Debono to vote against Budget, car parks privatisation halted

Nationalist MP Franco Debono has declared on his personal blog he will vote against the Budget, less than an hour after the government announced it was suspending the privatisation of the public car parks.

Debono said that he would be filing an amendment to the Opposition's car parks motion, turning it into a no-confidence vote against Transport Minister Austin Gatt.

"This morning I will be filing an amendent to the PL Car Parks motion turning it into a no confidence vote in Austin Gatt. When will this man resign? What other blunders must he commit to be asked by Lawrence 'DCG' Gonzi to resign?" Debono wrote in his blog. "I have the courage to stand up to the Oligarchy and the Evil Clique and I will do it."

In his blog, Debono accused transport minister Austin Gatt of setting upon his one of his sons in "waging a dirty war of personal attacks" against him, while Gatt's cousin - Bondiplus presenter Lou Bondì - had according to the MP used public broadcasting to harm him, and that the TV presenter was also canvassing for Gatt's head of secretariat Manuel Delia on the fifth district, where Debono contests.

Government today U-turned on its plan to privatise 34 public car parks under pain of a Labour motion to stop the tender process, which attracted the support of Nationalist MP Franco Debono.

The transport ministry said the government had given instructions to Transport Malta to suspend the 10-year concessions it was planning to give to private operators.

"Transport Malta has been directed to consult the Opposition on its reservations and to continue discussions with local councils. The TM tender is similar to that issued by the Labour-led Hamrun local council. TM will also update the Union Haddiema Maqghudin over any developments," the ministry said.

Earlier today morning, government whip David Agius announced on TVM breakfast show TVAM that the Cabinet was reconsidering its decision to steam ahead with the car park privatisation.

In a blogpost, Nationalist MP Franco Debono noted the volte-face, which comes just over 24 hours of his announcement that he would support a Labour motion to stop the privatisation. "Every few months there is a parliamentary motion against Austin Gatt. Now even [the] PN whip is appealing to Austin Gatt to realise he has annoyed everyone. GonziPN is no longer a government. It has become a shame."

In a statement, Labour MP Joe Sammut said the privatisation process had been an example of the lack of subsidiarity employed by the government in its relations with local concils. "Although the Local Councils Act stipulates the responsibility of councils to provide parking space, governmnent ignored them and forged ahead with a privatisation of public car parks. Subsidiarity in the devolution of powers to local councils is being eroded."

Sammut, who tabled the motion in parliament, said the privatisation of car parks would create problems for residents who do not have residential parking zones.

David Agius, who was speaking on TVAM this morning ahead of today's House Business Committee which will set the agenda for Parliament which reconvenes today after a long summer recess, said that it his invitation to Cabinet comes in the wake of what Opposition leader Joseph Muscat and Franco Debono said over the weekend.

Speaking in Lija on Sunday, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said that the Opposition expects the House Business Committee to treat with urgency its motion calling for the car park tenders to be withdrawn since the tender was closing on October 26. Muscat said that the tender was grossly irresponsible in proposing a monopoly without setting any parameters for charges.

"We want to safeguard consumers. We do not want the people to have another burden," he said.

On its part, the transport ministry has claimed that Labour's motion which calls for the repeal of the privatisation of car parks was a way of "abusing some of the most precarious of workers, the parkers."

Gatt was referring to the unpaid car park attendants who are licensed by Transport Malta to collect gratuities from motorists, in return for their assistance while manning the public car parks.