Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said today that this was not the time to start discussing state funding of the political parties from taxpayers’ money.
He also insisted that the law on party financing should be enacted as planned before Parliament rises for the Summer recess.
Dr Bonnici was reacting to a PN statement which called for state funding of political parties and suggested the setting up of a working group to discuss it before the party financing law is approved by parliament.
The debate on the Party Financing Bill is due to start in Parliament in the coming days. It will create a mechanism to regulate donations to political parties.
In a statement, the PN noted that it had already welcomed the government’s proposals on financing of political parties. This was an important matter which needed to be discussed as widely as possible in the country.
It also noted that Alternattiva Demokratika had suggested that the new law should include funding for small political parties.
The PN said the political parties were a means for the people to achieve their aims on the basis of a level playing field and in a free political process. For this to happen, however, the political parties had to have the means to work, and do so in a transparent manner.
In Malta and elsewhere, the danger for the political parties was that they would become reliant on substantial donations by certain interests who would be able to wield substantial but hidden influence on the political process.
It was for this reasons that several countries, particularly in Europe, had introduced state financing of political parties balanced by relatively small donations from party members and controls over the spending by the parties.
In this way, no vested interests, known or hidden, had undue influence.
The PN said it agreed that the time had come for an element of state funding to also be introduced in Malta in a regulated and transparent manner and applicable to all political parties under agreed criteria.
A measure of state funding had already been introduced though the grant of €100,000 by the governemnt to the two big parties, but this needed to be formalised in the law. It should reflect current needs and be extended to all political parties.
It was for this reason, the PN said , that Dr Fenech Adami had written to Dr Bonnici, suggesting the setting up of the Working Group before the party funding law was approved through all stages in parliament.
In his reaction, Dr Bonnici said said the enactment of the law on party financing could not be delayed any more. The law would impose clear rules on how the political parties would raise funds from donations and manage such funds.
The former government, he said, had dragged its feet on the matter and had never legislated to instil seriousness and transparency in the management of party funds. Malta was now under the lens of organisations such as the Council of Europe’s Greco, which had warned that there should not be any further delay.
“The party financing law should be approved by parliament as planned before the summer recess in the interests of the people of Malta and Gozo and the reputation of the country,” Dr Bonnici said.
‘The political parties first need to prove that they are commited to transparent management of their funds by adhering to the new financing law,” Dr Bonnici said.
He noted that the new law was being moved after public consultation lasting several months.
Furthermore, he said, any future discussion on party funding should be broad and not restricted to the government and the opposition.