MP, Minister and Speaker

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anton Tabone, looks back at a 40-year career in the House, both as an MP, Minister for Gozo, and as Malta's longest serving Speaker, and shares some reflections with Malcolm J. Naudi

Malta certainly does not have too many Members of Parliament, according to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anton Tabone. But the time has come, he believes, for MPs to become full-timers.

To be more precise, Mr Tabone told me in the course of two interview sessions I held in his Chambers at the House of Representatives last month: "I try to avoid the term 'full- time' or 'part-time'. I believe MPs should be fully dedicated to parliamentary work and paid for it... as are MPs of practically all other national parliaments."

To support his position, reached after much reflection and which he has elaborated on various occasions, including the Sette Giugno commemorations, he lists a number of commitments which the 45 Maltese MPs who are not members of the Executive - ministers or parliamentary secretaries - have to perform.

Apart from parliamentary sittings, which constitute an entire programme, he listed the six Standing House Committees, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of Parliaments of the EU (CEOSAC), the European Parliament, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), the Euro-Med Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA), and various other meetings, local and overseas, involving both the Speaker, the House Committees and other Members of Parliament.

"These are fora which we can ill afford not to attend," Mr Tabone stressed. "At the same time, this means a lot; not mere attendance. It means one has to actively participate in spite of limitations, financial and human, pertaining to a small parliament."

He gave as an example the documentation that comes from Brussels that has to be scrutinised by the three Working Groups that fall under the Foreign and European Affairs Committee, with strict deadlines for comment and feedback: "We have to do this in the same timeframe as the British House of Commons, the Italian Camera dei Deputati, the German Bundestag, the French National Assembly and other parliaments."

In such circumstances and tight schedules, Mr Tabone is considering how small EU parliaments, such as Malta, Luxembourg, Cyprus and possibly those of the Baltic States, could together explore the possibility of tapping EU resources that could enhance their efficiency within EU institutions. Such issues, already raised during visits to Luxembourg and Cyprus, have received favourable response from both the President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies and the Cypriot President of the House of Representatives.

He was quick to assure me that this was not an issue about not being able to cope. "We are (coping)," he affirmed. Research analysts have been employed in the past two years, who are doing "very good work and are indispensable in the scrutiny of EU documents... yet the fact remains that, in view of its limited resources, the Maltese Parliament has to do the same work, and deliver effectively and in time".

Mr Tabone's work extends beyond the hours he spends presiding over parliamentary sittings. "That is very important work, part of my job, but the work you have to see to when not presiding, namely that related to correspondence, contacts with national parliaments and international organisations, administration, meetings with incoming and outgoing delegations, meetings with foreign dignitaries in Malta and other commitments you have to attend to locally and abroad - that is truly the bulk of the work, which is unseen.

"There is the mistaken idea - people tell me on the ferry when commuting 'but today there is no parliament!' I reply that there is always a parliament. There may not be a parliamentary sitting. But the work related to Parliament carries on."

Among his proudest moments as Speaker, Mr Tabone lists the decision taken last September that Malta should host the Executive Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean at Palazzo Spinola. This was taken at a meeting in Amman, Jordan, despite competition from Croatia.

He immediately paid tribute to MPs from both sides of the Maltese Parliament who, for more than a decade, have committed themselves to see this unique assembly becoming a reality.

"Yes, we too worked over the past few years in particular to see that this assembly is set up. It was a very happy moment, which crowned the efforts made by Maltese parliamentarians reflecting the co-operation and co-ordination that made us all proud as a nation."

Last month Mr Tabone also presided over one of the biggest meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE - the autumn session, held in Malta, with some 300 MPs from 45 countries.

Among those who attended were the Speaker of Georgia, the President of the Belgian Senate, the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and the Libyan Secretary of Foreign Affairs at the General People's Congress. One has to underline the fact that, on Malta's initiative, Libya participated in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for the first time ever.

"From the contacts made, you are made to understand that all those who attended look on Malta as a point of reference when discussing the Mediterranean region. This was of enormous satisfaction for, despite its size, the Maltese parliament has a role to play and is showing how effective parliamentary diplomacy is and how it is playing a more meaningful role.

Mr Tabone also recalls the Fourth Conference of Speakers of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliaments held in Malta in February 2004 when a highly distinguished gathering underlined the relevance of the parliamentary dimension in international relations.

The conference highlighted Malta's Mediterranean dimension within the European space. "This was also a successful conference hosted by the Maltese House of Representatives," Mr Tabone said. "Traditional diplomacy remains effective and indispensable but parliamentary diplomacy has gained much ground and Malta is playing its part too."

Mr Tabone, 69, entered politics almost by default. The son of Dr Anton Tabone, a former Superintendent of the Victoria Hospital, founder and first president of the Gozo Civic Council in 1961, he contested the 1966 election, aged 28, when his father, then an MP, fell seriously ill.

"When the time for nominations came, I was subjected to enormous pressure from both Malta and Gozo to contest the coming general election. My father, most probably, did not know I had decided to stand and I remember one of my uncles taking it upon himself to pass on the message.

"I contested thinking I would simply do my duty and go back to my job (he had worked for 11 years as a clerk at the National Bank of Malta, which he joined after being educated at St Aloysius' College, Birkirkara). However, I was elected, so my life changed radically when I entered public life."

Mr Tabone said he never dreamt of entering politics for it was normally those with a profession who did so, or employers, but not employees. His election in 1966 was so unexpected, he had already made plans to get married in September (the election was held in February) to Marguerite Stivala.

He takes no credit for his 40 years in Parliament or for being the longest serving MP, making him the Father of the House: "Providence granted me these 40 years and I tried to do the best I could." His focus has always been Gozo: "I was brought up in an environment where my father's and my mother's families were always engaged to ensure that Gozo's interests would not fall behind but keep up with the social and economic development in Malta.

Being elected at such a young age stands out in his memory. He formed part of the government led by Dr George Borg Olivier, spent 16 years in Opposition between 1971 and 1987, nine and a half years as the first Minister for Gozo, and the past eight years as Speaker.

Mr Tabone has been practically a full-time MP since 1966, since he was immediately made redundant on being elected to Parliament. He recalls with some bitterness: "The bank was of the opinion that my work in Parliament was incompatible with my status as a bank employee and unceremoniously dismissed me from my job."

"I confess I had a problem. It wasn't easy. Conditions for MPs at the time, honoraria and what have you, were poor. Since then, there has been an improvement but, again, much can be said." He paid tribute to both sides of his family for their support: "Somehow, we made things happen. And let me tell you, coming from Gozo made it much more difficult to find a job. Not that I would not have found one had I looked for it.

"But having to attend Parliament- at that time it was not possible to cross as easily as today, with a shuttle service. There was a time when the three weekly evening sittings were held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So I had to commute each day of the week. Following the change of government in 1971, the schedule of sittings changed to Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays as it is today.

"However, at that time I spent three days in Malta, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, because there was no chance to return to Gozo after a certain time in the evenings. The situation is different now and one can practically split oneself and lead two lives."

I asked Mr Tabone to elaborate on his leading two lives. This was, he said, due to the constant commuting he has had to do to fulfil his parliamentary responsibilities. Even today, he says, he, occasionally, has to make the ferry trip twice a day, if after going to his office in the morning, he has a social engagement late in the evening.

The ferry trip, however, is one of his most enriching lifetime experiences. While he would read the newspapers, documents and even the odd book while travelling, he would not miss his contact with people from all walks of life, both Gozitans and Maltese, who happen to be on the same boat.

During his years in Opposition between 1971 and 1987 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries in the first Shadow Cabinet appointed by the Nationalist Party and, following the abolition of the Gozo Civic Council in 1973, he became Shadow Minister for Gozo Affairs.

He looks back on his appointment as Minister for Gozo by the government led by Eddie Fenech Adami as the most telling moment of his political career. Immediately, Mr Tabone recalls: "Way back in 1947, the Gozo Party proposed to the government of the day, led by (Sir Paul) Boffa, that a commission be appointed to report on Gozo and its needs."

Among other things the commission in its report called for the setting up of a Ministry for Gozo. The Gozo Ministry was set up 40 years after the commission had expressed its opinion.

Becoming a minister was, Mr Tabone said, "quite an experience". His first office was the very same room where he was born in the former Victoria Hospital. His father was then the resident Medical Officer. He became a minister without a ministerial infrastructure; a minister without a ministry.

"Today, looking back, I would observe how in a relatively short time we managed to set up the ministry. With much co-operation, fresh enthusiasm (and), I must say, a certain pride that for the first time Gozo had a certain autonomy, a certain authority, a new status. In my view the setting up of a ministry highlighted Gozo's regional dimension and therefore the necessity of applying a regional policy to its needs."

Mr Tabone is convinced that today the Gozo Ministry is part of the national establishment. "Gozo has found its natural and relevant place in the country's political life. Before, it was in the periphery: peripheral not only in effect because that is the way it is, geographically, but also in the minds of the authorities concerned.

"Many times you came to deal with Gozo affairs after having dealt with issues on the mainland. It was normal practice - the way of thinking and looking at Gozo. On the other hand, the Ministry for Gozo on paper and in practice negated that philosophy and brought Gozo into the mainstream of things and placed it on the country's agenda, through its seat on the executive."

His appointment as Speaker changed his role in Parliament totally. This is how he describes the events leading up to that: "In 1998 I was not elected to Parliament. I must some day open a chapter on that episode. I owe it to myself and more so to my constituents. When I was asked to accept being nominated Speaker by Dr Eddie Fenech Adami, then Prime Minister. I felt I could not give an immediate reply.

"It was a difficult decision for many reasons. Finally, after much soul-searching, I accepted and took on this totally new role. In time, I got to know the enormous difference between the role of a minister and the role of the Speaker.

"Although they both meet in the same hall, in the same assembly, however, there is a total break from the function I had before to the one that I accepted and have up to now. I soon realised that as a Speaker you become 'speechless' in the House."

"Moreover when you become a Speaker, you lose your original vote. You only retain the casting vote. We have the Westminster model here, follow it and so observe this type of arrangement. I reiterate that the role is very different for that of a Cabinet member."

Asked whether it was time to change the way Parliament is run, Mr Tabone recalled that he had commissioned President Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici to revisit the House Standing Orders and submit a report. "In my opinion it is a very valid report. I circulated it to both sides of the House for their feedback.

"Everyone is free to add, delete and correct. The issue was recently raised in a meeting of the House Business Committee which intends to hold a meeting to discuss two issues in particular: media coverage, including TV, of sittings and committee meetings; and to assess the report proposing a revision of the Standing Orders of the House."

Here, Mr Tabone mentioned that in 2005 he had commissioned a report from the Management Efficiency Unit (MEU) on strengthening the House of Representatives - "The Case for Autonomy". The report proposes the establishment of a parliamentary service as a distinct legal entity that is autonomous from the public service in determining its organisation, staffing and internal operational policies and procedures. Mr Tabone presented the report to both sides of the House for their active consideration.

"More than that, I think it is healthy to revisit existing parliamentary practices and parliamentary services. You have to be practical. Change is indeed essential."

My parting question to Mr Tabone related to his intentions to contest the next election and/or whether he intended to pass on the baton to his sons. After a short laugh, he replies: "This is a question that as a rule I do not put to myself."

He would not reply for his sons, either. The oldest, Anton, a lawyer, was twice a local councillor for Victoria. At both the local council elections he contested he obtained the highest number of votes but was not chosen to be mayor.

His second son, Marc, is a pharmacist and has absolutely no interest in politics. Robert, the youngest, is a civil servant. He also obtained the highest number of votes at the last local council elections and, because of the change in rules, is now mayor of Victoria.