Proposed Changes to MP Ethics Code Include Stricter Asset Declarations but End Separate Ministerial Ones
· Updated
In brief
- The government has proposed amendments to the Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament.
- The new rules would require MPs to file more detailed asset declarations directly to the Speaker.
- However, the amendments would also abolish the requirement for separate asset declarations specifically for ministers.
The government has tabled amendments to the Code of Ethics that governs Members of Parliament. These proposed changes are presented as an update to the standards of public life.
Under the new rules, MPs would be required to submit more detailed declarations of their assets to the Speaker of the House. They would also be expected to act objectively and honestly in their duties.
However, a key aspect of these amendments is the proposed removal of the requirement for separate asset declarations specifically for ministers. This change could mean a reduction in the level of transparency currently applied to Cabinet members, including the Prime Minister.
While some reports suggest the changes aim to add transparency, others highlight concerns that abolishing separate ministerial declarations might weaken accountability for those in Cabinet positions.
The Spin Room
High media divide. Outlets framed the proposed changes differently, with some focusing on increased transparency for MPs and others on reduced transparency for ministers.
- Newsbook: Stated that the new rules 'add transparency' but noted they 'avoid conflict-of-interest restrictions'.
- The Shift News: Focused on the negative impact, stating the changes would 'abolish the requirement for separate ministerial asset declarations, further weakening transparency rules'.
- Times of Malta: Reported that MPs 'could face stricter ethics rules' and would be required to file 'a more detailed assets declaration to the Speaker'.
Updates
- : Adds details and sources regarding the limitation of the Standards Commissioner's power to publish decisions on dismissed complaints, which is part of the same proposed ethics reform package.
- : Adds several sources including LovinMalta, The Independent, and NetNews, providing wider coverage and political reactions from the PN and Repubblika.
- : Adds sources detailing specific reactions from the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation and the Nationalist Party's pledge to reverse the proposed changes.