No indication of voting intentions in Franco Debono's speech to House

It was time for Nationalist MP Franco Debono to shine on Tuesday evening, addressing the House to list the shortcomings inside justice and home affairs under Carm Mifsud Bonnici - the latter facing a resignation motion from Labour - but Debono gave little indication of his voting intentions, even though his speech was a veritable dissection of the minister's stewardship of the ministries.

Debono kicked off his speech by saying home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici should have resigned over the drugs court permit fiasco alone, saying "it only took two minutes and 35 seconds to explain why you should resign." The new drugs court had caused considerable outrage amongst critics who saw its extension as an offensive protrusion in the Valletta skyline.

In a speech peppered with numerous quips and puns (he took pleasure in three times calling Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Calizia "Daphne Cachia Caruana", a reference to her close relationship with permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana), Debono touched on a number of issues from drug problems inside Corradino prison to the scarce resources available to the Police force.

"If the minister ever felt that I have offended him I never had any intention to do so," Debono said, referring to several speeches by government MPs that the motion was a personal attack against Mifsud Bonnici. "I wish him the best of luck and good health. If I were him I would have left my wife at home as I know what it means. Members of my family are going through health problems too," Debono said, seeing Mifsud Bonnici's wife in attendance for each sitting of the week-long debate.

"I have been at the receiving end for disagreeing with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's leadership style. I was attacked by persons who have been awarded government contracts," Debono said, snidely adding that when Mifsud Bonnici was passing through health problems recently, he was not sure whether he was sick or not since Mifsud Bonnici kept on writing in newspapers.

He then made reference to Mifsud Bonnici's "protection" by virtue of his father, the former President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, and his uncle Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici, former chief justice. "Since he has implicated his family then I have to mention what the European Court said about his family, which was referred to as an 'unacceptable all-in-the-family jamboree'."

Debono said he had not been "as lucky as Mifsud Bonnici" and had to make it without the "protection" the minister enjoyed.

Debono then explained that in recent years two ministers, namely John Dalli and Charles Mangion, had resigned from their posts and went on to achieve better things after resigning. "Does not John Dalli have a family too?" Debono asked, reminding the House that the former minister, now European Commissioner, had been "destroyed for contesting Gonzi in the PN leadership contest."

Debono also asked why Mifsud Bonnici, as Leader of the House, did not include his own private member's motion on home affairs and justice but chose to discuss Labour's motion. "It reflects on government and not on me." Debono's motion was tabled one month before Labour's motion tabled in December 2011, and explained the motivation behind his 22-point motion which includes wide-ranging proposals for reform in justice and home affairs.

Debono diverged from the government line that the Labour motion was an act of psychological violence. "I rarely agree with Alfred Sant, but he was right in his criticism of government's tactics earlier in the sitting."

The maverick MP also put paid to a speech by Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia, who gave him advice on how to vote: "I respect you, but please don't use me to give an impression that you are some good boy and I am a bad boy."

He thrn turned to Austin Gatt, who also survived a motion of no-confidence in which Debono abstained on: "Austin Gatt said he has suffered under a Labour government, but I have suffered under the Nationalist Party with police security behind my family's door," Debono said.

At one point Debono said he had held Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in very high esteem in the past, but questioned his wisdom in appointing Mifsud Bonnici as Leader of the House: "The prime minister should explain why Mifsud Bonnici was kept on as minister. Is it because the minister's cousin is your chief staff?" he said in a reference to Edgar Galea-Curmi.

He also did not hide having had any ministerial ambitions - a point of criticism after he broke rank with the government following the 6 January cabinet reshuffle. "While there are MPs who rightly have ambitions to join the front bench, one must not forget that there are a few MPs sitting in the front benches that are gripped to their seats."

In criticising the ministry's operations, Debono said the 'Corradino queen' case of Josephine Bickle was a case-study in political philosophy, describing her rule in prison as a "tragedy" that was a "testament to the failure of the state."

While admitting he had defended Bickle in his professional legal practice, Debono said Mifsud Bonnici had a lot to answer for. "There was a time when the Chief Justice and the Attorney General behaved just like lovers. This is unacceptable in a democratic society," Debono said.

He also said Justice Minister Chris Said had privately revealed to him in what state the ministry was when he took over after the January re-shuffle. "However, I will not reveal such details in respect of our friendship," Debono said. At this stage of Debono's address, there was a general sense of mirth taking over government MPs and ministers, and MPs on the Opposition benches, clearly amused at Debono's delivery and quips.

Debono lambasted the minister for not reforming the courts, which he dubbed 'Babylon', citing a complaint by the criminal courts' director Joe Sacco that everything was going downhill. "Sacco was prophetic because this morning i was in court and a chair I was leaning on collapsed," he added, referring to the widely reported episode in the press on Tuesday morning.

"I am a Nationalist and I dare anyone to point out one thing which I have said or proposed that goes against the party's creed," the MP said. 

Towards the end of his address, Debono asked for an extension to his 40-minute speech and PN whip David Agius and the Opposition agreed to grant him a 20-minute extension. Debono tried to haggle and have his allocation increased to 30 minutes, which even brought a smile toPrime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's face.

The debate continues on Wednesday morning and the vote is expected to be taken at 7.30pm.