Opposition wants compensation for financial discrimination

Opposition calls for compensation for state discrimination in debate on party financing law 

Australia Hall
Australia Hall

PN secretary-general Chris Said today said the Opposition will propose amendments to the Party Financing Law to ensure that no party enjoys an unfair financial advantage over others.

Although the opposition MP did not go into much detail, he explained that political parties should register all public lands in their possession and the income generated from these properties. .

Citing the Labour Party’s ownership of Australia Hall in Pembroke which is valued at €10 million, Said stressed that parties should not enjoy an advantage through the acquisition of public or private land..

Accusing the Labour Party of earning “thousands if not millions of euros,” from requisitioned land he said parties should receive a yearly compensation for the disadvantage they suffered over the years.

 “We agree with the law in principle but if it is approved as it is it will not eliminate discrimination. If the government ploughs ahead and does not take our proposals on board we’ll take all legal measures to ensure that the discrimination against us comes to an end.”

Said added that the regulator of the party financing law should not be the electoral commissioner, appointed by the Prime Minister, but a parliamentary standards commissioner.

In reply, social solidarity minister Michael Farrugia said he was surprised by the PN’s proposal to include state funding, adding “what’s peculiar is that a party which ran itself into insolvency now wants the people to make up for its errors and pay for its debts.”