasta and a bar of chocolate and sometimes spend days not able to have a bath cause our water supply was suspended. Today, thanks to Gonzi PN, democracy is even strenghtened and overlooked by the EU. Ofcourse the MLP and Joseph Muscat opposed to this and preferred partnership.... whatever that means.
Victor Laiviera
Feb 28th 2012, 08:30
@A Trapani
By the way - in the 60s, the PN wanted a "quasi-dominion status" instead if Independence - and nobody ever found out what THAT meant.
Paul Giordimaina
Feb 28th 2012, 08:45
Keep on crying Pat crocodiles do.
Victor Laiviera
Feb 28th 2012, 08:53
@ A Trapani
You spout the usual exaggerations and half truths.
A Dimech
Feb 27th 2012, 21:10
Playing for time becuase they DO NOT have a mjority!!
Albert Farrugia
Feb 27th 2012, 21:09
My oh my! So the PN argument is: Labour was bad, so are we! What's the fuss. Opposition motions were not discussed under Labour, so why is the Opposition complaining now?
The PN won my vote in the 80s because it convinced me and many others that it had the moral high ground. The good thing in all this that is happening is that the PNs mask is now being teared off. People of good will are noticing what is going on, dear Dr Gonzi, much as they did in 1987.
Joseph Camilleri
Feb 27th 2012, 20:55
Il borom il vojta huma l'borom li l'aktar jaghmlu hoss... Joseph Muscat, stop causing this instability and all this fuss... There is still another 1 year and 3 months to go till the next general election. Be patient, maybe you'll be Prime Minister, but please, stop rushing to be Prime Minister!
J.C. Borg
Feb 27th 2012, 20:46
Personally I do not know of any Nationalist motion that was debated during MLP's tenure in Government. So why is this fuss??
Schembri Ray
Feb 27th 2012, 21:09
You have to read between the lines. I think everyone knows all the fuss the opposition is trying to do.
Charles Buhagiar
Feb 27th 2012, 21:13
Mr. Borg, It seems that you do not appreciate the unfortunate state to which the highest institution of this beloved country has been reduced. So keep sticking your head in the sand.
Richard Caruana
Feb 28th 2012, 07:02
Very true
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