[WATCH] Farrugia hopes her resignation prompts ‘a more transparent government’

Marlene Farrugia on her decision to resign from Labour • Video by Ray Attard

Now independent MP Marlene Farrugia hopes that her resignation will prompt the Labour government to be “more transparent” and move towards better governance as pledged in the run-up to the 2013 general elections.

Speaking to reporters outside parliament three hours after she resigned from the Labour Party, Farrugia said she had wanted a more transparent government, especially on environment-related matters.

“I hoped the Labour Movement would move away from bad practices adopted by the previous administrations and promote transparency.

“Today, it had the opportunity to implement better governance by allowing NGOs to choose themselves who should be on the board, rather than being chosen by the government.”

Earlier in the sitting, Farrugia joined the Opposition in voting against two amendments of the Environment Protection Act, which will set up one of the two authorities formerly merged into the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

The former backbencher also wanted the parliamentary committee for the environment to scrutinise the new government-nominated executive chairman of the Environment Authority.

“My appeal was for more transparency and I today voted in the national interest,” she said.

Farrugia will remain an independent MP, “representing hundreds of people who gave their vote to the ‘Labour Movement’ based on pledges for honest and transparent governance”.

“These people wanted honesty, transparency and meritocracy,” she said, adding that drafting of policies and decision-making should involve civil society.

Explaining that today’s parliamentary sitting was the straw that broke the camel’s back, Farrugia said she feared that decisions taken were not for the common good.

 “Like what happened in the past, I don’t what this government to suffer from the partisan pressures which every party in government seems to find itself stuck with. The Labour Movement can’t afford to repeat the mistakes of the past Nationalist administrations, who paid dearly for what they did.

“I fear that this government might slip into that same arrogance that afflicted the previous administration. A bigger majority shouldn’t result in increased arrogance but in bigger responsibility to deliver what was promised.”

Farrugia said her rapport with Prime Minister and Labour leader Joseph Muscat remained good.

Asked whether her resignation had exposed “cracks” within the party, the MP said Muscat now had the chance “to strengthen the movement” depending on his way forward.

“Debates within Labour, including my decision to leave, don’t mean that the movement is breaking down. This could actually strengthen it. I hope that the way I acted encourages them to walk the talk[sic].”