Two private motions filed by Nationalist MP Franco Debono are at the top of the parliamentary agenda, just days after the government secured his backing for a confidence vote.
His Private Member’s motion on justice and home affairs, which lists 22 areas of recommended reform, is expected to be presented to Parliament for discussion today.
Meanwhile, Dr Debono will pilot a consultation process on his Private Member’s Bill on party financing, which he filed in January in response to “procrastination”.
“You can expect developments on the consultation process of this Bill in the coming days,” Dr Debono told The Times.
Nationalist whip David Agius yesterday confirmed it was the government’s intention to bring the justice and home affairs motion to Parliament today, depending on the Opposition’s approval.
The move comes less than two weeks after Dr Debono ousted Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici by voting with the Opposition on a motion calling for his resignation.
When asked whether these decisions sought to appease Dr Debono and gain his support for the rest of this legislature, the Office of the Prime Minister simply said: “The parliamentary business scheduled for the coming weeks includes the Private Member’s Bill presented by Franco Debono. As already stated by the Prime Minister on several occasions, all private members’ business will be brought for discussion in accordance with parliamentary procedure.”
Meanwhile, sources said this consultation process will probably be done through the parliamentary committee on the consolidation and recodification of laws, which is chaired by Dr Debono.
Dr Debono’s draft Bill aims to create more transparency in political party campaign spending, donation collection and accounting. He was tasked with drafting the law when he was appointed parliamentary assistant in the Office of the Prime Minister.
Questions have recently been raised over Dr Debono’s employment as a parliamentary assistant, where he earns €6,600 annually over and above his MP’s salary.
Asked why Dr Debono had kept his salary despite having stopped reporting to work and breaking the code of ethics, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi recently said Dr Debono had contributed in certain aspects.
When contacted to establish how he justified his salary, Dr Debono said he was tasked with a major reform (party financing) which he campaigned for, drafted, filed and continues to push forward.
He said he was still keeping up-to-date with research and international developments and would probably be using his committee to help fine-tune the law before it is brought to Parliament’s plenary for discussion.
Dr Debono also said he had offered his resignation to the Prime Minister back in January due to their “differences” but Dr Gonzi urged him to stay on.
Asked if he felt he broke the code of ethics by criticising the ministry to which he was assigned, Dr Debono refused to comment.