Muscat: 'Beyond the numbers, government is in crisis'

Yesterday evening parliament started discussing the vote of no-confidence in government tabled by the Opposition.  Franco Debono sat alone in one of the seats at the far end of government's benches throughout the sitting. However he did not spend much time in solitude as a number of Nationalist MPs made it a point to stop by and chat with Debono.

At one point it almost seemed as if Debono was being mollycoddled by government backbenchers Edwin Vassallo, Joe Falzon and Michael Gonzi. Debono also walked up the aisle and had a lengthy conversation with Speaker Michael Frendo.

Debono also had friendly conversations with party whip David Agius and MPs Mario Galea, Giovanna Debono, Francis Zammit Dimech, Stephen Spiteri, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Robert Arrigo, deputy prime minister Tonio Borg and Labour MP Chris Cardona.

The Opposition leader Joseph Muscat kicked off the four-day debate and said this was the second time in a short time that parliament was being asked to declare whether it had confidence in the government.

"The first debate was held at the request of the Prime Minister in the wake of the vote of confidence in Austin Gatt and the Speaker had to use his casting vote after an MP abstained. At the time, Lawrence Gonzi said the people deserved to know where they stood with regard to government's stability."

"Back then government felt that a no confidence motion that was only defeated thanks to the Speaker's casting vote did not guarantee stability and peace of mind. This is a benchmark which the country should keep in mind."

Muscat said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi declared that he wanted a solution to the government crisis, but it had to have three fundamentals, clarity, durability and no pre-conditions.

"The outcome of Thursday's vote will only be clear if the Prime Minister managed to defeat the opposition motion with all of government's votes. Public declarations made in the past few weeks, reflect the Prime Minister's failures on a range of issues including home affairs, health, justice and energy. Politically, it is clear that, beyond the numbers, government is in crisis," Muscat said.

Muscat said that there are three possible scenarios in the week ahead. "If all 35 government MPs vote against the opposition's motion, the result will be clear, but the issues of durability and pre-conditions will stay with us"

"The second scenario is that of a tie between both sides, which would by the Prime Minister's yardstick, be unclear, will not offer a long term solution and we will not know if there were pre-conditions. It will offer no stability."

"The third scenario is for the motion to pass. That would be a clear message and constitutional mechanisms dictate what happens next. If the votes are equal, two of Lawrence Gonzi's tests for stability, durability and pre-conditions would not have been satisfied."

After Muscat's 25 minute long speech, spoke a number of government MPs. First up was Health minister Joseph Cassar.  By the time the speeches began MPs started to trickle out of parliament.  Cassar spoke at length about government's record in the health sector.  

Cassar listed government's successes in the health sector and said "We have achieved these results thanks to our policies. Government is saving people's lives through its preventive programmes, such as cancer screening programmes."

PN backbencher Francis Zammit Dimech was the next to address the House. He said  "The Opposition leader is taking a gamble. The Opposition has not yet said why the House should express no confidence in government. Muscat's hopes of defeating government only depend on the possible actions by an MP on the government benches."

He added that Joseph Muscat's opening speech reminded him of Muscat's 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," Zammit Dimech said.

At one point Zammit Dimech likened the Opposition to Uggie the dog from the recently awarded film The Artist. Zammit Dimech's long-winding address ended with the famous John F. Kennedy adage 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country'.

By then most seats on both sides were empty. The Opposition's bench was almost bare with the only survivors being Opposition leader Joseph Muscat and his loyal deputy Anglu Farrugia. Franco Debono walked over to Francis Zammit Dimech and handed him a paper with what seemed like comments and notes about Zammit Dimech's protracted speech. This drew a smile from prime minister Lawrence Gonzi and party whip David Agius who were seated in front of Zammit Dimech. 

Short speeches by government backbenchers Michael Gonzi and Frederick Azzopardi closed the first session of the four-day parliamentary debate. Franco Debono is expected to address the House later this week. The no-confidence vote is to be taken on Thursday at noon.