[WATCH] Muscat rebuffs calls to reappoint Marlene Farrugia on environment committee

Muscat rebuffs calls to nominate Farrugia on environment committee

Prime Minister Muscat ruled out reappointing Marlene Farrugia as chairperson of the environment and planning committee, insisting the role should be occupied by a government MP.

"It is a basic rule that the government has a majority in parliamentary committees,” he told MaltaToday, adding that the parliamentary group would now nominate a Labour MP.

Yesterday, opposition leader Simon Busuttil announced that he will nominate Marlene Farrugia, the former Labour MP, to continue to serve as chair of the Parliamentary Environment Committee.

Farrugia resigned her chairmanship on Monday when she quit the Labour Parliamentary group, to retain her seat as an independent MP.

Under the Environment and Planning Act - which is currently being debated for a revamp - the committee has to be composed by five MPs, three of which come from the government side, one of whom acts as chairman, and two from the Opposition.

The appointment of an independent MP would necessitate a change in the law itself.

“Government has an electoral mandate to have a majority within each parliamentary committee. I find no problem in Dr Busuttil giving up one of the Opposition's seats in the committee for Marlene Farrugia," Muscat adamantly said.

In reply to the praise Farrugia received for her role on the committee, Muscat said “well and good” adding that was the reason why she was originally nominated to repreent government.

“Now that she's not representing government, and I repeat she justly resigned that position [on the committee], she cannot continue to represent government there."