Marlene Farrugia (Ind.) voted again in favour of an Opposition proposal in Parliament last night.
On her request, MPs stood up to vote rather than doing so electronically because she wanted “to stand up and be counted for transparency and against corruption”.
At the end of the sitting, PN Whip David Agius asked the Speaker to investigate verbal threats made against Dr Farrugia by Joe Debono Grech (PL).
Dr Farrugia tweeted that everyone had heard the threats, adding this was a throwback to the 70s and 80s.
During yesterday’s parliamentary debate about the Environment Protection Bill, Environment Minister Leo Brincat proposed an amendment to one of the articles that led to Dr Farrugia’s resignation from the Labour Party.
He said he had already ex-pressed his personal commitment to nominating a person proposed by eNGOs to sit on the Environment Authority board. The proposed amendment would enshrine this in law.
But Opposition environment shadow minister Marthese Portelli said the Opposition’s proposed amendment on Tuesday stipulated that a minimum of three board members should be chosen by environmental organisations.
The government maintained that eNGOs’ should only be able to select one member. The Opposition’s amendment was defeated with Dr Farrugia voting in its favour.
Debating the clauses providing for the House Environment and Planning Committee, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil proposed amendments that would allow Dr Farrugia to chair the committee.
This change, he said, would be similar to those carried out earlier in the legislature allowing MPs to sit on public boards.
Mr Brincat said the government’s position had been explained earlier by the Prime Minister: the government had to have a majority on the committee in terms of Standing Orders. Dr Busuttil suggested the committee be composed of seven members, along the lines of the Public Accounts Committee.
The government would still enjoy a majority even if chaired by a member outside its ranks.
The Opposition also put forward the recommendation by the Commissioner for Environment and Planning, that the state of the environment report should be prepared by the Ombudsman’s office.
It would then be tabled and discussed in Parliament. Dr Farrugia agreed with the proposal.
The government’s position was that the experts who drafted the previous reports would continue to do so but before being submitted to Parliament the would be analysed by the Ombudsman’s office. Parliament would then debate the report and the Ombudsman’s opinion.
The Opposition proposed that the state of the environment report is prepared by the Ombudsman and analysed by the Environment Authority, prior to the Parliamentary debate.
Five environmental eNGOs called on the Prime Minister to appoint MP Marlene Farrugia as chairman of the parliamentary Environment and Planning Committee.
In a joint statement, eNGOs Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta and the Ramblers Association said the Prime Minister’s decision on the matter was a test of his claim to be democratic in all spheres, including the environment.
Both Din l-Art Ħelwa and Front Ħarsien ODZ made a similar appeal.
eNGOs call for appointment of Farrugia
Five environmental eNGOs called on the Prime Minister to appoint MP Marlene Farrugia as chairman of the parliamentary Environment and Planning Committee.
In a joint statement, eNGOs Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta and the Ramblers Association said the Prime Minister’s decision on the matter was a test of his claim to be democratic in all spheres, including the environment.
Both Din l-Art Ħelwa and Front Ħarsien ODZ made a similar appeal.