Editorial

So soon after passing through his baptism of fire in his post as Speaker of the House of Representatives, when uproars in Parliament sparked a strong national feeling of disapproval at the behaviour of some parliamentarians, Michael Frendo touched a raw nerve when he spoke, at the Sette Giugno commemoration in Valletta, of the need for greater respect for, and appreciation of, Parliament's work. For, painful as it may well be to members of Parliament who regard their calling to politics as a vocation, many no longer hold the institution in very high esteem.

People generally are growing increasingly weary of some of the politicians' antics and feel that, even though uproars and time-wasting positions in Parliament are, thankfully, not the order of the day, MPs should give a better account of themselves in the House all the time. So, in the light of this general feeling, the Speaker's call jarred a bit. The institution's members have to earn the people's respect through their work and behaviour, the quality of their contribution and the sincerity and vocational spirit in which they carry out their duty on behalf of those who elected them.

When a huge expenses scandal rocked the mother of parliaments, the House of Commons, The Daily Telegraph made a most telling editorial statement: "Politicians are not doing us an honour by sitting on the green benches; we are doing them an honour by investing in them the power to make decisions about our daily lives as our elected representatives. Too few appear to grasp this point." Very true, not just in Britain, but elsewhere too, including, of course, in Malta.

The trouble is that, once elected, far too many MPs act as if they are a privileged class, a trait that goes directly against the spirit that shaped the political career of quite a number of exemplary politicians, such as, for example, former President and Prime Minister, Eddie Fenech Adami. A true sense of vocation thrives and grows in lively parliamentary debates but not in positions, or behaviour, that may well erode respect for Parliament. The country has had far too many examples of this in the past but the growing legion of uncommitted voters would not, today, tolerate the same kind of behaviour. The new Speaker of the House should realise that the people do appreciate Parliament's work. What they are against are the causes that lead to disenchantment.

This is why people today have more faith in the European Parliament than in their own House of Representatives. Very ironically, the Speaker's words came only a day after the publication of a newspaper report about a new survey showing that Maltese businessmen are more trusted than politicians. This is quite a disquieting finding. According to the survey, done by a Maltese firm for the European Commission, politicians have the worst reputation among various categories and professions, including entrepreneurs, civil servants, lawyers, architects and managers. In fact, nearly a third of Maltese respondents, 32 per cent, see politicians in a negative light.

Unsurprisingly, none of the parliamentarians dared respond to the call for an apology made by this newspaper following the recent events in the House, when, at one time, it took seven hours to approve the minutes. More than a new Parliament building, the institution and its component members would need to see how it can operate more efficiently all the time in order to regain the people's respect.