Repubblika condemns Speaker's vote against ethics breach report

Rule-of-law NGO Repubblika has criticised Speaker Anġlu Farrugia for voting against a standards report that found 18 ministers misused public funds on advertising.

In a statement on Friday, the organisation said that the duty of the Speaker should be to defend citizens, rather than serving the interests of the governing party.

The statement comes after the Speaker cast a deciding vote against the adoption of a report by former Commissioner for Standards in Public Life George Hyzler.

The report revealed ethical breaches by 18 ministers in relation to taxpayer-funded advertisements celebrating their own political accomplishments. The advertisements were published in the Labour Party’s newspaper to mark Prime Minister Robert Abela’s second year in office.

Hyzler stressed that the ministers should not have used public funds to support the supplement as it blurred the line between their roles as ministers and members of a political party.

However, during the Committee for Standards in Public Life’s vote on the adoption of the report, two government members voted against it, while two opposition members voted in favour.

As a result, the decision fell to the Speaker as chair of the committee, who held the casting vote.

The Speaker voted against adopting the report, arguing that the current guidelines on advertisement spending referred to by the Commissioner were not legally binding.

Repubblika accused the Speaker of perpetuating a culture of impunity through his vote, where the powerful can abuse their positions without consequences.

The NGO said that such behaviour stands in stark contrast to parliaments in other countries that defend democracy and citizens from the arrogance of ministers and prime ministers.

Repubblika remarked that the same cannot be said for Malta, where a lack of robust mechanisms to safeguard democratic principles and citizens' interests has resulted in an anti-democratic environment.

The consequences of this behaviour, the NGO warned, are borne by the people.

Repubblika emphasised the importance of parliamentary oversight in preventing the concealment of wrongdoing and ensuring transparency in governance.