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I refer to a report on MaltaToday of the 31 October 2004 under the heading Losing the war on drugs, MP’s discuss changes on drug laws,’ wherein it was stated that “the Parliamentary Social Affairs Committee is currently discussing possible amendments to the drug laws, a move particularly championed by Home Affairs and Justice Minister Tonio Borg …”
Towards the concluding part of the article it was stated that “Borg’s prudent tactic at achieving consensus has already stretched the discussion process over two years.”
I’m afraid your report is incorrect. It was the Labour Opposition that requested Parliament to convene the Social Affairs Committee to discuss possible amendments to the drug sharing issue and to try to reach consensus with Government. I had personally written to the Hon Clyde Puli Chairman of the Social Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives in June 2004. The Committee was immediately called to meet shortly before the summer recess.
I did not even involve the Deputy Prime Minister at all in my request as the Social Affairs Committee is a Parliamentary not a governmental body.
But if your newspaper has a record of the Deputy Prime Minister or of any other Cabinet Minister or Government MP requesting that the Social Affairs
Committee convene to discuss the drugs laws with the Opposition then I would be grateful should you publish it in your next issue. I am unaware of any request made by anyone else but the undersigned.
Of course I know very well that Dr Tonio Borg has been publicly declaring his opinion that the drug laws need to be reviewed and that his comments were reported in your newspaper and other media. But I am unaware of any attempt on his part to reach out to the Opposition for consensus. On the contrary a similar request made by the undersigned in 1999 to convene the
Social Affairs Committee to discuss the issue not only fell on deaf ears but was dismissed outright by the Interior Minister himself.
Blessed is he who does not seek consensus but yet is given full credit for it through the efforts of others!
Dr Gavin Gulia
Opposition Main Spokesman on Home Affairs
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