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Updated | Labour frustrated by Mifsud Bonnici’s filibustering
Opposition question Leader of the House’s ‘inability’ to set dates for Labour motion on justice and home affairs.
28 February 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
Home and Parliamentary Affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici: Labour says the new Leader of the House is postponing debate on their motion.
Updated at 4:50pm with minister's statement.
The Opposition has been frustrated by filibustering inside the House Business Committee, leading Labour whip Joe Mizzi to publicly protest the actions of the new Leader of the House, home and parliamentary affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.
"Mifsud Bonnici's attempts to postpone our motions are not giving parliament the honour it deserves," Mizzi said, after yesterday the minister would not commit to a date for the discussion of their motion on justice and home affairs reform.
"We have seen every excuse under the sun by the minister. When I asked him whether he could give me a date for our motion, Mifsud Bonnici was unwilling to commit to a date.
"In the meantime, the minister has been using the excuse of overseas business to suspend votes, suspend parliamentary debates on bills. This is not good for the stability of our democracy," Mizzi said.
Labour deputy leader Anglu Farrugia raised the fact that as home affairs minister, Mifsud Bonnici's actions opened him up accusations of a personal conflict. "I hope this is not the case, that the minister is suspending debate on a motion that concerns his own portfolio."
The two MPs rebutted accusations that the Opposition was trying to hamper overseas business in the EU, when the eurozone was facing the Greek sovereign debt crisis.
"The amendment to parliamentary voting and meeting times was done in 2009, before the Greek crisis," Mizzi told a journalist from Nationalist party media Media.Link. "These rules have nothing to do with the Greek crisis."
In a statement, Mifsud Bonnici said the government had no difficulty in debating the motion "at some stage".
The minister said he never declared at any point of the House Business Committee's sitting that the motion would not be debated. "The Opposition is wrong in imputing ulterior motives, without having the courage to raise in the committee itself."
Government MPs have refused to set a date for the private member's bill on justice and home affairs presented in December 2011 by Labour MPs José Herrera and Michael Falzon.
The separation between justice and home affairs took place in a cabinet reshuffle on 6 January, which prompted a threat from backbencher Franco Debono to withdraw his support, and ultimately led to the Opposition's motion of no-confidence being narrowly defeated by the Speaker's casting vote.
Herrera and Falzon's motion demands that political responsibility be assumed for 'endemic problems' in the sectors falling under the responsibility of the then Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, Carm Mifsud Bonnici.
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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If PN wants to accuses PL of hindering business - then they should ask the speaker to step out first. Was it not 'Mr Integrity' himself who ran the London office whose sole purpose was to isolate Malta internationally and sabotage Malta and indirectly Mintoff?
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Dawn dejjem id-dittatorjati ħabbew għax ġo demmhom qegħda mela l-parlamenti u d-demokrazija.
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Mhux triq wahda hemm...dik ta l`irgulija .....Jekk ser jghoqod jilghab bhat tfal...ilghabu bhalu...itilqu il barra, specjalment meta ikun qeghed jitkellem huwa.Idhlu meta isejhilkhom ghal mozzjoni biss.Il bqija teatrini wehedkhom is 69 membru.
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Gonzi and his cronies do not give a bamboo shot about parliament, they are aiming all their energy to start and finish a lot of projects to finance their friends of freinds who will surely reciprocate in kind when the proper time comes.In the mean time they keep collecting their extravagant wages and fringe benefits. They only love themselves and their own.
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Gonzi hasn't come to an agreement yet with Franco Debono. Plain and simple. When Franco finally gets what he wants, next morning all will be OK in parliament.
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To FRanco Debono. Serves you right that Carmelo is filibustering with parliament. Your Private Member's Bill will not see the light of day because of following points. 1. GonziPn is in no mood to have the people scrutinize gonzipn's financing practices, too much dirty linen there. 2. Carmelo will surely get his back on you for questioning his abilities as a minister. 3. Unless you act like you talked, no one will take any notice of you and no one will trust you.
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Franco kellu ragun
Franco jmissu jarma qoffa bajd u jibda jqassam fil parlament bhala rigal u ispirazzjoni ghad diskors ta Gonzi biex jigie attwat. M'ghadniex xi nghidu l-ewwel sett ta bajd (ta l-ghid) ghal Franco stess
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The sanctimonious look that Carm Mifsud Bonnici always wears (or at least shows on the photos they have of him) seems to coalesce with the stories they always print about him. He never says much. At least he's bright enough to do that as one wonders what would happen if he opens his mouth. One hopes he shows he's got some opinions and does something good for Malta for a change!He plays stay under the radar pretty good, but that's not good enough for a Minister.
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The only reason for this is the fact that Gonzi knows that he will be risking a huge humilation if that bill won't pass or beaten . No majjority in Parlament , that is the real reason .
