PL deputy leader says Opposition was duty-bound to table censure motion

Labour deputy leader Anglu Farrugia said the Opposition was only doing its duty in tabling the motion of censure on Home Affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.

Farrugia explained that it was the Opposition's responsibility as the alterative government to scrutinise and discuss the performance of a government minister.

He noted that this is in line with parliamentary rules and dismissed accusations of "political violence" levelled towards Labour by government MPs.

"There is nothing personal against Mifsud Bonnici and his family in our motion. I do not accept such accusation by government MPs," Farrugia said.

The Labour MP added that the motion was tabled last year after months of procrastination by government on the justice and home affairs sector.

As the discussion on the Opposition's motion on Mifsud Bonnici continued, the Speaker of the House Michael Frendo once again failed to give a ruling on whether the Opposition's motion calling for the censure of home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici can be amended to call for his resignation.

In his address Labour's deputy leader Anglu Farrugia said that it was the Opposition which was being attacked by "agents of the PN media, and bribed bloggers with the government's blessing."

"If we had kept mum we would have been accomplices to the wrongdoings in the home affairs and justice sectors. Since the government did nothing to change things, we had no other option but to table the motion of censure," Farrugia said.

He explained that international reports on human rights, place Malta at the bottom of the list when it comes to the record on drug related crimes.

Talking about corruption, Farrugia said the issue will never be overcome unless the government shows its willingness to tackle the problem.

At one point, Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo was seen chatting away to fellow government MP Franco Debono. The two seemed to have a friendly but at times animated conversation.

On Friday, in a bid to pile pressure on Debono against voting with the Opposition, Vassallo equated a motion against a minister to a vote against the whole government and described the censure motion as political violence against Mifsud Bonnici and his family.

A few hours later, Debono replied "If anyone suffered from psychological violence, it was me as I still have police officials guarding my family's house."

The vote on the Opposition's motion will be taken on Wednesday 30 May. Other speakers in tonight's sitting were ministers Joe Cassar and Mario de Marco who defended Mifsud Bonnici's performance as minister.

De Marco spoke at length about the "pressing issue of migration" and while praising Mifsud Bonnici's contribution in dealing with this matter, he called on Europe to assist Malta by shouldering its responsibility and share the burden of migration.   

In the Parliamentary debate so far, a number of government MPs insisted that a vote against Home Affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici would be a vote against government.