Report from Parliament

Labour MP Justyne Caruana said the bill was half-baked and could have incorporated a lot more issues. However, it was still a positive step forward and the opposition agreed with it.
The MLP, she said, was offering researched solutions to problems being faced by the councils - it had held a congress for councillors some months ago and the party's general conference a few days ago had also included a motion on local government.
Labour, Dr Caruana said, always believed local government should be above party politics. But because of the country's partisan realities, the MLP had started contesting the council elections.
Support for Labour councillors was rising and this was pushing the councillors to work harder.
Labour, however, would have liked the bill to address issues which would lead councils to being given more responsibilities.
Dr Caruana said Gozitan councils were discriminated against because some councils in Malta were allocated funds to do works on arterial roads but this was not done with Gozitan councils.
The opposition, she said, was against having councils raising taxes as a means of alternative funding, but the government should ensure they had the funds they so sorely needed.