Robert Abela recently refused to answer a parliamentary question (PQ) on the grounds that gathering the information would cost too much. Does this matter? Is answering PQs that important? Read on and decide for yourself.
PQs are a fundamental part of the work of any MP. I have been in Parliament for almost eight years. Some of my PQs have been specific to the district I represent — for example, concerning road works that never quite take place or end when they should — while others tackled issues that fell under the ministry I shadowed.
Such questions are not just important for my own work. They are used by journalists to discover stories that deserve reporting, eventually making the news.
A Minister’s reaction to a PQ is a tell-tale in itself. They always reveal if a Minister has something to hide or if he or she is eager to show how transparent he/she is when it comes to governance and public knowledge.
Over the years, I have tabled a few PQs that created quite a stir. For instance, a year ago (February 2020), thanks to one of these PQs, we discovered that Malta’s energy ministry, and the departments that fall under its remit, issued close to €100 million in direct orders within three years.
The Minister for Energy then was Michael Farrugia. He revealed that Enemalta was by far the biggest issuer, awarding around €72 million on just over 510 direct orders since the start of 2017. (Farrugia had just been appointed Minister, so the Minister responsible for these direct orders was his predecessor, Joe Mizzi.)
Another set of PQs which created (and continue to create) interest were those I submitted in October. The question I asked all Ministers was to quantify the value of contracts, services, direct orders, donations and sponsorship which each Ministry or parastatal organisation donated to the Marigold Foundation for the period 2013 to 2019.
To date, not all Ministers have answered my question. Minister Silvio Schembri, for one, is still collecting the information. The majority of Ministers did not answer immediately but after a second or third reminder they did table the information I requested.
A quick glance at the replies reveals some very juicy information.
Owen Bonnici, as Minister of Education, revealed that through direct collections in schools, the Marigold Foundation collected over €42,000. Justyne Caruana also replied to the same question. She added a further €10,000, bringing the total to €52,000, plus a selection of books, from the Ministry of Education.
€52,000 was donated by the Malta Financial Services Authority. €170,000 was donated by the Malta Gaming Authority as revealed in the reply given by (then) Minister Edward Scicluna.
Ian Borg declared a donation of €14,000. Clint Camilleri declared one of €20,000, spread over two years, from the Gozo Chanel and the use of the hall in the Citadella. Michael Farrugia declared another €20,000 and Aaron Farrugia declared a total of €4,000.
There were Ministries that gave no donations: the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Equality, Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry within the office of the Prime Minister.
Squeezing the information out of some Ministers took quite a few PQs. All the reason to squeeze harder. Eventually the replies also revealed that a number of Ministers insisted that the donations were not meant for the Marigold Foundation per se but for a number of NGOs which received these funds, donations and equipment.
Interesting. Why not give the money directly to the NGOs themselves? Since when does generosity need a middleman/woman or NGO?
Some of the replies made it difficult to quantify the donations. For example, the Army supported the annual swim and the Minister declared that only €1,843 in fuel were consumed. Glad the army is saving so much on fuel thanks to the energy saving boats!
Then there was the free use of the Mediterranean Conference Centre, the Manoel Theatre, venues for Balls etc.
To get these answers I had to ask no fewer than 36 PQs. But now you know that, over a six-year period (2013-19), the Marigold Foundation received a total of €373,000 from Government entities.
That sum does not include €245,000 worth of medical equipment, which Minister Fearne specifically declared were meant for certain named NGOs. The use of the Meeting Place in Marsa, which was refurbished by the Marigold Foundation at a cost of €60,000, was also supported through EU Funding — though we all know that today you buy a two-car garage for €60,000.
The only Minister who has never replied to my repeated questions on this subject is Silvio Schembri. To date he is still collecting the information. He obviously thinks I give up easily. We’ll see.
The information I have shared here is all public knowledge, easily accessible online, even if very few people bother to look into it. Over the years I tabled over 3,000 PQs on my own. Some of my colleagues have tabled more, others less. I commend the journalists who make it a point to pursue further what the PQs reveal. They are protecting your right to know, against Ministers who are reluctant to reveal what they have been up to and, now, a Prime Minister who wants to put even more obstacles in the way of your right to have straight answers.