Dr Gulia was referring to a statement issued on Wednesday by Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg and to a letter sent by Nationalist MP Clyde Puli to to the Speaker of the House.

The war of words had started with a statement by Dr Borg, in which Dr Gulia alleged the government seemed to be trying to skip the parliamentary committee for social affairs and legislate exclusively upon a report that is expected to be published by a committee which, Dr Gulia said, was appointed by the home affairs minister.

He rebutted the criticisms made by Dr Borg that the Labour Party had voted against the amendments of the drugs ordinance, saying that the government had been very intransigent on the matter, a fact that, he said, precluded an agreement over the issue.

Dr Gulia deplored the fact that the government did not respect the sovereignty of parliament by subordinating its committee’s work to that of an “ad hoc committee appointed by the ministry.”

Dr Gulia stressed that when the discussions take place in the committee, he will make sure that the parliamentary committee is not manipulated and used as a rubber stamp.