Shut up or pay up

It's hard to believe but it's right there. According to the newly amended statute of the Malta Labour Party, if a Labour MEP falls out of party line he risks a fine. An amendment was unanimously carried at the recent party conference to increase the fine to a hefty €15,000.

All under the watchful stewardship of the Labour's brand new, self-styled "progressive" and "moderate" leader.

True, this news was buried under the shock confirmation of the party general secretary and the election of a "new" international secretary whose best claim to fame was a secret agreement signed on our behalf with communist North Korea when he was Foreign Minister a quarter of a century ago.

But it's all there. Labour MEPs who fall out of line must pay the fine. Or worse. In order to avoid the fine, they must unreservedly toe the party line. Even when it does not make sense. And even when it does not reflect your best interests.

Between you and their party, Labour MEPs are forced to choose the party. Or risk a fine. In other words, they must shut up or pay up.

This is scandalous and I am surprised that our press has not yet taken Labour to task on such a serious matter.

Here are some reasons why.

First, even under its new "progressive" and "moderate" leader, the Labour Party clamps down on freedom of expression in the best of Stalinist tradition preventing its parliamentarians in the European Parliament from speaking their mind and from doing their job properly.

For let us not forget that whereas candidates are chosen by a party, parliamentarians are chosen by voters. And our first allegiance must therefore lie with you, not the party. That, at least, is my understanding of being your representative in the European Parliament.

Not only did Joseph Muscat not remove this scandalous clause from the party statute, as one would have expected of the true pro-European that he claims to be, but his amendment made it worse by raising the fine from Lm5,000 to €15,000.

Needless to say, there is no similar clause in the PN statute. And there could never be because the PN's outlook on freedom has always been diametrically opposed to Labour's.

Second, potential Labour candidates must seriously compromise their integrity by renouncing their freedom of expression and freedom of action in advance. They know that if elected, they will not be able to speak their mind if this risks going against their leader's dictum. They know that they can only represent your interests to the extent that this does not contradict party policy.

I wonder what potential Labour candidates have to say about this. Are they prepared to sign up to this sham? In case of conflict, are they going to prefer party over people?

Third, once elected, faced with a choice between truly representing your interests and towing the party line, Labour MEPs will blindly follow the party. Or risk the fine.

Small wonder then that the current three Labour MEPs, including Dr Muscat himself, have never spoken out against their party line. And never got slapped with a fine. Whereas they have gladly championed causes that could embarrass the government, we have never heard as much as a squeak against their party line.

My experience has been different. Over the past four years, I have expressed views which were not always consonant with those of the government. It is never easy to do so and for sure, one must act responsibly. But in speaking my mind, I have always felt that I could give a stronger voice to my electorate. And indeed, to its credit, the government has listened and acted, if at times belatedly.

In so doing, I have never felt under duress. I have never been told to shut up. I have never faced retribution. And, of course, I have never been fined.

Had I been a Labour MEP, by now, I would have most certainly run up a hefty bill of fines. Or, more likely, I would have just quit.

The "shut-up-or-pay-up" clause in the MLP statute is a disgrace and an affront to democracy. It proves that Labour does not trust its own MEPs to speak their mind and truly represent your interests. It proves that if your interests are out of line with Labour's policy, well then it's your problem.

Dr Muscat should have consigned this clause to the dustbin of history. Instead, he kept it and made it worse.

On this he has not been progressive, still less moderate.

Dr Busuttil is a Nationalist, member of the European Parliament.