Speaker allows Opposition to change censure motion into motion of no confidence

The Speaker of the House of Representatives this morning ruled that the Opposition could move an amendment to its censure motion against Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici. The amendment calls on the minister to resign.

The ruling had been requested by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, who had argued that the amendment changed the substance of the motion and, therefore, should be rejected because it broke House rules and practice.

Dr Michael Frendo in his detailed ruling said Standing Orders only spoke about amendments which may be withdrawn.

He said that according to Erskine May (the bible of parliamentary practice) the Speaker could decide whether or not to allow an amendment of this nature, with the test being on whether the amendment was relevant to the motion.

Dr Frendo referred to rulings going as far back as 1964 when amendments had been requested for motions of this nature and noted how the Chair had accepted amendments when they were relevant to the subject matter.

In this case, Dr Frendo said, the Chair considered the Opposition's motion as being relevant to the subject matter. He noted that the words 'censure motions' in Erskine May itself had been changed to confidence motions in other editions. The censure motion therefore implied no confidence. 

The original motion had also requested the shouldering of political responsibility and that in itself implied resignation. The amendment was explicitly stating the thinking of the motion, Dr Frendo said adding that the Chair was, therefore, accepting the Opposition's amendment.