Karol Aquilina requests Speaker's ruling on government MPs asset declarations

Opposition MP Karol Aquilina has requested a ruling from the Speaker to oblige the Prime Minister and all ministers to immediately table a copy of their 2023 asset declarations in Parliament.

Aquilina made reference the reply given by the Prime Minister to a parliamentary question answered on Monday, 20 January 2025, in which the Prime Minister stated: “The asset declarations of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries for the year 2023 were submitted as required by the Manual, and were made available to the public.”

Aquilina also referred to other parliamentary questions and responses provided by government ministries, all of which echoed the Prime Minister’s reply.

He cited a ruling delivered by the Speaker during the session of 14 May 2024, which concerned references to public documents in responses to parliamentary questions.

He also pointed to rulings given during the previous legislature in the sessions of 12 March 2018 and 11 May 2020, regarding the tabling of documents already in the public domain.

Additionally, he mentioned rulings by former Speaker Louis Galea.