In the midst of senior police officers getting lucrative jobs in spite of committing shameful mistakes, a university about to be built in untouched land with the blessing of the government, including the Environment Minister, a shooting range that will shatter the peace and quiet in the outskirts of Mosta and the scandal erupting on both sides of the political fence in Gozo, one piece of news has been lost.
Last week, Nationalist MP George Pullicino withdrew a complaint he had lodged in the House Privileges Committee about comments made in Parliament by Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi about an energy agreement Mr Pullicino, when he was minister, had entered into with a private company.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives had found that Dr Mizzi, prima facie, was guilty of a breach of privilege and the case was set to be heard by the Privileges Committee. But Mr Pullicino said he could never expect a fair decision by this committee, as its composition gave the government a majority, and it was to be expected that any decision would tilt in favour of a colleague sitting on the same side.
He has said that his retraction does not mean that he has accepted Dr Mizzi’s claim, but he believes that the only forum in which his complaint could be dealt with in a just and fair manner are the courts of law.
Mr Pullicino did not stop there. He has challenged Dr Mizzi to repeat the same claims outside Parliament, divesting himself of the privilege MPs enjoy in the House where they can say what they like without fear of being sued.
A week has passed, and Dr Mizzi has not repeated the claims.
It is reasonable to think that he will not be doing so, and so we have a minister who conveniently hides behind the parliamentary privilege to throw mud at one of the members of the Opposition, fails to substantiate his claims and does not have the courage to say the same thing outside the Parliament building, fearing court proceedings.
It is so easy, when one is protected by parliamentary rules, to speak up without any considerations of how others’ reputation is being tarnished.
It is not the first time that this has happened, and it won’t be the last either. In the past I have written many times that parliamentary privilege is often abused by members of the House, at times even to attack members of the public or journalists who have no other option but to grin and bear it. I have also repeatedly said that parliamentary privilege should be restricted to matters of national importance, and not used for slandering purposes.
But things have not changed, and I am afraid that they never will, given that the members of the House themselves stand to gain by retaining this privilege.