JPO requests right to join House Business Committee

Independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has presented a motion in parliament seeking  all the rights of a member of the House Business Committee.

Dr Pullicino Orlando has, since he broke away from the PN parliamentary group, been attending committee meetings as a non-voting member.

He said he was now seeking full membership because of developments related to the acquisition of St Philip's Hospital by the government.

At the last meeting of the committee, the opposition, along with Franco Debono and himself, called for the acquisition process to be stopped until the process was reviewed by the Auditor-General or the Public Accounts Committee, but the government said it would go ahead with the deal.

In a statement today, Dr Pullicino Orlando said: "Government has decided to forge ahead with the deal, exhibiting an unprecedented level of disdain towards the democratic process. It appears that the deal had not even been discussed at Cabinet level before the announcement that it was going to be pushed through was made.

"The Minister for Health declared as much during the recording of 'Dissett' last Saturday. He is on record saying that the deal was to be discussed during today's cabinet meeting and a final decision taken. One is tempted to ask who took the final decision without subjecting the deal to any form of scrutiny, not even at cabinet level? Since negotiations have been ongoing for three years now, why the sudden rush? Why aren't we considering the refurbishing of St. Luke's Hospital, which would make over 500 beds available, as opposed to the 100 beds at Saint Philip's?"

Dr Pullicino Orlando said he did not feel comfortable being party to this 'shameful state of affairs' without at least attempting to avoid similar situations in the future.

The House Business Committee is chaired by the Speaker and is currently composed of three government MPs and two MPs from the Opposition.