Following work within the Government and its Parliamentary Group, the Minister for Justice and Construction Sector Reform Jonathan Attard presented a set of amendments to the Code of Ethics for Members of the House of Representatives to the Standing Committee for Standards in Public Life.
The amendments aim to update this Code to the needs of the present while raising the standards expected of parliamentary deputies. The changes also include a set of principles that provide clarity to members of parliament on the conduct expected of them.
In addition to updating the obligations of members of the House, the amendments introduce an updated asset declaration system and new obligations to address conflicts of interest in parliamentary work. For the first time, a register of interests will be introduced and reporting obligations will be extended to all parliamentary work.
The proposed updates to the House of Representatives Code of Ethics take into account proposals made on this subject in recent years, including by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life and the Speaker of the House of Representatives himself.
The Government representatives on the Standing Committee for Standards in Public Life, Minister Jonathan Attard and the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue and Accommodation Andy Ellul, look forward to a productive discussion with the Opposition representatives. The Government’s aim is to reach agreement with the Opposition on these important amendments and continue the parliamentary process on them in the coming weeks.
The Government remains committed to strengthening ethics and good governance within our country. This latest reform continues to build on the series of laws and initiatives that this administration has introduced in all areas of democracy, particularly in the legislative, executive, justice and public administration sectors.
A copy of the amendments as presented in Committee are attached to this statement.
