The Malta Independent 15 June 2025, Sunday
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Parliament: Parliamentary Questions: Skirmishing in preparation for Thursday’s debate

Malta Independent Tuesday, 4 July 2006, 00:00 Last update: about 20 years ago

There are still three full days to go before next Thursday's maxi sitting of Parliament, 10 hours in all, to debate Labour's motion censoring Austin Gatt, but the skirmishing has already started.

Yesterday evening, during question time, Labour's Joe Mizzi, reacting to an Austin Gatt barb on the 1996 Labour administration, referred to the minister as having said that with five seats majority, the party in government can do anything it likes.

Dr Gatt was quick to pick that up. He denied having said words to that effect and challenged Mr Mizzi to go and read the transcripts of what he had actually said.

Mr Mizzi retorted that even the papers had understood Dr Gatt as having said that.

Dr Gatt replied that everyone is free to comment as he likes but thank heavens today there is a recording of the sittings of Parliament and anyone can go and listen to the tapes.

Members of the judiciary on their way out

Three members of the judiciary are due to retire over the coming year, Justice Minister Tonio Borg told Labour MP Jose Herrera.

These are: Magistrate Denis Montebello, Magistrate Joe Cassar and Judge Anton Depasquale.

Lm20,000 for ADT's CEO

ADT's CEO has a gross remuneration package of Lm20,000. This package, Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett told Labour MP Leo Brincat, was negotiated with the chairman. The CEO's perks include car allowance, petrol and mobile phone bills, phone and internet. The performance bonus varies from 0 to 15 per cent according to the board's discretion.

Hospital to be built at Zejtun

The government has received a request from a company for the lease of land at Tarxien Road, Zejtun for the building of a hospital.

The Property Division had no objection to this and a call for applications has been issued, Justice Minister Tonio Borg told Labour MP Charles Buhagiar.

Verdala school to relocate to Hamrun

All the students at the Verdala Junior Lyceum will temporarily relocate to Adelaide Cini school at Hamrun until construction works in their school is finished, Education Minister Louis Galea told Labour MP Chris Agius.

All government's optometrists have resigned

All the optometrists in the government service have resigned over the past year and attempts to recruit new optometrists have failed, the health minister, Louis Deguara admitted in Parliament yesterday.

Replying to Chris Agius, the minister said that temporary arrangements have been made with private optometrists but these cannot cover all the health centres, which means that patients in one district can get to be sent to another health centre for appointments.

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