Labour MP Adrian Vassallo has missed 90 per cent of parliamentary sittings since January, making him the parliamentarian with the worst attendance record.
Dr Vassallo, a medical doctor elected comfortably from both the ninth and 10th districts, is known to have become very distant from his party , partly over its liberal agenda.
Nationalist MP Stephen Spiteri (who was promoted to parliamentary assistant last year), comes in at second place – being marked absent 81 per cent of the time this year.
In third place is the PN’s pro-divorce campaigner Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who missed 73 per cent. Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, who was also busy campaigning, missed 45 per cent.
The Times today carries the official list of MPs’ absenteeism between January and June this year, covering 67 sittings. The figures show that 12 MPs – six from each side of the House – missed more than half the sittings, while on the other hand, six MPs, all PN, missed less than five per cent of the sittings.
MPs are only marked excused when on official parliamentary business. Therefore, whenever an MP is sick or on business related to their political party or ministerial duties, they are still marked as absent.
Asked to comment about the absenteeism, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said it was every MP’s duty to attend to their parliamentary work. “MPs have two important functions: being of service to their constituency and the fulfilment of parliamentary duties.”
Dr Spiteri has defended his poor attendance record by saying he is kept very busy in his roles as parliamentary assistant, MP and doctor. Dr Gonzi’s spokesman said that, despite the extra dimension to their job, MPs were “expected to find the best balance between these separate duties to fulfil their role in the best possible way.”
The spokesman pointed out that, opposition MPs did not have government business to attend to but missed more sessions on average.
The controversy on absenteeism began on Friday when Nationalist backbencher Jean Pierre Farrugia complained that a number of parliamentary assistants (a role created last year amid government backbencher disgruntlement) were missing parliamentary sittings.
Dr Spiteri has claimed some MPs simply clock in and leave Parliament. No records are kept of how long MPs spend in the Chamber.
Malta’s MPs are part-timers and paid an honorarium of €19,100.
*MPs are only marked as excused if they are away on parliamentary duty. This does not include official executive duty of ministers and parliamentary secretaries. MPs who are abroad on party business or who are sick are also marked as absent. (The list was supplied by the Clerk of the House and covers the sittings between January and June 11).
Those highlighted in red have attended less than half the sittings. Those highlighted in light red missed Parliament less than 10 per cent of the time.