A bill that would have created Malta’s first National Commission for Human Rights and Equality has failed to pass Parliament after Opposition MPs walked out moments before the final vote.The legislation required a two-thirds majority because it included constitutional amendments. However, with the Opposition benches empty, the bill secured just 38 votes from government MPs, falling short of the threshold needed to become law.The walkout came after Opposition Whip Ivan Castillo called on the government to postpone the vote and reopen discussions with stakeholders and civil society organisations.While stressing that the Nationalist Party supports the creation of an equality commission in principle, and had backed the bill at Second Reading, Castillo said the government should not press ahead without further consultation on legislation with such wide-reaching constitutional implications.Before leaving the chamber, Castillo accused the government of ignoring Parliament and civil society, saying the Opposition would not take part in the final vote.Equality Minister Rosianne Cutajar condemned the decision, saying Parliament had been presented with a historic opportunity to establish a national institution dedicated to protecting human rights and equality.“History will judge you and us,” she told Opposition MPs before moving the bill’s Third Reading.The bill’s collapse follows weeks of criticism from a wide range of organisations, including employer and business groups, insurers, pharmacists, the Malta Women’s Lobby and Church education bodies.Although many backed stronger anti-discrimination protections, they argued that the legislation was being rushed without sufficient consultation and raised concerns over several provisions.Among them, the Malta Women’s Lobby warned that merging the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality into a broader human rights body could weaken protections for gender equality, while business organisations called for greater legal clarity and more scrutiny before such sweeping reforms were enacted.The proposed law would have merged Malta’s human rights and equality functions into a single constitutional body. It was also the first bill presented by Prime Minister Robert Abela’s new Cabinet.For now, however, the legislation has stalled after failing to secure the constitutional majority required to pass.What do you make of this walkout?•