The debate on the second reading of the Public Administration Bill, containing measures such as the civil service code of ethics law, the creation of a Merit Protection Commission within the Public Service Commission and making the creation of government agencies more expedient, continued in Parliament on Wednesday.

The debate’s main focus lay on the efficiency, transparency and accountability of government and the civil service, qualities which both Labour MP Helena Dalli and Opposition Leader Alfred Sant, felt was lacking within the current administration.

Both gave lengthy accounts and examples of the way in which projects that had been promised had never materialised; had been started and never finished or, if started, had been completed at a date way later than that anticipated. They also gave examples of corruption and fraud, the misappropriation of funds, and sheer overspending – Dr Sant said Lm191 million had been overspent in 13 projects.

“Arrogance is rampant,” Miss Dalli said. “People who commit fraud continue to occupy posts and go unpunished,” she said.

Continuing along these lines, Dr Sant described the Merit Protection Commission as a farce, as it will deal with the regulation of public authorities, agencies and other bodies, which it seems, due to their non-traditional public service character, act as gods unto themselves.

“Where is the meat?” in this law, Dr Sant kept asking. “It is uncooked, has no vision, and is a ‘minestra’ of bits and pieces of incongruent things.” The sense of purpose and spirit of the civil service, which looks after the good of the people, is tarnished by the bill. The law, he said, does not even offer a perspective of the new legal framework within which these workers are going to be operating, such as for instance after the adoption of the euro and EU Directives.

In his answer, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said this particular bill had required time to mature, a statement that was reiterated, and further emphasised by Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Parliamentary Secretary for the same ministry.

Dr Borg explained that the law is giving a legal entity to the civil service. It elevates the civil service code of ethics to law, thus the fact that it should be efficient, impartial and independent, and obey the government of the day, is being made legally binding.

The minister also described the important elements of the bill: provision for the probable delegation of some of the Public Service Commission’s responsibility to heads of department and the speeding up the process by which the government may create agencies. Government agencies, corporations, authorities, and companies within which the government has a major share-holding, will now fall under the scrutiny of

the Merit Protection Commission. There will be a system of control as to their spending, recruitment, discipline and promotions.

Nationalist MP Michael Asciak gave further details of the work of the commission, saying that it will be able to investigate reports of abuse. It will also pay attention to people who inform on their colleagues (whistle blowers) as well as offering them protection.

Dr Asciak said that, in his opinion, it was unfortunate that the Opposition Leader had referred to things that do not have anything to do with this law.

“It is true there is a need for change within the country: I think that maybe the country will not change government but the opposition – which does not deserve to lead this country,” he said.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici highlighted the importance of the public service. “When a society does not have a strong civil service, it will lose headway.” The bill details that agencies have a responsibility to be expedient, impartial and helpful, “and this will ensure that there are no grey areas, and that there is growth and efficiency.”

The Parliamentary Secretary ended the debate by saying that this bill was necessary in order to confront the underlying issues. He also made the point that further amendments would definitely be required, as it was evolving process.

Most of the parliamentarians who spoke during the session expressed their sympathy to the families of the victims of the fireworks factory explosion in Xwieki.