The law for this historic vote on the cruise berthing project is expected to pass through the parliament without any problems. But there is likely to be a heated debate, as the opposition will be pressing government on the date, the lack of campaign spending rules and other controversies surrounding the vote.

The bill was published on 3 October, so this session comes at the earliest opportunity 21 days after the public consultation period set out in the Constitution. Once the legislation is passed, the Elections Office will be able to send out postal ballots and deal with mobile voting applications for Referendum Day, which is happening just six days before Christmas, on 19 December.

The Ministry of Education has confirmed that all public schools will close for the seasonal holidays on 18 December, as many district primary schools are used as polling stations.

Government is expected to present its 2020/21 budget in the next few weeks because that bill must be presented, debated, passed through Finance Committee and assented to before the end of the year. But it is not clear whether the legislation will be ready for this meeting.

Speaking to CNS recently about the parliamentary timetabling, North Side MLA Ezzard Miller said he was disappointed that, despite shifting to a two-year budget cycle, government is still leaving the presentation of the budgets until the last minute.

He said that it is more than likely that, yet again, the government will attempt to rush its spending plans through Finance Committee at the last minute, forcing members to sit until the early morning hours.

Miller said he believed this was by design in order to allow things that ministers don’t want the opposition or the public to scrutinize to get through the committee.