MPs will be paid according to the number of parliamentary sittings they attend, Labour leader Joseph Muscat announced this morning.

He also said that a Labour government will remove the time-bar for corruption cases involving politicians.

Speaking at a press conference in the Palace courtyard in Valletta, he said a Labour government will also enact a Whistleblower Act that applies retroactively.

It will also introduce a code of ethics for chairmen of public entities.

He also reiterated that Labour will not raise the pay packets for politicians.

MPs will only be paid the honoraria for sittings they attend, and attendance sheets will be made available online for public scrutiny. There will be exceptions when MPs are sick or abroad on parliamentary/government work.

A Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards will be appointed to scrutinize MPs ethical behaviour in terms of their declaration of assets.

Labour will also take up recommendations by Speaker Michael Frendo to set up a parliamentary economic affairs committee and a petitions committee to handle and discuss petitions made by the public.

REACTIONS

Meanwhile, in a reaction, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi disagreed that MP's performance should be gauged on the basis of their attendance in the House, saying that MPs had more duties than just being present in the House.

In a counter-reaction, the Labour Party said Dr Gonzi's reaction showed how out of touch he was.

"Having said that, one would not have expected any better from a Prime Minister who gave himself and his Ministers a €500 weekly increase, then tried to keep it a secret.  The Maltese people deserve better than this," the PL said.

 

See also http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110612/local/parliamentary-assistants-who-rarely-attend-sittings.370143

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