Pullicino Orlando to table petition against car parks privitisation

Independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando will be presenting a petition to Parliament signed by over 2000 persons against the privitisation of car parks in Rabat.

In a statement issued on Monday morning, the MP said: "I will be presenting a petition against the privatisation of car parks in Rabat signed by 2375 constituents in Parliament this evening. The petition has the unanimous backing of the Rabat and Mtarfa local councils."

Last week, the government suspended the privitisation process of public car parks following a motion tabled by the Opposition asking for a repeal of the process.

Despite the suspension of the privitisation process, the Opposition together with Pullicino Orlando and Nationalist MP Franco Debono insisted that the motion is discussed urgently this week.

Debono also tabled a motion of no-confidence in transport minister Austin Gatt and following a stormy House Business Committee meeting the government and the Opposition could not agree on when the two motions are discussed. It is expected that today, the Speaker of the House decides when the two motions are to be discussed.

In his brief statement, Pullicino Orlando added that the Transport Malta plan to privatise car parks all over the country has been widely criticised.

"I am pleased to note that plans have been suspended by government, pending a parliamentary debate, following widespread opposition to a process that has been justifiably described as 'at best defective and at worst bizarre'," the MP said.

Pullicino Orlando defected from the Nationalist Party after being condemned and banned by the PN executive for voting against the government in the motion calling for the resignation of former EU Ambassador and PN strategist Richard Cachia Caruana.