This week Parliament was very active. Watching events unfold before my eyes (and ears) inspired me to share with you the highlights of what our house had to offer.

Ombudsman vs Minister

Last Monday in Parliament, Dr Simon Busuttil, Leader of the Opposition, presented a motion to hold an urgent debate (there and then) on the issue of the judicial protest filed by the Ombudsman against Minister Manuel Mallia regards complaints by AFM members of alleged injustices. The Speaker denied the urgency but agreed to the need for a debate. The following day, Tuesday, the Opposition presented its motion to the Speaker for a debate to take place (hopefully) in the near future.

For all those who have switched off from politics to World Cup this may seem like a trivial detail or tactic used by the Opposition to attract media attention. That is what the Government wants you to believe. This is the first time in Maltese history where an authority, the Ombudsman, appointed by the constitution, has filed for judicial proceedings against the government. This is very serious.

I must express my admiration for the courage shown by the Ombudsman. This is a definite sign of encouragement to all our society. Not all is well in the state of Denmark and one man had the courage to, not just say so, but to act upon it. Well done.

Francis and Heritage

Monday offered us yet another interesting moment which, sadly, was not picked up by the media. Dr Francis Zammit Dimech made a point of order through which he revealed that the House could not debate the financial estimates of Heritage Malta as planned. The reason is simply because Minister Owen Bonnici failed to present the full documents stipulated by the law itself. It was a pleasure to watch (and listen to) my dear friend Francis who explained meticulously to the House how wrong the government was in expecting procedures to move on.

The proof of how right Francis was came from a very embarrassed government Minister who tried hard to hide his feelings but had to admit that the Opposition should have all documents in hand. He did not admit that he and his government were wrong but neither did he try to justify his wrongdoing. Minister Bonnici was clever enough to concede elegantly knowing that the media are not paying attention to the government’s incompetence in running the country and abiding by its laws.

A gentleman

The tragic death of Mr Paul Attard left many of us in shock and disbelief. His funeral yesterday was a true mirror of his dignified life of service. Fr Joe Borg’s sermon was strong and bold. Fr Joe spoke of our passage from nature (the garden) to development (the city), a passage which we all go through with God’s grace. He spoke about the choice we all face – to be of service to others or of service to ourselves.

I take this opportunity to express my deepest condolences to Mr Attard’s family and friends. We have tragically lost a true gentleman and a man of service to others. May he rest in peace.

Once bitten

The FIFA World Cup Championship in Brazil has won the attention of millions around the world, Malta included. This week, much to the disappointment of Maltese fans, both the English and Italian teams packed their bags and headed home, bites and all. Bar owners and event organizers are feeling the blow. This World Cup was needed to boost their beer sales but with England and Italy out of the scene many in Malta lose interest.

Italy’s elimination last Tuesday was an opportunity for both sides of the house to pick on each other. It happens that both leaders side with Italy. As members of parliament (not involved in the Heritage debate) trickled back into the plenary both Dr Muscat and Dr Busuttil were patted on the back as a sign of consolation. This moment of boyishness lasted only a couple of minutes until we went back to voting in favour or against as the case may be.

Claudette Buttigieg MP – [email protected], twitter: @ButClaudette