Fuel debate will not be held on Thursday

A parliamentary debate calling on the government to substantially reduce fuel prices will not be held on Thursday, Speaker Anglu Farrugia confirmed.

“Although the Opposition’s request was a just one, previous rulings by previous Speakers on similar requests involving disagreement between the two sides of the House always ruled in favour of the government,” Farrugia said. “However, I call on the House to discuss amendments to these regulations.”

In his extensive ruling, the Speaker said it was the prerogative of the government to set the House business agenda. A ruling given by Speaker Louis Galea in 2009 said that the House always met on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, unless there was a different agreement on the days and times.

Although private members’ bills should take precedence over government work on Thursday, this always depended on how the government adjourns the sitting.

Farrugia said he wasn’t satisfied with this regulation and urged the Labour government to formulate “a more harmonious regulation” of how parliament should proceed.

The Speaker said he didn’t have the “procedural power” to force the Opposition’s debate on Thursday as this was not clearly defined in House’s standing orders.

The Opposition had called for the debate to be held this coming Thursday, but the government responded by saying that it should be held on Monday.

“This is the closest possible day because the Prime Minister will be in Germany on a state visit on Tuesday and Wednesday and several ministers are abroad,” the government said.

The PN are claiming that Maltese drivers pay the 4th most expensive petrol and diesel out of all the EU countries. They have also called on the government to publish its fuel hedging agreements.