Mar 23 - GSD “Condemns More Government Attempts To Bury Dr Giraldi Debate”
The GSD has said that the latest Motion to be moved in Parliament by the Chief Minister against the Leader of the Opposition “shows the extent to which the Government is trying to bury any debate on the Dr Giraldi Home.”
Last week, Parliament was adjourned to 3.30 p.m. on Monday 29 March. The Chief Minister then proceeded to file a Government Motion stating that the Leader of the Opposition had misled Parliament. Mr Picardo has now also given notice of a second Motion concerning an interview that the Leader of the Opposition gave to the “In Touch Magazine” and which was published some weeks ago. The GSD argues that, “unless the Chief Minister has nothing more important to do than to present motions to Parliament based on interviews given by the Leader of the Opposition in magazines, he must think there is a tactical advantage for him in doing so on this occasion.”
The GSD says that Government Motions are dealt with before any Private Members Motions and will therefore precede the Motion presented by the Leader of the Opposition on the Dr Giraldi Home. Bearing in mind, says the Opposition, that the session starts at 3.30 p.m., by the time all Bills and these two Government Motions are dealt with, the Dr Giraldi Motion will be dealt with “very late in the afternoon or early evening.”
It is obvious, says the GSD, that the Chief Minister is so concerned with the Dr Giraldi debate that “he wanted to bury it in as much artificially created news as possible and get it heard as late as possible in the hope less people listen to it.”
The Leader of the Opposition said: “The use of these tactics to bury debate on such an important issue really saddens me and it calls into question the Government’s democratic credentials. What is clear though, is that the Opposition is slowly but surely exposing this Government for what it truly is, a False Dawn disaster and not the ushers of positive change”.
