Justice Minister Jonathan Attard wanted performance reviews for MPs in his student days, though he seems less keen on the idea since making it to parliament.
In his 2014 university thesis about increasing the accountability of MPs, Attard suggested a performance-related pay system that would link an MP’s salary to a performance review carried out by the standards commissioner.
Attard, who graduated as a lawyer, suggested that, over and above a minimum pay entitlement, each MP should only receive additional remuneration subject to this performance review by the commissioner, which would then be approved or rejected by the standards committee.
“Therefore, it would be a wise decision to establish a number of functions which every member of parliament is expected to fulfil, whilst simultaneously granting a certain limit of discretion to the committee on standards in public life in order to decide whether or not the engagements that kept an MP away from parliament could be considered as an extension of his parliamentary duty,” Attard wrote.
Under the system currently in place, MPs are docked €50 for every unjustified absence from parliament.
A change of perspective
Contacted to see if he is still keen to introduce performance reviews for MPs since making it to parliament, Attard argued that an academic thesis should be analysed “within the context of the specific time and the current affairs at the time during which it had been written”.
The justice minister said that, since the thesis was published, a Labour government implemented the “much-awaited historic reforms” which brought about parliamentary autonomy as well as the introduction of a standards commissioner and MPs’ honoraria being linked to parliament attendance.
Attard’s thesis also sounded a warning about backbench MPs tasked with scrutinising instead being co-opted on public boards.
Standards Commissioner George Hyzler has deplored the practice, saying parliament cannot serve its democratic requirement of holding government to account if backbench MPs are financially dependent on the government.
Attard had suggested the introduction of a specific code of ethics for MPs serving on such boards to ensure the “vital role of a member of the house” when it comes to scrutinising the government is safeguarded.
“This will avoid having a situation where a significant number of members in the house are conditioned by the fact that they are serving on such boards,” Attard added.
Questioned if he will push for such reforms now that he had become a legislator, Attard pointed towards Labour’s commitment in its manifesto to analyse the role of MPs and the resources available to them.
“I believe this is very much in line with the spirit of what I have been advocating for through my thesis,” he said.
“I look forward to engaging in any governmental initiative that leads to the strengthening of the representative and legislative roles of every member of parliament,” Attard added.