The Nationalist Party has said that the government wanted to begin the parliamentary debate on its controversial planning reform proposals tomorrow, but had now caved in and committed “another u-turn.”
“Thanks to mounting pressure from the Opposition and environmental NGOs, Robert Abela has once again been forced into a U-turn, with the Government now stating it sees no urgency to pass the planning reform legislation through Parliament before the summer break,” the PN said in a statement.
It referred to a press briefing on Monday morning, where Planning Minister Clint Camilleri was quoted saying the Government is no longer in a rush to approve the reform and that there is no obligation for the bills to be passed before Parliament adjourns. He also stated that the debate in the House should take as long as needed.
This is the same Minister who, on 8 July during Parliamentary Question Time, declared that the Government was finalising the bills and intended to bring them before Cabinet and subsequently to Parliament for debate before the summer recess, the PN noted.
The party also said that, in recent days the Government, through its Parliamentary Whip, had already approached the Opposition Whip to request that the debate begin tomorrow – a request the Opposition rejected.
The PN called on the Government, having yielded to public pressure, to also ensure that a wide public consultation process takes place before these laws are approved, as demanded by the Opposition and environmental NGOs.
“The PN will ensure this happens and will continue to push for the necessary changes to these bills so that the planning and appeals reform in no way restricts the rights and legal safeguards that still exist to protect citizens,” the party said.
“It is unacceptable that, as declared this morning by Planning Authority CEO Johann Buttigieg, no consultation should take place on these major legal changes on the pretext of avoiding speculation,” the party added.
The party said that as even Labour exponents and activists have requested following the strong wave of criticism sparked by these bills, “the proposed laws must be revised, and consultation meetings must take place not only with developers and architects – as Minister Camilleri admitted – but also with environmental organisations, other professionals, local councils, communities and the general public.”
The PN urged the Government to launch a serious, open, and genuine consultation process in which everyone is given a fair opportunity to make their voice heard.
“For its part, the PN will continue doing what the Labour Government failed to do: it will keep engaging with all stakeholders and with the public at large,” the party said.
The statement was signed by PN MPs Stanley Zammit and Rebekah Borg, the party’s Shadow Minister for Planning and Lands and Shadow Minister for the Environment respectively.