Partnership for convenience?

The only thing one can say with certainty about the next round of parliamentary sittings is that they will be more illuminating and revealing than the last. How much so is the million-dollar question.

After failing to take any meaningful vote in Parliament during the course of this year to date, and then dragging out the Easter recess as long as possible, the government is about to face a moment or two of truth.

The big test will come when the vote is finally taken on the Budget Measures Implementation Bill, though it is only a test because Franco Debono has still, quite incredibly, failed to indicate whether he is for or against his own party in government.

After starting the year saying he has no confidence in the Gonzi administration, Dr Debono then declined to take the opportunity to vote in favour of a no confidence motion presented by Labour – that was narrowly defeated by the Speaker’s casting vote.

Yet although softening in some respects, the backbencher – who has obviously realised that a premature end to this administration’s life will also bring the curtains down early on his political career – has kept up his attack on various individuals within it.

There will be no running for either Dr Debono or the government after the Budget Bill vote. If he votes against, an unlikely outcome, the die for an election is automatically cast. If he votes in favour, parliamentary life will begin to proceed as normal – at least for the moment.

The conundrum presents itself if he abstains, which is seen by many as the most likely outcome. The theory is simple enough: the government can continue through a number of abstentions by Dr Debono. But practice does not work out like that.

Enough time has now passed for a solution to be found to the government’s internal problems and prolonging uncertainty over whether this administration may fall is not in this country’s interest.

Though unwilling because it trails heavily in the opinion polls, the government will be constrained in these circumstances to look to call an election at least by the autumn. That would be the sensible and honourable course. Clinging on in these circumstances is not a responsible option.

Labour – who can blame it? – wants an election in the shortest time possible. It is clearly ahead and more advanced in its preparations for a campaign.

Yet, though probably not costly in electoral terms, it continues to make the mistake of precipitating the issue. It did this first by presenting the no confidence motion in the government, then calling for a confidence vote in Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, and extended this on Friday by presenting a parliamentary motion calling for the resignation of Malta’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana.

The reasons it has put forward for all the moves are an unconvincing smokescreen. It has acted in this way purely because Dr Debono himself has expressed all these wishes.

Labour probably feels he let it down on the first count; but since Dr Debono has said these two members of the government should also be removed, the PL has confidence – in this at least – that the Nationalist MP will vote against his party.

The reality is that, at this stage of the government’s life, removing them would cause more uncertainty – which is precisely what Labour claims it is looking to end. And their removal would not, in itself, bring forward an election, which is what the PL should be focusing on.

Though rarely dull, the political scene is currently far from edifying or interesting.