Parliament to debate, vote on Opposition’s motion on Monday

Parliament has agreed to debate and take a vote next Monday on an Opposition’s motion to repeal a legal notice.

The motion was presented this morning by Nationalist MPs Joe Cassar, Claudette Buttigieg and Paula Mifsud Bonnici. According to parliamentary procedures, 28 days are allowed during which a motion to repeal a legal notice can be submitted.

However, given that today happened to be the 28th day, both the government and the opposition agreed for the debate and vote to be held on Monday. It should be noted that a number of government MPs, including the Prime Minister, are still recovering from yesterday’s incident at Zurrieq where around 40 persons suffered acute pain in their eyes.

Meanwhile, the government has agreed not to apply the legal notice until a vote is taken.

The Opposition’s motion stipulates that the legal notice gives the education minister “wide ranging direct powers” in order to obtain data on students attending state, church and independent schools.

The motion states that the legal notice transfers the limited powers currently held by the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) to the minister and points out that the minister’s powers are too vast.

“Legal Notice 76 does not specify what the term ‘research” which the minister can carry out directly and personally means and why students’ identity card numbers are required,” the motion says.

Although education minister Evarist Bartolo has said that he was willing to discuss the matter with the opposition, in a statement issued last week, the ministry insisted that the data is to be used for research purposes and to provide for adequate advice to be given on students' employment prospects and training.