The Nationalist Party has formally put forward seven proposals which it believes would help parliament function better. 

The proposals, which were first floated by the PN three weeks ago, include calls for parliament to allocate a specific time to the Prime Minister answering MPs' questions, greater resources handed to the legislature and for ambassadors, authority chairs and police and army chiefs to be grilled by parliament before being appointed. 

In a letter dated 17 August, PN deputy leader Mario de Marco and whip David Agius informed deputy prime minister Chris Fearne that the Opposition was willing to work with the government to secure Constitutional reform, provided the process was a well-thought out one. 

The two MPs also said the PN was keen to see more women in parliament, saying that more people would be inclined to become MPs if current members spoke respectfully and about "the real issues affecting Maltese" including "children, poverty, education, health and youth."

They called for the government to work with the opposition to reduce the three-month period needed for a Private Members' Bill to be moved, and noted that MPs needed staff working with them if they were to improve the quality of their research work. 

The PN's seven proposals

1. Appoint a Commissioner for Standards in Public Life 

2. Parliament to scrutinise people nominated to assume key public roles

3. The introduction of Prime Minister's question time 

4. More resources allocated to parliament 

5. Increasing female participation in parliament 

6. Reduce the amount of time needed to present a Private Members' Bill

7. Working on Constitutional reform 

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