Updated | Parliament reconvenes, Debono attends Parliament

Parliament reconvened this evening following a two-day break after government decided not to convene parliament unless all government MPs were present in Malta. Backbencher Franco Debono was also present and took his 'new' seat on the far right from the Prime Minister. 

There was a balanced presence of MPs from both sides, although government MPs outnumbered the Opposition's. Opposition leader Joseph Muscat was present as well.

The majority of the parliamentary question time was taken up by a discussion between Education Minister Dolores Cristina and Labour MP Helena Dalli over the working contracts of directors and deputy directors at MCAST.

Earlier today, Cristina denounced a report carried on Maltastar.com as "a blatant lie" and denied threatening directors and deputy directors at MCAST to sign a definite contract. In parliament, Cristina said that discussions over their working contract had taken too long because the MCAST administration and the directors and deputy directors failed to reach an agreement.

"They failed to reach an agreement over certain working conditions, but I have issued a directive insisting that a solution should be found by not later than February 13," Cristina said.

Cristina added that it is not in her "nature to threaten people but I prefer finding solutions through discussions".

Shadow minister Evarist Bartolo admitted in Parliament that it had not been Cristina who had "threatened" the involved individuals.

Briefing the House on the outcome of the informal meeting of the European Council, Gonzi said the meeting tallied with government's aim of fiscal discipline and consolidations and financial stability which leads to a strong economy which creates jobs and wealth.

"We agreed that financial stability on its own will not lead Europe out of the economic crisis. We need more work to focus on the economy and job creation. Economic growth plays an important role in financial stability," Gonzi said.

The European Council discussed  job creation among young people, the role of SMEs and the Single Market.

Gonzi said that around 23 million persons across Europe are currently unemployed, with the highest rate registered among young people. "While Malta's rate of unemployment is the fifth lowest among the 27 EU member states, we are still not satisfied and will continue to work hard for each person to find support and help from government," Gonzi said.

The Prime Minister said SMEs were crucial for economic growth and were recognised by the EU as the backbone of its economic success.

Gonzi however admitted he was not satisfied with how Government authorities and entities "were dealing" with small and medium enterprises (SMEs). "We must reduce bureaucracy which is hindering the work of Malta's main operators, highly fundamental for our economy," Gonzi said.

"Our work is to create space and not stop them from moving forward. It is because of this that I decided to appoint a Minister responsible of small businesses," he said, referring to former parliamentary secretary Jason Azzopardi's recent appointment as Minister for Small Businesses.

On the Single Market, Gonzi said it remains the most fundamental part of the European project: "However, more work is required for this market to be complete, especially in the digital and energy sectors which offer large opportunities of work."

He tabled a copy of the Fiscal Stability and Governance Pact after Article 10 of the Pact was amended, following calls made by the Maltese government. Gonzi also submitted a bill to amend the Constitution for its first reading. The bill aims to include the “golden rule” which binds the country with a balanced national budget and aims to keep the country’s deficit under 3% of GDP.