A debate on the Opposition’s motion of no confidence in the government kicked off yesterday with Labour leader Joseph Muscat warning that the instability would prevail regardless of the vote’s outcome.
The evening session began some hours after the Nationalist Party held a hastily organised parliamentary group meeting ostensibly to plan the week’s programme of discussion in the House.
Before the meeting, rebel Nationalist MP Franco Debono indicated a softening of his stance by saying there was a “possibility” he might abstain on Thursday.
He also said he would try to attend the parliamentary group meeting, although he never showed up.
However, Dr Debono attended the parliamentary sitting, and although he did not sit, as he does usually, behind Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, he made sure not to take a seat at the very end of the backbench but in the third closest to the door.
Dr Debono has spent the past few weeks, since the Prime Minister’s January reshuffle, saying he has lost confidence in the government and would be prepared to vote against in such a motion.
Although there did not seem to be any eye contact with the Prime Minister and most members of the frontbench, the rebel backbencher was given a warm welcome by many government MPs who struck up friendly conversations with him.
Parliamentary secretary Mario Galea sat near him throughout the first part of the sitting, while whip David Agius and Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono also spoke to Dr Debono at length. He appeared relaxed throughout.
The only people who did not seem to speak to Dr Debono were MP Beppe Fenech Adami, who criticised him on the radio a few days ago, and ministers Austin Gatt and Carm Mifsud Bonnici, whose resignations he has demanded.
Dr Muscat opened the debate by saying the Opposition would hold the Prime Minister to account on the stability yardstick Dr Gonzi himself set on Sunday, when he said any solution to the crisis must be clear, unconditional and long-term.
In a 20-minute speech, Dr Muscat outlined the different possible outcomes to Thursday’s vote and showed how neither option would provide durable stability.
Most of the government speakers focused on what they said were the Opposition’s lack of policies and opportunism rather than the issues raised by Dr Debono.
Health Minister Joe Cassar spoke of the government’s successes in healthcare.
Although he admitted to not being perfect, he said he saw no reason to show lack of confidence in the government.
MP Francis Zammit Dimech accused the Opposition of giving no reasons for its motion and lashed out at Dr Muscat for coming up with calculations where he wins regardless of the vote. He said the calculations were similar to those made by the Labour Party when it insisted it had won the EU referendum by counting those who had abstained.
MP Frederick Azzopardi spoke about the government’s economic successes and said the Opposition’s motion was not in the national interest because the economic circumstances demanded stability.
The Prime Minister’s younger brother, Michael Gonzi, was the only one who addressed the issues raised by Dr Debono.
He said he had sat on the backbench for two legislatures and disagreed several times with decisions taken, but never threatened to bring down the government, partly because those in Cabinet and their experts had more access to the bigger picture.
He said Dr Debono’s ideas on home affairs and justice were valid but had never been spoken about so forcefully and democracy never suffered because they were not implemented with urgency.
After his speech, Dr Gonzi engaged in conversation with Dr Debono.
Only around 30 members of the public attended the sitting but many more seemed to follow it online, judging by the amount of running commentaries seen on Facebook.
The debate continues this evening. Dr Debono is expected to address the House tomorrow.