Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/707940
4 TIM DIACONO THE Labour Party has accused Opposition leader Simon Busuttil of proposing that ministers should not travel abroad on official duty. However, a spokesperson for the PN leader argued that Busuttil's parliamentary speech on Monday has been misinterpreted. "Busuttil is essentially saying that Malta shouldn't be represent- ed at high-level EU meetings," the PL said in a statement. "It appears as though his unfortunate tenure as Opposition leader has caused him to forget the most basic things that he had known as an MEP, such as the importance for a coun- try to be represented at such meet- ings. Busuttil is so entrenched in the elite class, that he is incapable of realizing the most basic things." Parliament on Monday debated a government motion that called, among others, for MPs to be fined €50 for every parliamentary ses- sion they miss. However, MPs who are abroad on parliamentary, government or official party busi- ness will be exempt from the fine. Busuttil zoomed into that clause to claim that the government was proposing "one law for ministers and another law for the rest of us animals". Home affairs minister Carmelo Abela had stood up on a point of order to argue that the exemp- tions will be applicable to all MPs, to which Busuttil responded: "In- cluding for when you'll be abroad". "For when we're on government work, not for when we're on holi- day," Abela said, to which the PN leader retorted that "ministers' work lies first and foremost inside the House, not abroad". A spokesperson for Busuttil told MaltaToday that the Opposition leader was not arguing that min- isters should be exempt from fines when travelling on government business, but was merely pointing out the "discrimination" envis- aged in the proposal. "Every MP has a full-time job, be it as a minister or in some other position," he said. "His argument was that only ministers will be ex- empted from fines when travelling on work business." However, when asked whether Busuttil was suggesting that the exemption be extended to all MPs who travel on work business, he said that the Opposition leader had not proposed such an exten- sion. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 27 JULY 2016 News Labour claims Busuttil doesn't want ministers to travel on official duty PN denies that Busuttil calling for ministers to be fined for missing Parliament when on official duty abroad. Says Opposition leader was merely 'pointing out discrimination' envisaged in new law between ministers and other MPs Simon Busuttil said the government was proposing "one law for ministers and another law for the rest of us animals"