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I refer to the article entitled “Attard Montalto denies truancy figures” written by Matthew Vella and printed on the 11 September 2005.
Quite sincerely I fail to see the point you were trying to make. Apart from the fact that I do not always sign the registers of individual committee meetings, I attend or decide not to attend according to my agenda and according to what I feel are the interests of the PES group and of Malta in the European Union. I do not attend where I do not feel the necessity or have other priorities and I am answerable towards the electorate not for my attendance but for the results I obtain. If you are trying to argue that I do not dedicate enough time and effort I suggest that you check the general register of attendance at the European Parliament which shows that I attend my office there regularly and assiduously, whether I am at a committee meeting or not. I have concluded my schooling years ago and do not recall being under the supervision of any master of discipline.
If Parliamentarians were to be evaluated according to their rate of attendance, then we should have a closer look at the way our own parliament in Malta works. If you were to apply your reasoning to the Maltese Parliament you would arrive at the conclusion that the pairing agreement is truancy institutionalized.
Please be assured that I schedule my activities according to my political agenda and the interests of the Maltese people. Do not expect me however to justify my priorities on the basis of attendance.
Dr John Attard Montalto
MEP MLP
Editorial note: The activities and performance of our elected officials and public officials is of interest to our readers. This should be the norm at MaltaToday and the press in a modern and open society.
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