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16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 NOVEMBER 2018 INTERVIEW Before accepting your new appointment, you worked as a lawyer for a number of years; and you also served as an MP with the Nationalist Party, occupying various cabinet roles, before deciding to withdraw from public life altogether. How did this transition, between public and private roles, change or affect your own life? I worked as a lawyer until 1998, when I was entrusted with the role of parliamen- tary secretary in the Economy Ministry. It is true that I had been a member of parliament for five years prior to that; but it was [with my appoint- ment as junior minister] that I stopped working as a lawyer to concentrate on the new role. Naturally, it was a very different experience; but like all experiences, I learnt a lot from it, and it also gave me a lot of satisfaction. Unfortu- nately, I was not re-elected in 2003; and that was effectively my exit from the political sphere. I reasoned that, once I was not elected, I should re- tire from the scene altogether. It was perhaps a controversial decision, given that my life until then had always been steeped in politics. To be hon- est, I must admit that I had originally become a lawyer more because I was attracted to public life, than because – at that time, as a young stu- dent – I had any idea of what a lawyer's life would actually be like… There is also a sense of continuity: your father, the late George Hyzler, was Health Minister in his own day; and while we may talk about today's political reality as being polarised or antagonistic… those were difficult times, too. To what extent would you say your father's political career influenced you? Let me put it this way: public life is something you have to be attracted to. Not everyone is. But I was raised in that en- vironment; politics is, up to a point, a family career. It was not just my father who was very active in politics, but also my father's uncle and cousin … In fact, Albert Hyzler – your father's cousin – was also Minister for Health in his time, under the Labour administration, while your father occupied the same role [later] under the Nationalists. By a curious coincidence, both also served as acting Presidents, when the President of the day was abroad or indisposed. That's right. And even Al- bert Hyzler's father [Prof. Giuseppe Hyzler] was deeply involved in politics. He had started out with the Nation- alist Party, but subsequently founded a party of his own – the Democratic Action Party – after a disagreement with George Borg Olivier. Later, he contested with Labour, first under Paul Boffa, then under Dom Mintoff. […] He then remained loyal to the Labour Party until his death. Coming to the present Hyzler generation: after a sustained period of absence from political life, you accepted the role of Parliamentary Commission for Standards in Public Life. How did you approach the offer? Did you think to yourself… what on earth am I even going in for? Do I really want to deal with all the aggravation of the political fray? Or was it a challenge that you relished and looked forward to? Obviously, it was a contro- versial decision for me. I was approaching the end of my professional, legal career. To take up this new position I have had to leave my legal partnership – because I can- not continue working as a law- yer – and also other activities in which I was involved: such as my role as President of the Chamber of Advocates, with which I was quite content. So, I can assure you it was not an easy decision. But then again – as you alluded to in your introduction – I come from a political family, which has always been very involved in public life; and the attraction to public life almost forms part of my family DNA. Also, because there was unanimous approval in parliament – with all the various factions, such that they are today, agreeing with my appointment – I felt I could not refuse. Another rea- son was that I sincerely believe that anyone who is invited to serve in public life, and who feels that he has something to contribute, has a responsibil- ity to accept. But your appointment also comes at a time when Maltese politics is passing through a particularly hostile phase; when most people steer clear of political roles, for fear of social repercussions. Do you see your new role as being able to lessen this lack of confidence in Maltese politics? That is one of the things I be- lieve this office can achieve. I love politics – by that, I don't mean partisan politics, natu- rally – so I find it disturbing that young people might be giving up on politics because of circumstances that are, so to speak, 'unfair': excessive intrusion in private life, for instance; or comments in the media that are very often un- just. […] In addition, politi- cians are very often portrayed as people who are dishonest, corrupt, etc. This is not right. In my own lifetime, I can say that I have had very positive experiences of politicians… and naturally, some less posi- tive experiences, too. Not just regarding controversies where there was lack of agreement, which is perfectly normal, and as it should be. But I can't say that, in my experience, politi- cians are necessarily 'bad' or 'corrupt'. So I do look forward to the opportunity of helping improve the image of politics. And when I say 'improve', I don't mean just insofar as per- ceptions are concerned… but also, in substance. I believe that whoever is found to have acted improperly, should be censured. Let's talk about your responsibilities as Parliamentary Standards commissioner. What sort of powers has your office been invested with? The law envisages very wide investigative powers, but the most important power is the ability to investigate with all the capacities available to judges and magistrates: to summon witnesses, examine documents, etc. Those pow- ers are in place. But naturally, they have their limits. The in- tention here is not to create a monster: the role is circum- scribed by its own parameters, and we will be working within those parameters. And there are a number of restrictions… Can you give examples of such restrictions? Over the past few days there was a whole controversy in the media, because, for ex- ample, I was asked whether I would investigate 17 Black. I replied that, according to the law, I cannot investigate any case – not just 17 Black – that took place before October 30. That's what the law says; and it is my job to abide by the law. But naturally, anything that happens after October 30 can be investigated by my office… Let's take a hypothetical example: an allegation – without proof, at this stage – is made against a certain Malta's House of Parliament remains arguably the most non-transparent, unmonitored public institution in the country. Former MP GEORGE HYZLER, the newly-appointed Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, aims to change all that Raphael Vassallo Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt Bringing the house to order