Franco Debono to tie Labour motion with no-confidence in Austin Gatt
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando: Gonzi should be applauded for torpedoing Gatt's attempt at arbitrarily privatising public car parks.
1 October 2012, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
Lawrence Gonzi (right) is now facing a no-confidence motion in Austin Gatt going by Franco Debono's declarations.
A House Business Committee meeting to set the parliamentary agenda spelt bad news for the Nationalist administration, with Franco Debono declaring in committee he will not support the next Budget and independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando demanding that a Labour motion calling for the repeal of the privatisation of public car parks is discussed with urgency.
"There are people who seem to treat public land as if it were private property. This arbitrary decision to privatise the car parks was a clear attempt at an abuse of power," Pullicino Orlando said today, without referring explicitly to transport minister Austin Gatt.
Gatt today announced he was withdrawing the call for tenders for 10-year concessions 34 public car park sites, after Labour filed a motion calling for their repeal, which last Saturday attracted Franco Debono's support.
Both Debono and Pullicino Orlando argued in the House Business Committee that the Labour motion should still be debated with urgency.
In a Facebook status updated he posted at 2:33pm, Pullicino Orlando said the decision to suspend the privatisation process was humiliating for Austin Gatt:
"Prime Minister Gonzi should be applauded for clearly showing that he has serious reservations with regards to Minister Austin Gatt's actions on three notable occasions. He removed Enemalta Corporation from his portfolio after the BWSC fiasco. He took over the public transform reform himself after the Arriva debacle. He has now humiliated Minister Gatt by torpedoing his attempt at arbitrarily privatising public car parks."
Both government and Opposition sides have agreed to reach a decision on a date to discuss the Labour motion on Thursday at 2pm, behind closed doors.
Franco Debono has also signalled his most clear intention yet not to support the government, when he told the committee that fixing an agenda to debate other laws was "superfluous" to his declaration that he won't support the government in the next Budget.
Lawrence Gonzi needs a majority for the Budget to pass, which includes both Franco Debono and Pullicino Orlando, if his government is to survive the money bill. The government can only fall if Debono votes against - in the case that he abstains, the Speaker's casting vote will be called for.
At this point, Labour whip Joe Mizzi told Debono to declare officially that government did not have his support.
On his part, Debono said that on Budget day, he would "vote in favour of democracy."
Parliament will be adjourning early this evening in a show of respect for the late prime minister Dom Mintoff, who passed away in August, deputy prime minister Tonio Borg told the House Business Committee this morning.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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me and my family ( 4 votes ) they are yours.... we need politician like you !!
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Austin Gatt should apologize to the "1000's" that were awaiting eagerly the introduction of the 43 privatized car parks, for letting them down. Fl-ahhar sab kappel jigieh.
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the vote of confidence will be taken when voting for the budget. surely franco will vote against and gonzi will have no other way but to call elections. who knows????? may be gonzi will try to fight the elections on the budget proposals and franco will be condemned for voting against the budge proposals. i think that labour must at all costs avoid gonzi from going to present the budget because gonzi may play his future on it.
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Expose all this to the Med leaders via public placards and protests.
Luke Camilleri •
Definitely LIKE : )
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I usually have a lot of respect for what JPO says, but to state that Gonzi should be applauded for torpedoing Gatt's attempt at arbitrarily privatising public car parks is laughable. Such a decision to pass on public land to a private company must have surely have been a Cabinet decision, and if Gonzi did not agree, he should have torpedoed it at that stage. Gonzi retreated the privatisation of the car parks because he knew he could not swallow the humiliation of not getting it through the House with JPO and FD voting against.
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MELA GHAMILT PIPI TAHTEK AUSTIN GATT?
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MELA GHAMILT PIPI TAHTEK AUSTIN GATT?
Micheal Bonanno •
"Both government and Opposition sides have agreed to reach a decision on a date to discuss the Labour motion on Thursday at 2pm, behind closed doors."
What is this? Is the Opposition in cahoots with the government for accepting to discuss behind closed doors? This is a democracy, and both parties are there to represent us not hide behind closed doors! This is warped democracy.
Micheal Bonanno •
"Both government and Opposition sides have agreed to reach a decision on a date to discuss the Labour motion on Thursday at 2pm, behind closed doors."
What is this? Is the Opposition in cahoots with the government for accepting to discuss behind closed doors? This is a democracy, and both parties are there to represent us not hide behind closed doors! This is warped democracy.
Mario Pace •
I think that with such a CLEAR statement given by Dr.Franco Debono in this mornings committee, it shows that the Government doesn't have the majority in the house.
So, the Prime Minister should take all the necessary steps to either call an urgent Vote of Confidence or else go to the President and tel him to dissolve Parlament.
Also, if these don't take place the President should step in and call the prime Minister to clear all this instability which is clearly doing much harm to our Nation.
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Nearly 3 months holidays and Parliament will be adjourning early, tal misthija, ghara ma tigbdux xi mussel bix xghol li qedin taghmlu.
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About time for GONZIPN to call the elections. Now it is evident that the budget will not pass and he will be forced to resign.
Luke Camilleri •
Finally a debate in Parliament....
