Review: A legislature dominated by the unexpected

It was the unexpected which dominated the legislature which is now coming to an end. When people cast their votes on March 8, 2008, few would have thought that this would be a legislature dominated by legislation on divorce, controversy over ministerial pay and the bus service and divisions within the Nationalist Party. Arguments over power tariffs were to be expected, and there were plenty of them over the past four-and-a-half years, but the controversy with regard to power generation was also dominated by the government’s decision to grant the power station extension contract to BWSC and the fact that the new plant would use heavy fuel oil. No party managed to win an absolute majority in the election of March 2008 but the PN won a relative majority of just 1,500 votes – and a one seat majority in parliament. The problems caused by that narrow margin were to plague the administration throughout the legislature. SANT RESIGNS, MUSCAT TAKES OVER Alfred Sant resigned his leadership of the Labour Party soon after the 2008 election results were announced. Joseph Muscat, then an MEP, won the leadership election to succeed him. He was co-opted to Parliament in October 2008. In April...