Claudio Grech (PN) proposed that donations made by companies to political parties should not be permitted in the law on party funding since this sort of donation immediately raised the issue of how the donation was motivated.

The ban should include com-panies in which the government held shares, he said.

He also queried why the Bill was silent on foreign donations and proposed they be regulated.

Furthermore, the Bill should introduce a capping on spending during elections.

He said that Malta was introducing this law much later than other countries, but this enabled it to learn from what others had done. The framework of this law, he said, should inspire confidence in political parties and their role in Parliament and in society, for the common good.

The government had given the Labour Party what he termed as a “fantastic headstart” in terms of party financing. This, as well as the renting of property at much less than market prices, not only vitiated the proposed bill but would also ensure that the parties did not start from a level playing field.

He said the Labour Party should give back such properties if this Bill was to be enacted without inequality.