[WATCH] Speaker floats suggestion for shorter speaking times in a bigger parliament

Xtra on TVM News Plus | Speaker Anġlu Farrugia says a review of Standing Orders may be required to deal with a parliament made up of 79 MPs

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia
Speaker Anġlu Farrugia

Reducing the speaking time allotted to MPs may be necessary in a bigger parliament to ensure wider participation in debates, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia has suggested.

With parliament made up of 79 MPs, Farrugia said it is appropriate to revise the rules that govern how parliament works, known as Standing Orders.

Interviewed by Saviour Balzan on TVM News Plus’ Xtra on Monday night, Farrugia questioned the need for lengthy speeches.

“Do we need to have speeches that last for 30 minutes or 45 minutes. I’ve been in other parliaments and parliamentary forums and speaking time is often limited to between three and seven minutes,” Farrugia said.

The new parliament is the largest it has ever been with 79 MPs. The ordinary number has been bloated by 12 extra seats, awarded as part of the gender corrective mechanism that was applied for the first time in March’s election.

The number of seats and desks inside the chamber where MPs meet had to increase by two since the building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano only made an allowance for 77 seats.

Farrugia said the gender corrective mechanism was needed to increase the ratio of women MPs.

“We needed a kick-start to ensure more women made it to parliament. Today the percentage of women stands at 28%, which is almost at par with other European parliaments,” Farrugia said, adding that despite Malta having been one of the first European countries to give woment he right to vote in 1947, the number of elected female MPs remained historically low.

He added that the mechanism on its own though was not enough. “Political parties have to incentivise more women to be candidates and we need more education.”

Asked whether MPs should be full-time, Farrugia said a hybrid system would work better.

“Having just full-timers may cause problems because not enough people of substance able to contribute to laws and policy may be willing to leave their profession or business behind and be candidates,” Farrugia said.

Portugal has a hybrid parliamentary system that leaves it up to the individual to decide whether they want to be full-time or part-time, he added. “I believe it is impossible to have a totally full-time parliament. What I believe would work is a hybrid system that allows MPs to choose.”

Farrugia will be serving his third term as Speaker when parliament opens on 7 May.