Parliament will have to resort to standing orders, Erskine May and previous rulings from tomorrow if the Government and Opposition continue to disagree on the parliamentary agenda for the last part of this legislature.
In our system it’s the Government that decides the work of the House
Parliamentary work hit a brick wall in the first week following a long summer recess, with the two sides disagreeing over Bills and motions to be discussed.
Despite two meetings of the House Business Committee – which discusses and decides the work of MPs – both sides could not find a way forward.
Taking advantage of the delicate situation the Government is in – it no longer has even a slender one-seat majority – the Labour Opposition is trying to force motions to top the agenda that embarrass the current Administration.
These include a motion on the privatisation of public car parks and a motion of no confidence in Transport Minister Austin Gatt put forward by Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono.
On the other hand, the Government has been trying to stay afloat after Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando declared himself an independent MP and while Debono takes constant aim at the Nationalist Party.
According to the rules, it is the Government, through the Leader of the House Tonio Borg, which sets the agenda and no one else can dictate the order resolutions, motions and Bills are discussed.
During past legislatures, including the 1996-1998 Labour Administration, various Opposition motions were never moved onto the agenda by the then Leader of the House.
“In our system it’s the Government that decides the work of the House,” a former MP told The Sunday Times.
If, on the other hand, the Opposition or any other MP insists on changing the agenda, then it is up to the Speaker to give a ruling and interpret the procedures, he said.
Last week, Labour gave notice of an adjournment motion in order to force Parliament to immediately discuss its motion on car parks and Franco Debono’s motion against Austin Gatt.
According to the rules, three days must pass for a motion to be considered by the House, which in this case will elapse tomorrow afternoon.
However, this does not mean that the Opposition’s proposal for a change in the agenda will be accepted.
“If MPs want to change the agenda against the wish of the Leader of the House, it is up to the Speaker to decide,” another former MP said.
“The Speaker’s decision is final and cannot be contested,” he said.
Although there has not been a similar situation during this legislature, there have been three occasions where the Opposition asked to adjourn Parliament and introduce new items on the agenda.
In all three instances, the Opposition’s requests were rejected by the Speaker or an alternative agreement was reached.