The Opposition walked out of parliament on Monday as the government moved a motion to censure Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina for his behaviour during an exchange with the Speaker last week.

The motion, tabled by the Labour government, accused Aquilina of using offensive language against Speaker Anġlu Farrugia and displaying extreme behaviour that breached parliamentary rules.

In response, Opposition leader Bernard Grech denounced the move as a politically motivated attack, claiming it was part of a broader effort by the government to silence dissent and undermine democracy.

It comes after the Nationalist Party last week issued a statement strongly criticising Farrugia and calling for the House to be led by a Speaker who was impartial and fair.

The government's motion expresses solidarity with the Speaker following "consistent attacks" from the Opposition and praises him for going about his duties with integrity and professionalism.

It observes that in line with Standing Orders, no MP may use offensive language against any member of the House or its procedures.

The motion condemns and deplores Aquilina's behaviour last week, saying his actions were extreme to the extent that he had called the Speaker obscene, "mindless" and acting like he was a government MP.

In a sitting where he was found prima facie guilty of breach of privilege, he had even told the Speaker that he would need to call in the police to remove him from the chamber, the motion notes.

The leader of the Opposition was urged to censure Aquilina and insist that such disorder did not repeat itself. 

Government trying to eliminate opposition from parliament - Grech

At the start of the sitting, Bernard Grech said the people expected parliament to be a place of dialogue where MPs discussed solutions to the people's problems such as the cost of living, overpopulation, the crises in health, education and transport.

But the government had chosen to ignore these issues and was moving a motion to attack democracy and the constitutional role of the opposition.

The government, Grech said, was using its majority to condemn those who disagreed with it. It was acting as judge and jury and in a dangerous manner wanted to silence the opposition. This was also an attack on democracy and the heart of government extremism, which wanted to eliminate the opposition from parliament.

It followed other extremist decisions such as the prime minister's refusal to publish ministerial declarations of assets and denying the people the right to seek magisterial inquiries into government corruption.

The PN would not be an accomplice in such undemocratic, fascist and vindictive action where parliament became a political tribunal and the government tried to demonise the opposition and use its power to punish those who spoke the truth.

The Opposition was, therefore, taking the only appropriate action and walking out of parliament while condemning this fascist and vindictive motion. The PN would remain the voice of those who sought freedom, truth and justice, Grech said. 

'Infighting in Opposition' - Abela

Prime Minister Robert Abela hit out at the Opposition for "atrocious" attacks on members of the judiciary and the Speaker, saying such behaviour was dangerous in a democracy.

Abela said there was so much infighting in the PN that the Opposition could not take a position on how to vote in this debate. The only compromise that could be reached was to walk out of the chamber.

Grech and his whole party was being taken over by the new de facto leader Karol Aquilina, Abela said.

Abela praised Anġlu Farrugia for the dignified, efficient and fair way he presided the House and expressed solidarity following the unfair attacks made against him, particularly by Aquilina.

Abela said the Opposition’s attitude in parliament was evident right from the first sitting when the Opposition voted against Farrugia’s re-appointment and had been aggressively critical of his nomination. Yet, after 67 rulings by the Speaker, not one had been contested by the Opposition. Criticism had now exceeded the limits, with the Speaker being called obscene and lacking brain power, among other remarks.

Robert Abela speaking to journalists outside parliament. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

‘Atrocious attacks on members of the judiciary’

The debate was being held on the same day that a lawyer who was effectively a member of the opposition, in court itself, had criticised a member of the judiciary after requests for magisterial inquiries against a minister were turned down, the prime minister said. 

One had a right to contest a decision, but the magistrate was even accused of being an accomplice in the commissioning of a crime and therefore, that she was a criminal. 

And then the PN protested in Malta and abroad that the government was eroding the rule of law, Abela said.

The government could not allow such attacks to go by without supporting the institutions, including the Speaker.

The prime minister said he had expected better from some Nationalist MP such as Adrian Delia, but he too had walked out, perhaps because of pressures. Nationalist MP Alex Borg had phoned the Speaker expressing his solidarity but was also not present.

The Opposition MPs did not know what they stood for.

The Labour government remained the only movement capable of running the country in the interests of the national good in all sectors, Abela said.

Earlier, government whip Naomi Cachia said the opposition had not said what was untrue in the government’s motion. The Opposition, she said, was being in effect led by extremists who thought they could show contempt in parliament, criticise the Speaker and not expect to be criticised.

Parliament could not continue with the sort of behaviour shown by Aquilina. This motion was not a challenge against the opposition but an invitation for MPs to work for a more dignified parliament where MPs condemned what was manifestly wrong.

A parallel to the 1980s

The government's formal motion condemning an Opposition MP is the most serious government condemnation of the Opposition's behaviour in parliament since the early 1980s. At the time all Opposition MPs were declared to have lost their parliamentary seats after they stayed away from the House for months in protest over the 1981 election result which saw Labour Party win a majority of House seats despite a minority of votes.

The Opposition MPs were eventually co-opted back into the House as talks started between the two sides, eventually leading to a deal on constitutional amendments which came into force in 1987.

In recent months there were several brief Opposition walk-outs from parliament, mostly after the Speaker rejected calls for an urgent debate on particular issues. 

Speaker Anglu Farrugia did not preside Monday's sitting since the motion was about him. Labour MP Carmelo Abela presided instead. Several Labour MPs spoke, with the debate due to continue on Tuesday. The Opposition took part in Monday's adjournment speeches.