Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1188980
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 DECEMBER 2019 NEWS MPs should not be eligible to serve as government appointees in public authorities and boards, something which is resulting in the occupation of the state by party functionaries. The implication of all this is a substantial raise in the salaries of both ministers and MPs to enable them to act as serv- ants of the state. No place for businessmen among persons of trust Upon his appointment as the PM's chief-of-staff Keith Schem- bri resigned his company director- ships in his companies, which include Malta's leading paper supplier Kasco Limited, but retained his sharehold- ings. But it was never clear how far he had severed his links and his planned offshore activities, which included Yorgen Fenech's 17 Black. The events after the 2017 election suggest other- wise. Even short of any involvement in the Daphne Caruana Galizia's as- sassination, Schembri's secretive business ties with Fenech have cast a dark shadow on Joseph Muscat who had chosen him as his most trusted public servant. This is also the main reason why questions have been raised on Mus- cat's role in the entire affair. The unfolding of events in re- cent days should act as a clear reminder that businessmen should simply not be appoint- ed in positions of political of- fice. This is because the entry of businessmen in the political corridors inevitably raises suspicions that they are doing so to further their own busi- ness interests, as Silvio Berlusconi had done in Italy. Moreover, positions of trust need to be regulated by a stringent code of ethics which acts as a firewall against all sorts of conflict of interests, includ- ing familiarity with friends who are in business. Then again, politicians must abide by the golden rule set by Muscat himself in other cases – including that involving former minister Emmanuel Mallia – which is that ministers are directly responsible for the actions of their appointees. An error of judge- ment which lets corrupt people walk in the corridors of power, should be reason enough for a resignation. Government officials should be legally obliged to minute their meeting with lobbyists and proponents of projects A law regulating lobbying is needed. The European parliament already obliges MEPs acting as rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs or commit- tee chairs to publish their scheduled meetings with special-interest repre- sentatives on Parliament's website. Other MEPs are also encouraged to publish online information on such meetings. A similar law may require ministers and members of their secretariat to record all meetings with lobbyists in- cluding businessmen pushing forward their projects. Failure to record min- utes of such meetings should be illegal and subject to penalties and sanctions. There may be cases where minutes of such meetings may be withheld for a period of time in view of sensitive information, but records should still be kept for posterity. The use of pri- vate emails in connection to commu- nication with lobbies, should also be banned. There should be an overhaul in the way planning decisions are taken The Planning Authority was originally set up to reduce min- isterial discretion in the issue of plan- ning permits. Yet, planning decisions taken over the past three decades have been marred by the suspicion that po- litical appointees on the PA boards dance to the tune of developers. One way of addressing this is by in- troducing a new selection process. One way to go about it would be to in- crease representation of local councils and the Environment and Resources Authority. One may also consider a different selection process for the oth- er board members through a public call, after which candidates will be as- sessed for their eligibility, with those that are shortlisted being subject to parliamentary grilling in an open sit- ting, following which a 2/3 majority would seal their appointment. Other democratic safeguards may include giving residents of localities impacted by the development the right to challenge any approved per- mit for a major project in a popular referendum, if an established number of signatures are collected within an established time frame. If residents vote against a permit is- sued, the decision may be taken back to the Planning Board for a second and final decision. "To maintain a healthy separation between Cabinet and backbenchers who should be scrutinising them, MPs should not be eligible to serve as government appointees in public authorities and boards, something which is resulting in the occupation of the state by party functionaries" 3 4 5 The money shot: Keith Schembri gave Labour a new pro-business mantra, which in the beginning of its first administration was exemplified by its alliance with citizenship experts Henley, here seen with Christian Kalin (right), to sell Maltese citizenship to high net worth individuals