Speaker rejects adjournment motion, rules for another meeting of House Business Committee

Updated at 00:19

After deliberating for over two hours and a half, Speaker Michael Frendo finally ruled that the date to discuss Labour’s motion to repeal the privatisation of the car parks should be discussed in next Thursday’s meeting of the House Business Committee.

“I hope that both sides have enough time to think on their positions and an agreement is reached on Thursday,” he said.

Frendo however said the motion was substantive and therefore it didn’t require a minister to adjourn the House.

The Speaker said the majority couldn’t be determined by claims but by votes. He acknowledged that this could be “frustrating”. He said that his responsibility was to see that government’s work is brought before the House but he also wished to see more work by the MPs pushed forward.

Standing orders provide for Thursday to be dedicated for private business.

“But a motion approved at the start of each legislature has removed this date. Unfortunately, over 40 private member’s motions have been lost since 1976 because they would have expired by the end of this legislature,” he said.

Frendo added that it was high time that sophisticated methods are implemented so that MPs are allowed the chance to have their motions presented and debated in parliament.

Referring to a ruling given by Speaker Myriam Spiteri Debono, Frendo said the Opposition had been wrong in presenting the motion during a time of uncontested business and, even if admissable, it shouldn't have been moved when it was.

He insisted that even though he might not necessarily agree with the procedure, it had to be the one to be followed.

Updated at 23:46

Almost midnight and Speaker Michael Frendo is still in his office deliberating on whether to approve a motion of adjournment proposed by the Labour Opposition to have its car park motion debated tomorrow.

The House was suspended at 9:30pm.

To pass time, MPs have gathered in small groups talking, drinking coffee and eating Pringles. Others are snoozing in their seats or browsing through their mobile phones and iPads.

Earlier

Speaker Michael Frendo this evening suspended the House at around 9:30pm to deliberate on a ruling he is expected to give tonight. MPs are currently waiting in the House for Frendo to return with a ruling.

The Speaker was asked by the Opposition to adjourn the House to tomorrow to discuss its motion calling for the repeal of the privatisation of 34 public car parks.

Last Thursday, Opposition whip Joe Mizzi presented two motions of adjournment, one for Labour's motion to be debated and the other for backbencher Franco Debono's no-confidence motion against Transport Minister Austin Gatt - who is currently not present in the House - to be debated as well.

Also not present during the debate were independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett.

Since only one motion of adjournment at a time can be raised, Labour opted for its own motion.

Raising a point of order at 8:57pm, while backbencher Beppe Fenech Adami was discussing a resolution on the EU treaty on stability, coordination and governance, Mizzi asked the Speaker to adjourn the House and went on to justify his side's call to debate Labour's motion tomorrow.

"This House's minority is being denied its right to debate. I am proposing that the House adjourns for tomorrow to discuss motion 327 and take a vote soon afterwards," Mizzi said. "The Speaker is there to protect the minority and the Speaker knows the minority [side] has the backing of the majority. The majority is the minority, which wants the discussion for tomorrow."

The minority - being the Opposition - has the declared backing of Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Franco Debono who both want the debate to be held this week.

On his part, Nationalist MP Franco Debono reiterated that he would back Labour's motion and that he will not support government's budget. "Government does not have my backing," he repeated in parliament.

Debono added that government was creating a precedent whereby motions would be discussed by asking government "for a favour".

Mizzi also insisted that the adjournment motion had been "moved according to the applicable terms".

Debono also warned the Speaker not to give a ruling whereby a precedent is created by which a government could block a motion. He said that such a decision could be used in future if the Speaker blocked the adjournment motion this evening.

On the other hand, deputy prime minister and Leader of the House Tonio Borg asked the Speaker to make a ruling on whether Labour's adjournment motion was in order. Borg lambasted Mizzi for interrupting Beppe Fenech Adami, insisting that the Standing Orders didn't allow Mizzi to raise his point of order in the way he had proceeded.

"Moreover, this motion of procedure is like any other motion that needs to placed on the agenda according to what the House Business Committee decides," he said, adding that "all motions should be discussed according to priority of the legislative programme".

He added that House adjournment is only done by ministers.

After 8pm, members of parliament from the Opposition's side started gathering in the House and by 8:40pm all Labour MPs were in their seats. Franco Debono arrived in parliament at 8:51pm.

At 6:30pm, after the 30 minutes allocated for the compulsory parliamentary question time were up, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi made a ministerial statement on the conclusions of the 5 plus 5 summit held in Malta last Friday and Saturday. Two hours were taken up by Gonzi's statement and subsequent replies to questions raised by Labour MPs Anglu Farrugia, George Vella and Alfred Sant and Nationalist MPs Charlo Bonnici, Karl Gouder and David Agius.

The Speaker then confirmed this evening's agenda which included the continuation of the resolution on the ratification of the stability, treaty, coordination and governance presented by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.

Due to Fenech's absence, backbencher Beppe Fenech Adami took the floor to address the House on the resolution.