Updated | Government: 'Opposition not credible on political propriety'

The Nationalist Party today urged government to publish and approve the law on standards in public life in Parliament immediately.

The law, the opposition added, “is essential in ensuring appropriate and ethical behaviour by MPs and ministers.”

The PN said that despite a parliamentary committee has worked hard on the drafting of the law, and a first reading was moved a month ago, government is still stalling on the approval of the law.

“It is absolutely unacceptable and shows that government is against having a structure in place to guarantee proper and ethical behaviour by all MPs, including ministers and parliamentary secretaries.”

But in a reply, the Labour government said the law only saw the light of the day under the Labour administration. “The law was in fact proposed by the deputy prime minister [Louis Grech] and there are no doubts that it will come into force,” the government said in a statement.

It went on to lambast the Opposition for failing to take an official position on the publication of the bill regulating party financing: “Instead it chooses to create a controversy where there is none.”

The government said it was committed to implement the law and other laws that favour transparency and accountability and has so far implemented laws that had been stalled for 25 years.

It went on to refer to the removal of prescription on corruption cases involving politicians and the introduction of the Whistleblower Act.

“The party financing law will now ensure transparency in donations given to party and spending carried out,” it said.

The government insisted the Opposition had no credibility on political propriety after failing to introduce laws when the PN was in government. It said the Labour government was committed to its pledges and will continue to legislate in favour of clean politics and ensure citizens trust their governments, irrespective of the party in power.

In a statement, the PN said that during a recent meeting with the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), justice minister Owen Bonnici,in the presence of Nationalist MPs Francis Zammit Dimech and Ryan Callus said the government was committed to enacting the law during the current legislature.

The PN added that at this rate, the country could wait another four years before approving the law. 

The committee, the PN added, was created after opposition leader Simon Busuttil had moved a motion where he listed cases of breach of ethics and improper behaviour by government MPs and called for a structure to guarantee proper conduct.

The law should see the creation of a new institutional role, a Commissioner for Standards, who will be responsible for the independent and impartial investigation of alleged breaches of the Parliamentary code of conduct.

Moreover, the commissioner will be granted the authority to review declaration of assets of MPs and will also have a consultative role, allowing MPs the opportunity to seek the commissioner's advice on whether their planned actions or events were in line with the code of ethics.

In the case of perspons of trust appointed by ministers, the commissioner will have the authority to order sanctions, unless the person involved falls under the remit of the public service commission.