On the anniversary of Sette Giugno, the Speaker of the House of Representatives spoke about the need to redefine the role of Malta’s Parliament.

The Speaker said that it was only thanks to the events which took place on 7 June 1919, when four Maltese workers died in the fight for autonomy, that our country is what it is today.

This is very true. He also said that the Maltese Parliament has gone through three stages of development: the period between 1921 and Independence, becoming a Republic in 1974 and from Malta’s newly-acquired EU membership onwards.

Malta’s Parliament is, however, slightly archaic – for wont of a better word. Mr Speaker said that it had long been felt within the institution that there was need for reform. This, he said, had been partly addressed by the setting up of six permanent committees, which discuss various issues, including public accounts, foreign affairs, House business and social affairs.

This has obviously improved matters in the sense that issues are discussed at committee level – whereby a level of consensus can be reached by those on the committee before the issue at hand is discussed or put to vote in Parliament.

There have also been developments in this regard. By the means of natural progression, the Committee for Foreign Affairs, for example, has become the Committee for Foreign and EU Affairs, with the responsibility of scrutinising all documentation that comes through from the union.

This is definitely the way forward, but one committee is not enough. At a time when the whole world has to adapt very quickly to the breakneck speed at which life is going, the emphasis is on productivity, competitiveness and efficiency.

It is no big secret that Malta, as has any other country in Europe, has had to adapt to the massive changes being brought about in the world. However, parliamentarians must realise that one cannot urge a whole country to change, and then remain with extremely time-consuming and inefficient practices in the very building which is legislating the changes in the country.

As Malta has changed, and as the way we do politics has also, to a certain degree, changed, then our Parliament must also change. One of the major gripes that people have about our Parliament is that it is sometimes almost empty, with just one or two MPs literally rambling on about anything that comes to mind. Tuning in to the parliamentary adjournment at 9pm is testament to this. This does not mean that no work is done in Parliament, and that adjournment speeches are useless, but it is nevertheless an example of where things can improve.

The fact that our politicians are part-timers does not really help the matter either. Our Parliament is made up of economists, general practitioners, lawyers, architects and other such professionals who still have their jobs to go to, hence the 6pm to 9.30pm sittings. And this is where the Speaker’s most valid suggestion comes in. He said that Malta needs full-time parliamentarians who will not have to sacrifice their free time to attend sittings. MPs would be paid to attend and it would be their full-time job. However, in doing so they would have to realise that they would have an absolute obligation to attend parliament.

The Speaker pointed out that the changes would be far-ranging as a result, and would need approval from both sides of the House. However, he said, Parliament cannot remain stagnant, and this is the crux of the issue. As with everything else in this modern world, our Parliament needs to move with the times and become more efficient and productive.