The Nationalist Party hopes that in the coming days, the Government will "start to show a more mature behaviour and a more serious attitude than it has shown so far towards the Opposition and, most importantly, towards Parliament."

The Opposition will continue to insist on absolute transparency and seriousness, especially for the necessary changes to be implemented immediately so that Parliament can function better, it said.

The party said this through a statement issued by MPs Robert Cutajar and Paula Mifsud Bonnici, the Whip and Assistant Whip of the Opposition, respectively.

This came as the House of Representatives reconvenes this evening after the summer recess.

"With Ian Borg now Deputy Prime Minister and the new Leader of the House, the third one in this legislature, the Nationalist Party expects the proposals submitted by the Opposition since July 2022, among others, to be enacted immediately. Among the proposals that have been shelved are the bill to include the environment in Malta's Constitution as one of the fundamental human rights, and another to implement measures to reduce food waste."

Another proposal the statement read, is that the Maltese Parliament "should dedicate a session of Parliamentary Questions addressed to the Prime Minister and answered by the Prime Minister. This should take place once a week. This proposal is based on the practice in the House of Commons, where a session called Prime Minister's Question Time is held once a week, every Wednesday."

The statement mentioned a number of other proposals. One is that every Parliamentary question should be answered immediately, "unlike the current situation where a total of 832 questions submitted by Opposition MPs are still awaiting responses from Ministers."

Another one is that the day or session reserved for discussing an Opposition motion "should not only be held once (on Thursdays) every three to six months but should be held once every two weeks, alternating with the Government. The current situation is that while the Opposition can only present up to two draft laws per year, the Government has arrogantly chosen not to present the First Reading of 14 Motions submitted by the Opposition."

One of the other proposals is that the lack of a Permanent Parliamentary Committee for Justice should be addressed. "This Committee should be established immediately and chaired by a Chairperson nominated by the Opposition, with the majority of representatives coming from the Government's side." Yet another is that a childcare service should be provided near the Parliament building. "This service should benefit not only Members of Parliament but also Parliament staff and members of the Police Force stationed in the Parliament building."

It also said that teports submitted by the Ombudsman to Parliament from time to time should be discussed in the Plenary within an agreed timeframe between both sides of the House.

"While it will remain focused on its work in Parliament, the Nationalist Opposition will also insist that the Government stops insulting the intelligence of the people with the way some of its Ministers and Deputies behave in Parliament. The Maltese and Gozitan people not only expect better but, above all, deserve much better. The Government has an obligation to start respecting the highest institution in the country with the seriousness it deserves."