MPs bicker for 10 minutes over ‘filibustering’ reply to PQs

It took parliament over 10 minutes to agree how to handle a list of parliamentary questions which the Opposition has insisted should be “taken as read”.

The questions were made by Labour backbencher Anthony Agius Decelis to foreign affairs minister George Vella, concerning diplomatic work carried out by his ministry.

The replies supplied were long and detailed, prompting the Opposition to suggest that the replies should not be read out loud, but simply taken as read.

But since Vella was in London on government work, transport minister Joe Mizzi was relaying the replies in his stead.

Standard parliamentary procedure states that parliamentary questions should be read out in parliament during the allocated 30 minutes accorded for PQs.

However, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil and Nationalist whip David Agius insisted that the answers should simply be taken as read, also in view of Vella’s absence, which meant that supplementary questions could not be answered.

Busuttil insisted that the time should be allocated for other PQs to be read.

But a heated debate ensued with Busuttil calling for “common sense to prevail” and Mizzi insisting that the standing orders allowed him to read out the long answers.

“Don’t we all have the same rights in this House?” Agius Decelis asked, adding that the Opposition was almost suggesting that questions he raised could have had some ulterior motive.

At one point, Busuttil could be heard telling economy minister Chris Cardona that he “wasn’t talking to him” following a remark passed by Cardona.

As it was evident that they were not going to agree, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat intervened suggesting that a number of questions are taken as read – but with a warning that this should not be repeated or starting a habit of skipping PQs.