Updated | Busuttil set to be absent for Muscat's budget speech

Despite government’s offer to postpone the leader of the opposition and Prime Minister’s budget speeches by a week to ensure that PN leader Simon Busuttil will be in Malta, the opposition leader is set to be absent for Joseph Muscat’s reply.

Earlier, the opposition told MaltaToday that it was government who rejected its demand to postpone the parliamentary speeches in reaction to the 2016 Budget by Busuttil and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat by a week.

However, a government spokesperson retorted that although the offer to postpone the speeches by a week was one of the options on the table, the opposition refused it and decided to go ahead with the speeches on 19 and 20 October.

Last week, the Opposition requested a postponement of the budget speeches by the leader of the opposition and the prime minister, traditionally held one week after the finance minister presents the Budget.  

Busuttil is set to be absent for Muscat’s speech on Tuesday 20 October given that he is scheduled to be away from Malta for a European Popular Party conference in Spain between 20 and 23 October.