The Opposition is refusing to take part in the parliamentary debate on the Mepa demerger in protest at the fact that public consultation on the legislation is only just starting.

PN deputy leader Mario de Marco said that Parliament, a theatre of democracy, was becoming a theatre of the absurd.

After taking 30 months to come up with the Bill, the government was now rushing through the second reading of this important legislation, which stood to have a huge impact on the country’s environmental landscape and could make a major difference in whether the environment is protected or not. Yet, Parliament had not yet heard what civil society had to say.

What type of public consultation did the government sayit was keen on, Dr de Marco asked.

The government professed to be the one that listened, but it was certainly not listening to civil society. This was an insult to civil society and to all MPs.

The debate is a travesty and a sham, and the Opposition is not ready to participate in it

Under normal circumstances, there could be a positive side to creating an environmental authority, but Malta was not living in normal circumstances. It was a small country where the countryside was limited in size, with the highest density of population in Europe, and where any development would have a major environmental impact.

Essentially the government was trying to decide by itself, not through independent authorities or regulators, where development could take place. No wonder Din l-Art Ħelwa had just said that the government’s credibility had hit an all-time low.

Dr de Marco said the debate was a travesty and a sham, and the Opposition was not ready to participate in it.

A number of government speakers in their later speeches reminded Dr de Marco that second readings were for discussing policies, with any changes being inserted into legislation at committee stage.

Even legislation on financial services, which had been the result of consensus since 1998, had invariably been heavily amended in committee.