The Nationalist Party insisted today that the government should not delay approval by parliament on a law on standards in public life.

In a statement, it said it was becoming clear that the government was foot-dragging the publication of the Bill and its eventual passage through parliament.

At a recent meeting with representatives of GRECO, the Council of Europe body which works on the safeguarding of standards in public life, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici,in the presence of Nationalist MPs Francis Zammit Dimech and Ryan Callus had said the government was committed to enacting this law during the current legislature, the PN said. This meant that the government could wait another four years before moving this law. 

This was happening even though a parliamentary committee had worked on the drafting of a Bill, and a first reading was moved a month ago.

The committee, the PN recalled, was formed after Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had moved a motion where he listed cases of breach of ethics and incorrect behaviour  by government MPs and called for a national structure to oversee such matters.