Parliament reconvenes tomorrow

The House Business Committee is expected to meet tomorrow as Parliament reconvenes in the evening after the controversial 26-day Easter recess, one characterised by accusations that the government is merely playing for time as it tries to stave off the prospect of an early election.

Although no formal agreement has yet been reached between the government and the Opposition over the procedure for tomorrow’s session, the House is expected to continue with the debate on the Budget Implementation Bill, a money bill, which, if defeated, would open the way for an early election. By law, the Bill, which started being debated on 28 March, needs to be approved within six months of the budget speech – in other words by 14 May.

Although it is not yet clear when the vote on the money bill is scheduled to take place, one thing is certain: it will be the government’s first opportunity to test its parliamentary majority since the January vote of no-confidence it narrowly survived thanks to the Speaker’s casting vote. Should the story repeat itself and Nationalist MP Franco Debono abstains once again, the public outcry for the Prime Minister to call an early election would gain significant momentum.

There are no less than 14 bills on the parliamentary agenda, and that number is set to increase further with a Bill proposing the necessary legal amendments for the admission of new members to the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development (MCESD). That Bill’s first reading is scheduled for tomorrow evening. The development follows the government’s recent decision to grant representation to Forum Unions Maltin as well as a seat each to a civil society and a Gozo representative.

A copy of the amendments, which will be published in tomorrow’s Government Gazette, has already been sent to the MCESD’s social partners for feedback following a meeting on Thursday with the Prime Minister at Castille.

At the meeting, several members expressed disappointment over the lack of consultation on the divisive matter, with GRTU president Paul Abela claiming that the government’s decision was final, even though they were given a week to submit their views.

Ironically, up to some months ago, the government’s stance was that any changes to the MCESD’s composition had to be enacted through consultation and not by imposition. In January of last year, the government had voted against a similar proposal tabled by Labour MP Gino Cauchi. This change in government position prompted criticism from various quarters, including the Opposition, which has accused the government of acting more out of political convenience than conviction.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Opposition presented a parliamentary motion calling for the Prime Minister to dismiss Malta’s Permanent EU Representative in Brussels Richard Cachia Caruana from his post. PL spokesman George Vella quoted a Wikileaks cable that claims Dr Cachia Caruana decided to reactivate Malta’s membership in Nato’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) without parliamentary consent back in 2008. This happened after the last general election, but before Parliament’s first sitting. Dr Vella accused the government of putting the interests of a foreign country above that of Malta.

Coincidentally, Dr Cachia Caruana was the latest target for harsh criticism by PN backbencher Franco Debono. Last month, Dr Debono lambasted Dr Cachia Caruana in this newspaper, in the social media and eventually in Parliament, for, among other things, Cachia Caruana’s proposal for an underground museum adjacent to St John’s Co-Cathedral, which he described as “madness”.

Other Cabinet members in Franco Debono’s line of fire were Transport Minister Austin Gatt, over the public transport reform, and Home Affairs Minister Dr Carm Mifsud Bonnici over his previous portfolio which also included Justice at the time.

In both cases, a motion of no confidence from the PL immediately followed Dr Debono’s criticism.

In the first case, that of the public transport reform, Dr Debono had abstained, effectively forcing the Prime Minister to seek a vote of confidence in the government a few days later, which the government won with the Speaker’s casting vote.

In the second case, no date has been set for debating Labour’s motion on Justice and Home Affairs. One important development that has taken place since this motion was tabled by Labour MPs Michael Falzon and José Herrera on 5 December last year, is that Dr Mifsud Bonnici has been relieved of the justice portfolio, which went to Minister Chris Said, and assumed the role of Leader of the House, replacing Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg.

Last month, Dr Mifsud Bonnici came under heavy criticism following the announcement that Parliament had risen for the Easter recess. Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi claimed the move had been unprecedented in that it had been taken unilaterally.

Regarding the length of the Easter recess, another matter under the Opposition spotlight, this newspaper revealed that it was not unprecedented by any means. In fact, both in 2010 under the current administration and in 1997 under a Labour government headed by Alfred Sant, the Easter recess was 26 days long, in circumstances similar to those prevailing at the moment, following the resignation of Lino Spiteri as finance minister.