Prime Minister Joseph Muscat warned in Parliament yesterday morning that the government was prepared to sit through August if the Opposition adopted an obstructionist attitude, as the House continued to debate the Enemalta Bill amid interruptions, heated debates, requests for rulings and a quorum call.
The Bill will see Enemalta transformed into a limited liability company.
Dr Muscat intervened after Opposition Whip David Agius had yet again raised a point of order when Minister Chris Cardona proposed that the House adjourn to 2pm.
Mr Agius argued that Parliament was meant to meet at 5pm according to the Standing Orders. He therefore requested the Speaker give a ruling as to whether such an adjournment was legal or not.
The Prime Minister said the government had a legislative programme that it sought to implement before the summer recess. It had already informed the Opposition that for Parliament not to meet in August, it had to hold more sessions in July. (Usually Parliament rises for the summer recess in mid-July).
Noting that Parliament had to reconvene “hopefully” in the first week of October because of the transition from the Palace to the new Piano building at the entrance to Valletta, Dr Muscat said he did not have any problem for Parliament to meet at 5pm.
However, certain work had to be done and if the Opposition created obstructions, sessions would be held in August.
Mr Agius said the Opposition had always cooperated with the government and it was the government that had not informed the Opposition when Parliament would meet. The Opposition had no difficulty agreeing with the government on a legislative programme. However, the government had to respect the Opposition.
Dr Muscat suggested that Parliament be adjourned to 5pm as a sign of the government’s goodwill, with the understanding that it also would meet this morning and afternoon.
Government Whip Carmelo Abela said that while the government always showed exemplary behaviour towards the Opposition, the latter was putting obstacles in the way by requesting several rulings and making quorum calls.
He had no problem with Opposition MPs taking part in debates, noting that during two whole sessions, only four speakers had been heard. He suggested the Opposition agree to a legislative programme spread over a number of sittings.
Mr Agius assured the government that the Opposition would cooperate to enact the Bill before the summer recess.
Dr Farrugia noted that there was an agreement that Parliament be adjourned to 5pm.
Earlier in the sitting, Mr Agius had asked the Speaker whether, in line with his ruling on Wednesday, Parliament would debate private members’ Bills or motions if it met again yesterday afternoon.
Mr Abela said that private members’ motions could also be tabled by government MPs. He said Mr Agius was conveniently selective when he referred to the Speaker’s ruling.
Mr Agius retorted that since Parliament discussed government matters during the morning sitting, it should discuss Opposition matters in the next sitting, which was to be held in the afternoon. The last time Parliament met on a Thursday was last November when it discussed the Finance Ministry budgetary estimates.
Delivering his ruling, Mr Speaker rejected Mr Agius’s requests, arguing that the Standing Orders provided for “days” and not “sittings”. Dr Farrugia noted that the resolution for the House to go into a Committee of Supply took precedence over all other matters on the agenda before the House because this was not subject to the Standing Order quoted by Mr Agius.
The debate in the morning was opened by former Enemalta chairman Charles Mangion, who observed that only four MPs were on the Opposition benches. At one point he accused the PN of scaremongering by telling Enemalta workers they would be losing their jobs and wages, and the government losing control of Enemalta.
Mr Agius made his quorum call as the Opposition members began to walk out of the Chamber. Heated arguments were exchanged. The debate resumed after the customary five-minute break.
The government and the Opposition have been arguing about the programming of business since a quorum call on Tuesday led to a sitting being prematurely adjourned.
The Opposition had complained that a debate on the Enemalta Bill should not go ahead since the necessary documents had not been presented. The Speaker had ruled that the sitting could go ahead and the Chair could not tell the government what documents to present.
Agreement on House agenda
At the end of yesterday’s sitting in the evening, the two party whips announced an agreement on how the House would proceed before rising for the summer recess.
Government Whip Carmelo Abela said Parliament would meet this morning to continue and end the Enemalta debate in second reading. The House would then adjourn to Monday evening to start debating the Financing of Political Parties Bill.
The next plenary sitting after that would be on Tuesday evening.
The last sitting before the recess would be on Friday evening when, among other items, MPs would vote on the third reading of the Enemalta Bill.
The House is then expected to meet in October.