No-confidence motion live blog

An Opposition no-confidence motion starts being debated tonight in Parliament, with an eventual vote for Thursday.

Follow the debate on our live blog and tell us what you think on Twitter hashtag #confidencevote

9:03pm Deputy prime minister Tonio Borg adjourns the parliamentary debate on the vote of no-confidence to tomorrow at 6pm. 

8:59pm "This motion has nothing to do with government's track record."

8:51pm Franco Debono is now enjoying the company of PN backbenchers Edwin Vassallo, Joe Falzon and Michael Gonzi. 

8:50pm "We are not perfect but the Nationalist party in government has achieved great things and this shows that there is no reason to have a vote of no-confidence"

8:49pm Nationalist backbencher Frederick Azzopardi addresses parliament. 

8:47pm Michael Gonzi: "Strenghtening democracy is important but it will not buy medicines or improve the health services provided. Government's positive achievemnts are being threatened by a no-confidence motion."

8:43pm Franco Debono walks over to Francis Zammit Dimech and gives him a paper with what seem comments and notes about Zammit Dimech's protracted speech. This draws a smile from prime minister Lawrence Gonzi and party whip David Agius who are seated in front of Zammit Dimech. 

8:39pm Nationalist MP and the prime minister's brother, Michael Gonzi addresses parliament. The Opposition's bench is almost empty. The only survivors are Oppositioon leader Joseph Muscat and his deputy Anglu Farrugia.  

8:38pm Zammit Dimech's long-winding address comes to an end. He says "I think that these are testing times and we all have to act with the greatest responsability. Some people think all that matters is a Labour victory while others might have an anti-government agenda. The rest must make an open-minded desicon and compare what the two sides in Parliament are doing and saying. The choice must not be in favour of the Nationalist party or the prime minister but the choice must be in the country's best interest. We have managed to achieve such positive results in these trying times and shown our true colours and our courage. We must ask what must be done for the country's good. As President John F Kenendy had said 'Ask what you can do youir for country and not what your country can do for you'. The politics of envy is a dangerous trap." 

8:20pm Francis Zammit Dimech: "Who wants to bring government down wants to so for no reason and has no motivation at all apart from the strong hunger to be in power."

8:04pm Franco Debono has another lengthy conversation with Speaker Michael Frendo. 

8:01pm Francis Zammit Dimech accuses Joseph Muscat of trying to emulate US President Barack Obama during yesterday's PL general conference and says "What hope was he speaking about when the Maltese economy was doing better than that of other countries, where employment levels are on the rise and  more students are graduating?"

7:56pm It seems all Nationalist MPs are taking it in turns to sit next to Franco Debono and have a brief conversation. This time it is backbencher Stephen Spiteri who stops by and has a brief chat with Debono, on his way out of the House.

7:54pm Francis Zammit Dimech: "What is all this hurry about? Why does the Opposition want to go to elections so early in the legislature? The Opposition is not making its own proposals but is only claiming that it wants stability. Clearly it wants one thing only, that is to be in government. In this moment everybody has to carry responsability. Even the Opposition must carry responsability for its actions."

7:50pm Franco Debono is having a lengthy conversation with Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono.

7:49pm "The Opposition leader is taking a gamble. The Opposition has not yet said why the House should express no confidence in government. Neither has Joesph Muscat given us any reasons in his opening speech. Muscat's hopes of defeating government only depend on the possible actions by an MP on the government benches."

7:43pm “Joseph Muscat almost gave us a Constitutional lecture tonight. He gave us the three possible scenarios. I have not learnt anything new but it reminded me of his behaviour during the EU accession referendum. Joseph Muscat was among those who celebrated the victory for the no camp because the invalid votes and the persons who did not vote with the no votes. He wants to do the same this time. He wants to win in all situations.”

7:42pm Nationalist backbencher Francis Zammit Dimech addresses parliament. 

7:38pm "This morning it was insinuated that I and Daphne Caruana Galizia are compiling psychological profiles of Opposition members. I have not professed my profession since I was appointed minister. They have lied about me and my wife and did not have the decency to apologise. Nobody from the Opposition benches has condemned these lies.

7:35pm Joe Cassar: "The Opposition has not told us how it intends to find a solution to reduce waiting lists in the health sector. How does Joseph Muscat and his best ever cabinet intend to change our country's culture in the manner we make use of hospital and primary care?"

7:25pm Franco Debono returns to his seat and is approached by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. The two have a friendly chat. 

7:22pm Joe Cassar: "We will continue investing in the health sector. We have turned the doctors' brain drain into a brain gain as foreign doctors are now coming to study in Malta."

7:19pm Franco Debono walks over to other end of the House and has an animated exchange with Speaker Michael Frendo and deputy prime minister Tonio Borg.  

7:13pm "Government is saving people's lives through its preventive programmes, such as cancer screening programmes."

7:08pm Joe Cassar lists government's successes in the health sector. "We have achieved these results thanks to our policies."

7:02pm Nationalist MP Mario Galea has a lengthy chat with Franco Debono who still sits alone at the far end of government benches. 

7:01pm "It is not clear on what the Opposition wants to show its no-confidence motion"

6:59pm Health Minister Joe Cassar addresses parliament. 

6:58pm "If the motion is approved, the constitutional mechanisms would kick in and we will hold the prime minister accountable. If the motion ends in a tie, the solution will not pass the prime minister's test of durability and having no solutions attached." 

6:53pm "One option is for government to defeat the motion by having 35 votes against. This would not satisfy the prime ministers tests on durability and pre-conditions and there would not be stability in people's minds. If that is not the case then government would have failed. If the two sides achieve the same number of votes, the result will not be clear, will not be a durable solution and will possibly have some conditions. The third scenario is for the motion to pass. That would be a clear message and constitutional mechanisms dictate what happens next."

6:50pm "I will not make a passionate speech. I will not discuss partisan politics tonight. I will speak about what is worrying the people. A clear signal can only exist if government defeats the no-confident motion." 

6:48pm "It is not only about numbers in parliament. It is clear government is in crisis." 

6:45pm "The prime minister said a solution in parliament should ensure clarity, durability and no conditions attached. A clear result will only be achieved if the prime minister is capable of defeating the no-confidence vote thanks to all votes government has"

6:43pm "I honestly think that parliament chose not to be forceful in the manner the instability in the country is discussed. Government thought it would be best to discuss the matter over a longer period of time. During these four parlaimentary sessions the country expects the House to make a clear desicion."

6:39pm "I will not waste parliament's time by making a historical analysis of what happened in recent weeks. The prime minister chose not to call a vote of confidence himself."

6:36pm Opposition leader Joseph Muscat addresses parliament.

6:35pm Labour PM Chris Cardona has a brief chat with Franco Debono. More MPs enter parliament. Speaker Micheal Frendo says there is an agreement between both sides of the House to allow photagraphers in parliament for the first part of the session.

6:32pm Parliament still in question time. 

6:24pm Franco Debono and David Agius approach journalists sitting in the strangers gallery and share a quick joke with the press. 

6:16pm Nationalist party whip David Agius sits next to Franco Debono and the two MPs seem to be discussing tonights proceedings. 

6:12pm The House is currently in question time. More MPs enter parliament. 

6:10pm Only a handful of MPs are present in parliament. Franco Debono cuts a lone figure, sitting at the very far end of government's benches. Nationalist backbencher Francis Zammit Dimech approaches Debono and the two have a light-hearted chat.