In this earlier post despairing at the government’s intentions about the recommendations made by the OECD to improve transparency and accountability in public life I also made the remark that “the PN is yet to commit that it will implement these measures should it get the chance.”
As it turns out I was wrong. PN MP Ryan Callus got in touch to explain that the PN is indeed committed to implement these recommendations. I reproduce his message here:
During my intervention at the Standards’ Commissioner conference organised in conjunction with the OECD on their recommendations, I stated the following:
Unlike the impression given by the Government to the OECD, the Standards’ Commissioner no longer requires a 2/3 majority following Government’s amendment using the excuse of an “anti-deadlock mechanism” which became the order of the day rather than anything else.
The Opposition is in favour of widening the remit of the Parliamentary Committee on Standards in Public Life for it to be able to also have the remit to investigate Positions of Trust, former MPs and former Ministers.
We are also in favour of altering the composition of the committee from its current format which includes only members of Parliament and chaired by the Speaker, to including only 2 members of parliament, citizens known for their integrity and a chair voted upon by 2/3 of the House.
We are likewise in favour of introducing regulations on lobbying in particular given the conflicts that may arise from the part time nature of backbenchers which must have another job and the possibility of introducing the possibility of having full time MPs to reduce the conflicts of interests.
Lastly allow me to remind you that 2 years ago, the Nationalist Party presented a private Members bill which includes a number of recommendations put forward by the OECD – we therefore are not only in favour of the recommendations but have proposed a number of them already.