Independent MP Marlene Farrugia's motion for the appointment of a parliamentary committee to investigate the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri has failed, with 30 MPs voting in favour, and 35 against.
Parliament today was convened earlier than usual to discuss Marlene Farrugia's motion of censure involving the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.
Originally, the motion of censure was directed at Keith Schembri, but Speaker Anglu Farrugia ruled that this was not admissible because Schembri is not an elected official. The Speaker instead ruled that the motion was to be amended to censure the Prime Minister, who can then in turn ask for Mr Schembri's resignation.
The Independent MP also made some serious allegations during the debate, stating that there are spies within every ministry who report to Keith Schembri.
21:00 Independent MP Marlene Farrugia said that the PL has been in government for three years, seeing one scandal after another. The majority of these scandals originated from the OPM.
“Everything our parents built are being sold bit by bit, through transactions which are opaque and raise many doubts”.
“While we are already worried about the good of the country being sold in contracts which have not been published, we hear of cases like that of the Casino concession. Where the one who bid €4 million is currently in court, and the one who bid less received the concession”.
“When the scandal of the Panama Papers exploded and it became clear that a minister and the OPM Chief of Staff opened Panama companies just a few days after coming into power, the country became worried. If you have nothing to hide, then why open them in Panama. How will you convince others to invest in Malta if you are saying that you are not pleased with the financial arrangements that can be done in Malta”.
“That is what the Chief of Staff did. Today I wanted a resolution to bring him before Parliament to either give the public peace of mind or if needed, for him to resign. The government will either allow a person who is disloyal to the country to remain or not”.
She stressed the need for transparency which has thus far been denied for the people.
She questioned why the country was dragging its feet on solving the social housing problem, and why public land was being given away without proper valuation. “Why are we doing this to the Maltese people?”
“When we speak about the economy, it is doing well, but this does not justify the governance situation. This government sold citizenship, and now it sold votes. It sold parts of Enemalta through contracts we have not seen. It is selling the health sector through contracts we have not seen”.
“The people have a right to hear the investigation of Keith Schembri who opened a company in Panama just five days after coming into government”.
The Commission against Corruption, the FIAU and the police have not investigated. The PM defended him. Then as such, we should bring him before us here.
“There are spies in every ministry who report to Keith Schembri directly. He has hijacked the PL for his own gains, and if he loved Malta he would have resigned. His presence is damaging Malta, the credibility of the financial services sector and the future of the country. Today we have a the PL Parliamentary Group who are throwing away their credibility both on a professional and political level, giving their stamp to what is going on”.
“The Prime Minister is a salesman, but not of his things, of everything which is ours”.
“The very fact that Keith Schembri chose Panama as a jurisdiction, is a betrayal. She said that whoever endorses that betrayal, as asked under the Prime Minister, then that person is supporting it.” You are being told to endorse what is wrong within the PL government.”
She asked: “Why is the PL treating the people as if they are not intelligent. People are judging out there. And even if you win vote after vote, it doesn’t mean the people out there have not realised that the government they elected is the same government betraying them”.
20:40 Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella said he would not accept the statement that ministers take orders from Keith Schembri. He said that there was a time when minister’s cowered in Castille, when there was Richard Cachia Caruana.
He said that people are fed up of this subject, that it is “talked out”. They cannot accept they are in opposition. “Why are we wasting time here. We are speaking about a motion which is wrong.
He questioned where the proof is with regards to corruption statements.
He said the case of Richard Cachia Caruana was different, and said that he was an ambassador and that it was based on the fact that he was bypassing Parliament on decisions without informing it.
He said that the opposition’s attitude is damaging the country. “The opposition never had the country’s interest at heart”.
“This is a way for the opposition to alienate the people. If it wasn’t for this case, what could they attack us on? Investment, unemployment, the feel good factor that has been developed, tourism increases… on what?”
He criticised the turnout of the second protest organised by the PN in Valletta.
20:31 PL MP Silvio Schembri stressed that government chose to discuss a motion of no confidence in itself without dragging its feet. He said that in the past legislature, months would pass before a similar motion would be discussed, “and that if it would be discussed”.
He criticised PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami for “calling journalists pathetic”.
“Today’s motion is another attempt to stop government’s work to achieve success”.
“Today, the opposition made a show in front of the courts just because of a libel suit against an MP, in an attempt to put pressure on the courts”.
“They attack BOV, PBS, Malta Enterprise, the AUM, every PL MP, against you Mr Speaker, against our families, against everyone as long as they make absurd allegations and mudsling”.
“They spent months trying to attack me. I then started a libel suite, and if only they would have brought forward a single witness. You cannot base your stories of false accusations”.
20:23 PL MP Deo Debattista criticised the PN for criticising government on things it does, when the PN does the same thing.
He said that the people care about their “hobza ta’ kuljum’, the out of stock medicines we removed, pensions etc. I am sure that this circle of motions will remain till the end of the legislature. “This is the opposition’s political game. We do 100 things right, yet they mention the other one thing”.
“The Opposition is doing its job, and doing it well. So much so, that I wish it many years in opposition as it has no idea how to lead”.
20:12 Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri said that the Opposition is desperate, mentioning the recent motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister. “A negative opposition that cannot accept it is in opposition. On the other side, government is working to improve the lives of Maltese and improve the economy”.
“This government is not afraid to debate motions… this as government is not afraid to discuss it’s Prime Minister or government’s work.
“This government reduced the deficit, reduced unemployment, worked on pension reform, reduced taxes, increased the number of jobs and strengthened healthcare services. While the Opposition speaks about fictitious scandals, international agencies say that government will attract more foreign investors”.
She criticised the defective concrete at Mater Dei, and said that the PN did not say how much it would cost to repair it. “The PL created a movement to create change. We worked hard to make this change a reality, to ensure that the proposals do not just remain words on paper”.
She said that over the past week she has heard what has been said about Keith Schembri. “I seriously doubt if they are speaking about Keith Schembri, a person I know and work with. They try to throw dirt on him, attack his commercial interests he build and why? As they want to damage the government by any means and damage people who are serving their country”.
“They attacked out ministers, the Chief of Staff and now the Prime Minister through this motion. Keith Schembri did not need politics”.
The Keith Schembri I know is one that we always find ready to help us. A person loyal to the country before anything else.
20.05 PL MP Michael Falzon mentioned the increase in pensions, that fuel prices reduced and that stability has become the order of the day.
“Malta is a country where, today, is one of the most optimistic in the EU”.
This Chamber has one choice, and to give a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister.
19.49 Prime Minister Joseph Muscat launched his intervention by saying that “we can always do better. What we heard tonight, was a waste of time where the opposition has not brought forward a single new argument”.
“The impression I get is that Dr Busuttil is led by people who write on the internet and repeat the same dirt”.
“There are things we need to learn, but what is for sure is that it is not from the Opposition. He speaks by extrapolating things out of context. This is a dirty way of speaking”.
“He knows there are two documents which contrast each other,” he said while referring to the document where estate planning was not circled.
Turning to the substance of this motion, he said “it is a legitimate motion, but I don’t think the Opposition Leader read it. The Opposition Leader came here to say that he wants a person, who is a person of trust within my office, to come before a committee, with a PN majority to be judged by it. I would like to remind him of the lie he made regarding the police commissioner. It was taken before the privileges committee and called it a kangaroo court. For Dr Busuttil, there are two sets of regulations. You can do nothing to him, but everything to someone else”.
“The motion is not asking for Keith Schembri’s resignation, as the opposition leader said, it requests Keith Schembri come before a committee. Yet you said it’s for his resignation. You’ve already declared the judgement before this. You haven’t even read the motion”.
He mentioned the lack of suspensions within the PN by the Opposition Leader.
“Tomorrow in court the sentence regarding seats will be given. If it goes your way, you will say the PM does not have the right to appeal from this decision and must give two seats for the PN. If you lose it, you will say “I will appeal and if needed will continue going all the way to Europe”.
“There is a set of rules for you, and rules for others”.
“He has forgotten that I have a Chief of Staff who came from a business background. All the companies you mentioned have been his since becoming Chief of Staff”.
“When I go to meet pensioners, they always tell me that it’s the first time in 25 years that our pensions rose”.
“We will continue taking decisions. We work from the heart and yes, sometimes we rush, and sometimes are not the most delicate people, but we want to continue changing the country”.
“Others did nothing on party financing, while we did”.
He mentioned an upcoming bill. “We have a draft law where chairmen of regulatory committees will come before Parliament and before being appointed, would be heard before Parliament. This is part of our mandate”.
Turning to the economy, he said that there are people who are currently in the poverty trap, and this is the kind of debate I want to have. “We would be on the same side”.
"The Opposition leader made many accusations, which came from reports, saying half truths about Keith Schembri. We (PM and Keith Schembri) managed to break the monopoly of the PN who were in government for 25 years, and we didn’t do this alone, but with this whole group of people in here as well as the thousands out there. I am pleased with the team who are working without any expectation of thanks. I promise that decisions will continue to be taken, despite the Opposition Leader.
19.08 Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said that last Monday, he met with an elderly couple who believe in honesty, and that everyone should be treated equally. “This couple lives on a pension of just over €600 a month. Despite their problems, their biggest worry is with what is happening to the country”.
He said that there is a total collapse of the local institutions
“I am going to speak on their behalf, just like there are thousands of others, like people on social benefits, patients of an ailment who are in a difficult situation as they need to buy their own medicine”.
“These people are disgusted with what is happening in Malta, and worse than that, to the fact that the Prime Minister has done nothing about it”.
“If the Prime Minister removed Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri, we wouldn’t need to file this motion or have this debate. Yet we are here as the Prime Minister took no effective action. The only decision he took is to keep everything the same. Konrad Mizzi remained a minister. Keith Schembri remained the Prime Minister’s chief of Staff. This Prime Minister who boasts about taking decisions, and is not even here right now, did not take an effective decision. That is why we are here”.
“Because of the lack of an effective decision, we have laws which apply to some but not others. In Malta, we have a situation where we have laws for the gods of Castille and others for us, the people”.
“This situation has resulted in a collapse of the institutions, and a collapse of morals. The fact that the Prime Minister did not take the necessary action, it is damaging the reputation of politicians and of the country”.
The Opposition Leader said that the Speaker was on the side who put forward a motion against Richard Cachia Caruana.” So if you put it forward then you don’t put this forward now?”
“What you did is unacceptable. The same person, Anglu Farrugia, three years ago vote one way and rule another. The only reason why your ruling passed, is because there was a majority in favour of it, not because your decision was reasoned”.
He said the original motion was to censure Keith Schembri. “You decided to change the motion to a censure of the Prime Minister”.
“You asked the clerk of the House to tell to call Marlene Farrugia to change the motion, those are your words”.
The Speaker responded saying this is not what happened, saying that he told the clerk to tell Marlene Farrugia that her motion was not admissible.
Back to Keith Schembri, Dr Busuttil said that he is a person who has been a friend of the PM for many years. “When the PM became PL leader, Keith Schembri joined him and he took over the PL. He was one of those in the fourth floor. Mr Speaker, you had given an interview about the fourth floor. Keith Schembri has been in the PL since prior to the election and was hand in hand with the Prime Minister”.
“Nothing occurs without the go-ahead of Keith Schembri. Ask the ministers”.
“This is a person, thus, that this Parliament should debate him. He even went to Azerbaijan with the Prime Minister and Konrad Mizzi”.
“We got to know they went to Azerbaijan through the media as they told nobody”.
“Mr Keith Schembri is one of the gods of Castille, one of those that Evarist Bartolo was referring to when he said there are laws for gods and laws for animals”. Then, he said, they have their financial consultant Brian Tonna.
“What did Keith Schembri do wrong? He opened a company in Panama after becoming Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister. Why, what interest do you have in doing this? Exactly after the elections, he asked his financial consultant to begin looking to acquire a company in Panama. Keith Schembri also advised Konrad Mizzi to open a company in Panama”.
The Opposition Leader said that they even tried to open bank accounts, in nine different banks. “For the Prime Minister that is a standard enquiry. Do you still believe all this was a standard enquiry? We then find out that the consultant gave them the go ahead to open the bank. Its not a standard enquiry, they gave the go ahead to open an account where they would put in $1 million a year. The bank then said they can do it with $800,000 a year, but no less”
An elderly couple would need to receive a pension for 100 years to receive that amount, he said. “Pensioners are not laughing”.
“Everyone is disgusted with you,” he said. “Where are these funds coming from? As a minister, he is only meant to earn the salary of a minister, and the same goes for the Chief of Staff. Then how are they meant to put $800,000 into an account. They then tell us these funds are coming from estate planning. Yet then it is revealed that it would come from brokerage. Brokerage for what?”
“Then it changed, that the funds will come from gaming and recycling. What is this…”
“You have Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri through the Panama Papers showing they want a joint venture. How is this acceptable? Maybe its ok for you, no problem”.
He mentioned Mr Schembri having a Trust in New Zealand, having a company in the BVI and one in Cyprus as well. “Instead of removing everything, he has five companies. No wonder you say you are pro-business… pro-business for Schembri”.
“In the Panama Papers, there is a question, ‘do you wish the accounts to be audited’? And the answer circled is no”.
He mentioned Keith Schembri’s article “which he wrote to set the record straight. He defended himself without admitting the truth”.
“He said there is a political conspiracy against him. All we are saying is that this is unacceptable. You cannot have a Chief of Staff who, after being appointed to such a position, do all this”.
He asked the Prime Minister, is it possible you have not asked who Egrant belongs to? Egrant, is the company whose beneficial owner has not yet been identified. The Prime Minister knows Brian Tonna knows who owns it, yet he doesn’t call him over from the room next door to ask who it belongs to?
He said Konrad Mizzi said in the Panama Papers that he has personal revenue amounting to €6.4 million, which is exactly 2% of what Enemalta sold for. “A huge coincidence”, he quipped.
Dr Busuttil tabled a number of documents during his intervention.
He highlighted an allegation that Keith Schembri paid €400,000 to former managing director Adrian Hillman. “We have yet to hear anything from your side of this”.
“An allegation like this and you’ve done nothing, you left him there? We have heard nothing. Where are the institutions, they’ve finished, they are not working well. Of course Helena Dalli says we are not living in the same country. Minister Dalli everyone is speaking about this except for you, who are hiding from this reality”.
"People expect Keith Schembri to appear before Parliament and we will continue to insist on him appearing before a Parliamentary Committee”.
“We promise that, with the PN, these things will not continue to occur. These things, acceptable for the Prime Minister are not acceptable for me. I pledge to clean up the corrupt mentality established by this government”.
18.51 Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli said that by hearing the opposition, “it seems like we are living in different countries”.
“The country is doing well, yet they want to censure the Prime Minister”.
She said that this government gave recognition to many people who lacked a number of rights. “I want people to live a better life”.
She mentioned affordable childcare, and said that in every study, the recommendations would include this point. “We made childcare free. He always goes a step further than what is needed to be done”.
She said that workers of contractors, who work with government, doing the same job as government workers are being paid the same, stating that “we had been speaking about this problem where they weren’t for years. It had to be this Prime Minister who, until today, receives details regarding working conditions and works to find solutions for the workers”.
She explained that the PN government never worked on the rights, like the one mentioned above. She said that the PN had abstained in the vote regarding civil unions.
Turning to the Gender Identity Act, she said that through this law, the quality of life for the whole family improves, not just of the person concerned.
18.25 PN MP Chris Said said that the Labour MPs are trying to say the Panama Papers scandal are closed, yet the media all over the world are calling it the largest corruption scandal.
He said that government does not want to subject the Prime Minister’s Chief of staff to Parliamentary scrutiny. "Not a single Labour MP has mentioned the topic of hand, that of Keith Schembri, aside from Manuel Mallia", he said.
"We have a government using two weights two measures, as in Richard Cachia Caruana’s case, they voted for a committee to be established, and he answered all the questions put to him. What is the difference today? Why are you refuting that which happened four years ago. Mr Schembri has grave accusations before him, that of being involved in the largest corruption scandal we have seen”.
“Labour MPs are trying to say the two cases, that of Richard Cachia Caruana and Keith Schembri are different, yet they are not”.
“With yesterday’s decision, it became clear that Keith Schembri controls all the government MPs. Marlene Farrugia spent years with government and she said that he controls the ministers”.
“Had the Prime Minister taken the right decisions quickly, the case could have been closed. When he discovered that his minister and Chief of Staff opened secret companies while already in government, he should have told them to resign, yet he didn’t.
He alleged that the Prime Minister is trying to make people forget about the audit. “It’s been three months, where is it? He refuses to tell us who is handling the audit”.
He said that a number of contracts have not yet been published and slammed the Prime Minister’s statement that they will be published by the end of the year. “They should have been published while they were being debated”.
Turning to the Freedom of Information Act, he said government departments are doing all they can to avoid handing over information.
He mentioned a number of other scandals, including Australia Hall, Gaffarena and Café Premier, saying that the Prime Minister, or those around him, are involved in all of them. On Australia Hall, he said that through the Prime Minister’s decision to drop the case, the Prime Minister gave himself a gift worth millions.
Turning to Café Premier, he claimed that government’s statement that they had a plan to use this was essentially hogwash, as it’s been three years and it still has not been used.
As for the Gaffarena scandal, he said that the Department of Lands was, and still is, under the Prime Minister. “In this case, you have the Prime Minister who was directly responsible”.
“I have no doubt that these scandals are the tip of the iceberg”.
He slammed the PL’s criticism at the PN’s cedoli scheme.
“The Prime Minister has done nothing on Panama. Actually, he did worse than doing nothing, as he tried to fool the people. He promoted Minister Mizzi and took no steps against Keith Schembri”.
"The Prime Minister left them where they are as he cannot remove them. We have a situation where the Prime Minister cannot remove them for some reason or other".
He mentioned that politicians resigned over the Panama scandal for companies they opened prior to coming to office. "In Malta it's different, they opened the companies after being elected to government and yet they are still there".
"The local representative of Mossack Fonseca, a friend of the Prime Minister, stays in Castille, and this is grave. Mossack Fonseca have a guest in Castille. An investigation into corruption around the world was conducted five years ago by the UN, and a report was released. He said that in their report they concluded that Mossack Fonseca is the company used to launder money coming from the criminal underworld".
He mentioned that around the world, Mossack Fonseca offices were raided, yet in Malta they did not. "What the police did, was test the Opposition Leader's car".
Dr Said mentioned Cheng Chen, "an official involved in the negotiations relating to Enemalta. He opened an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands". "Was it a coincidence that he utilised Brian Tonna's services to acquire his company, the same person who helped acquire companies for Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi?"
18:01 Education Minister Evarist Bartolo started by speaking about an isolated case of a 16 year-old who doesn't have a place to live de to being turned down by institutions due to a pending court case. "It is a shame that, in this day and age, we still have no space for these people."
"We are not in politics to make money," said Mr Bartolo, but every elected MP should be working towards addressing these kinds of issues instead. He insisted that he isn't appealing for there to be less negativity or less opposition, but "when we finish attacking each other without keeping in mind the bigger picture, we will be discrediting ourselves and not noticing what's happening on a larger scale."
Mr Bartolo wants to avoid the international movements of anti-politics where people who had integrity end up losing it once they're in politics.
He illustrated his views by means of an anecdote when he was once approached in 1996 when he first became a Minister. He was invited to a lunch on a farm and found out that that was how real decisions are made in politics, behind the scenes rather than "on stage".
"We need structures, procedures and regulations to protect us from ourselves. For every politician who can be bought, there is someone ready to buy. There is a whole ecosystem." Mr Bartolo spoke about corruption in democracy on a widespread basis due to the culture of politics which society has garnered.
"I am glad to see all the measures which this government had taken since 2013 to keep people in check."
The Education Minister used his podium to once again speak about MFSA Chairman Joe Bannister's position being untenable after 20 years adding that the government should work on legislation to start the idea of "fixed terms". According to Mr Bartolo, Mr Bannister should have a role in consultation at this point.
"To have a strong democracy, what's important is that not only the politicians behave, but so should the citizens when they choose whom to govern," Mr Bartolo said in conclusion adding that, for corruption's sharks to swim, there is an entire sea of help. He also turned to the media saying that "anyone in media shouldn't expect any sort of immunity. As you want others to not be untouchable, then you shouldn't be either."
17:40 Newly appointed Minister for Competitiveness and Digital, Maritime and Services Economy Emmanuel Mallia started by talking about the beauty of diversity of opinion and then saying that he opposes the motion as put by Independent MP Marlene Farrugia.
"When you are negative in every aspect of your opposition, then you will only strengthen your enemy," Dr Mallia said in reference to the "constantly negative" opposition. "Many times, someone analyses whether the person has ulterior motives, be it political, financial or others."
"In the case of the Panama Papers, the Prime Minister had pressure from both the Opposition and some members of the media." Dr Mallia said that Dr Muscat took his decision in his own time and in his own way as he saw fit and as the law dictates he can.
He likened the multiple motions of no confidence to a sentence in court, which cannot be changed despite how many people disagree with it and want a different outcome.
"Only a few people know who Keith Schembri was, except maybe the Opposition who most probably used to buy their paper and printers from him. The Prime Minister saw then and still sees someone with potential to help the PL and Malta." Dr Mallia said that the Panama Papers proved as a perfect medium for the Opposition to attack Mr Schembri.
"People are now tired of hearing about Swissleaks and the Panama Papers. It is time to move forward." Dr Mallia said that the people are now tired of hearing the same things over and over again and just want harmony away from the politics of manifestations and negativity. "They don't want to see blogs issuing personal attacks on people."
He concluded by appealing for unity so parliament can keep working on the "good feel factor" is currently has.
17:18 PN MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici called the government "Panama's Government". She said that the government is stuck due to all the corruption so it has become a government which is good at hiding things.
The whole story of the crisis was in the headlines and will remain in the headlines due to the people responsible, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said. "You don't need to be a brilliant leader, a positive leader or a progressive leader to take the most honourable road when you have two people caught up in this entire web."
She said that the Prime Minister chose to take the country into an alley, rather than choosing the easy and right road of sacking both Minister without Portfolio, Konrad Mizzi and the OPM's Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri.
If it wasn't for this crisis, we would be discussing how to use millions to help all Maltese and Gozitan citizens rather than speaking about Keith Schembri's millions.
"What is it worth to have 800 proposals if you forget them a day later?" Dr Mifsud Bonnici said in reaction to Dr Borg's previous speech.
About Caritas Malta's report on poverty, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that "this study unfortunately completely breaks down the Prime Minister's propaganda about poverty before the last election. He was presumptuous when he said he would eradicate poverty and this study clearly proves it."
She said that just over €11,000 a year is needed for an average family to have a "decent life", but the report shows that, in reality, these families are earning around €1,200 less than they need, some even earning up to €4,000 less than they need.
"The cost of living is much much higher than the Government alleged in their report." Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that the report shows that the inflation rate is actually four times higher than the government's reports show.
"The Prime Minister has the opportunity to show that he is the Prime Minister, not Keith Schembri."
17:00 Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds and 2017 Presidency, Ian Borg started by describing the debate as a depressing one and Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil as the weakest PN leader in history. He cited legislature which came in place during this current administration to prove all the good that this government has done. This included the Whistleblower Act, the Party Financing Law and Removal of prescription on political corruption cases.
He spoke about Dr Busuttil "initiating a libel suit against the first person in history to use the Whistleblower Act" to protect Independent MP Giovanna Debono's husband who was accused with carrying out works in exchange for votes. Dr Borg also had reservations with the PN's Loan Scheme, particularly when Ann Fenech told him on a local television programme that it was "none of his business" that the PN had €20 million in debt.
He accused the PN of "robbing the general election in 2008 with half a seat in parliament." Dr Borg then went on to reiterate the PL's successes in terms of employment.
"Until now, Malta has not lost one cent of EU funds and we will always be an example of how to utilise these funds." He added that the government has not managed to reach all the goals yet, but anyone working with EU funds understands what they must do in order to eventually reach the 100% which they promised.
"We are ready to continue in preparations together with social partners, including the opposition, to achieve success for Malta. We will also be giving back to the EU by presiding on no less than 1,800 meetings together with Ministers and dignitaries from all over the world." Dr Borg said that the government is looking forward to seeing what Malta can do for the EU and what the EU can do for Malta in the future.
"In these times when we have the opportunity to unite, in the end, this country is intelligent and this is reflected when the people make their choices." He said that the country has faith in their Prime Minister and doesn't want Dr Muscat to be censored.
16:50 Dr Etienne Grech said that today the government has come to Parliament united to fight back these attempts by the Nationalist Opposition to undermine the government. He said that the PN is trying to gain mileage on a scandal which members of the Opposition themselves are involved in. "This tactic of negativity will not make you win any elections," he told the Opposition.
16:28 During her speech, MP Kristy Debono focused on the Prime Minister's decision and how this scandal affected the financial sector in Malta. She said the Prime Minister knows that a country's reputation has a huge influence on its financial services. "I am sure that Joseph Muscat has reflected on his decision and how it will affect our image, but the sector is still waiting for a real and concrete decision."
Debono said that the Prime Minister has sent the message that our financial institution is not a serious one. "How is Joseph Muscat going to convince the world that we mean business?"
She asked what was the exact role of Mr Chen Cheng in the Shanghai Electric deal and if he is still involved in the agreement. "These are legitimate questions and I want to give every opportunity for those who are able to answer to do so."
16:16 Government MP Anthony Agius Decelis said that the government is not afraid of discussing such motion. He insisted that the government's majority is united.
16:00 Minister Chris Cardona said that it is very ironic listening to Fenech Adami speaking about good governance when he himself did not sit for a tax audit.
He accused the Opposition of using the country's highest institution to undermine the positive works by this government. Dr Cardona said that Marlene Farrugia has become a tool in the hands of the Nationalist Party.
"We already wasted a lot of time on these motions. But what are censuring exactly? The improvement in our economy? The measures by which this government is creating more and more jobs?"
"The public feels and knows that the change in our country is happening. We are determined to take our country to the next level. Today's vote will be another vote of confidence in the Prime Minister." He said that the Prime Minister took the necessary decisions.
"The strength of this government lies with its unity. We are a united team who work from the people to the people. Our Prime Minister has created mutual respect between the government and employers. Everyone feels positive about the local economy, excluding the Oppostion."
15:35 PN deputy leader, Beppe Fenech Adami said that this Parliament should remember that the Prime Minister chose Keith Schembri to be his right hand man and by whom this government will become more business oriented. He said that Schembri is the most powerful man in Castille, "Some even say that he is stronger than the Prime Minister."
"We have a Prime Minister who cannot sack Keith Schembri because the Chief of Staff is the one in control. But we insist that Schembri's position is untenable. Joseph Muscat knows that Schembri has harmed the Labour Party."
Dr Fenech Adami said that the government knows that the Panama Scandal has harmed the government's reputation and the Schembri and Mizzi are involved in one of humanity's biggest scandals.
"Very shameful to see that the right-hand man of the Prime Minister tried to open these companies only a few days after the last general elections. The celebrations of the winning party were not even finished. This was a deliberate, planned choice."
There is enough evidence for Mizzi and Schembri to be sacked, the Nationalist MP added. Fenech Adami claimed that the Prime Minister is a hostage of Schembri and Mizzi and that he has no power to throw them out.
"They changed their versions more than once. They mentioned e-gaming, recycling, property brokerage and so on. But their only focus should be that of serving the public. Our citizens did not vote for the Labour government to have all this. The public was deceived."
He quoted Evarist Bartolo when he said that when a storm is approaching, one should take the necessary actions and not blame the barometer. "I call on the government MPs to be honest with each other and themselves. They know that all of this is caused by Mizzi and Schembri."