Defiant Transport Minister Austin Gatt yesterday replied to calls for his resignation with a proposal to his detractors, Franco Debono and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, to join him.
Dr Gatt had no intention of leaving Cabinet and would only do so if PN backbencher Dr Debono and independent MP Dr Pullicino Orlando resigned from Parliament, a spokeswoman for the Transport Minister told The Times.
He was replying to questions shortly after a meeting of Parliament’s House Business Committee, which failed to agree on a date to discuss the Opposition’s car parks motion.
Later, in a statement issued to all the media, he said he wanted to “quell unnecessary speculation” by clarifying that he would continue to serve as minister as long as he enjoyed the trust and confidence of the Prime Minister.
After the meeting, the Opposition piled on the pressure by filing two motions in a bid to force a debate on the car park privatisation and on a motion of no confidence in the minister.
Dr Gatt’s ministry was forced to postpone plans to privatise public car parks after an Opposition motion calling for the tendering process to be stopped was backed by Dr Debono and Dr Pullicino Orlando on Monday.
Just before yesterday’s meeting started, Dr Debono went one step further and formally filed a five-page motion of no confidence in Dr Gatt, whom he consistently referred to by his formal name Agostino Pio.
The motion lists what the MP believes are the minister’s failures in public transport, the Delimara power station contract and the more recent botched attempt to privatise public car parks.
Dr Debono’s grievances were picked up during the House Business Committee meeting by Dr Pullicino Orlando.
Speaking “as the Government’s coalition partner”, he asked Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg whether Dr Gatt was considering resigning before the Budget to “remove the obstacle” that “risked” derailing the Government.
Dr Debono said he would vote against the Budget with Dr Gatt still in Cabinet, a move that would most likely force the Prime Minister to call an election.
“The Government wants to present the Budget but it is clear there is an obstacle... if Dr Gatt resigns the impasse with Dr Debono will be removed,” Dr Pullicino Orlando said.
But Dr Gatt’s spokeswoman answered with a flat no. “Minister Gatt has no intention of resigning simply because Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando thinks it would be a good idea to satisfy the whims of Franco Debono.”
The present impasse would similarly be resolved, she added, if Dr Pullicino Orlando and Dr Debono resigned their seats in Parliament.
In his later statement, Minister Gatt said: “I will immediately resign if the Prime Minister or the PN ask me to but I will not do so when Dr Debono deems fit.”
He tore into Dr Debono for his continuous attacks on the Prime Minister and fellow Nationalist MPs, calling them “only a fickle attempt to compensate for an ambition he did not achieve”.
The attacks only strengthened Dr Gatt’s will to serve but Dr Debono, who had no understanding of loyalty, would find this stance difficult to understand, he said.
“We have been through far tougher times than those which Dr Debono is now seeking to create and we will still be there after Dr Debono’s tantrums have become a thing of the past – whether he will is exceedingly doubtful.”
The pressure on Dr Gatt provided the backdrop for a tense committee meeting, which had to decide on a date for the discussion on the Opposition’s car parks motion.
Dr Borg proposed November 12, insisting the Government’s decision to postpone the tendering process had removed the urgency. He added that the Government was guaranteeing no action would be taken on the car park proposal before a debate took place in Parliament.
However, Opposition MPs Joe Mizzi and Anġlu Farrugia insisted the motion be debated with urgency next week. Dr Farrugia said the Opposition was not interested in the Government’s guarantees.
The Speaker suspended the meeting for 10 minutes during which private talks were held on his proposal to bring the date forward to the end of October.
No agreement was reached as the Opposition insisted on a debate next week, especially in view of the no confidence motion filed by Dr Debono.
“The urgency still exists because the car park tendering process was not aborted but postponed,” Dr Farrugia said.
In his closing remarks, Mr Mizzi also noted that on this issue the Government did not have a majority, in a direct reference to the positions adopted by Dr Debono and Dr Pullicino Orlando.
Dr Debono, who is not a member of the House Business Committee – MPs can attend but cannot speak unless given permission – stormed out of the meeting when the Speaker invited Dr Borg to speak just before he was about to talk.
“I cannot stay any longer and it is time for me to leave but thank you Dr Borg for not allowing me to speak,” he scoffed as he walked out of the meeting, which was streamed live.
The parliamentary agenda proposed by the Government will see the in-vitro fertilisation Bill start being discussed on October 15 for four sittings. The cohabitation Bill will be discussed immediately afterwards.
Dr Borg also said the Government wanted to bring forward changes to the civil code concerning the guardianship of disabled people.
The Opposition agreed with the agenda but Dr Farrugia doubted the Government’s intentions, arguing there had been ample time to bring these votes to Parliament before but the Administration had chosen not to.
Another issue the Government wants to resolve before debating the car parks motion is a constitutional amendment to increase the retirement age of judges.
Dr Borg did not have a date for the Budget, which the Government has indicated will be held in November.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com