The opposition will only take part in a pensions’ reform debate in Parliament and in public and not in some commission behind closed doors, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking during a political activity at Zebbug, Dr Muscat referred to the recently presented report on pensions and said that it showed that the government’s proposed reform of 2005 had failed.

This report, he said, was proposing a mandatory second pillar and voluntary third pillar pension.

He pointed out that the report had been published before the promised internal discussions with the social partners and asked what was the government’s opinion on certain recommendations made, such as for children’s allowance to start being placed in fund for when the children retired rather than to continue being given to parents.

He pointed out that it was not clear in the report whether this would be a voluntary or mandatory measure.

The pensions’ issue, Dr Muscat said, was a national matter and the opposition would not form part of any committee or commission that worked behind closed doors.

It was willing to take part in a Parliamentary debate and in a transparent forum where everyone would be accountable for what he says.

He said that Parliament’s Social Affairs Committee should first send for the people who wrote the report and ask them to explain certain assumptions and proposals made. The issue should then be taken forward from there.

The opposition did not want to defend the status quo but because wanted to see reforms which assisted rather than burdened the people.

“We want to help bring about a better situation but we will not be government accomplices,” he said.