NEWS MaltaToday, Sunday, 10 May 2009 7 Four MEP candidates sign gay rights pledge

James Debono How they voted on gay rights FOUR MEP candidates have signed a ten-point election pledge by the International Lesbian-Gay Association of Europe (ILGA) to combat dis- crimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The candidates are Altern- attiva Demorakita candidates Arnold Cassola and Yvonne Busuttil Casa Bedingfi eld Grech Montalto Muscat Ebejer Arqueros, Labour can- didate Sharon Ellul Bonici Buitenweg report (April 2009) Abs / + + / * and Alleanza Liberali candi- Catania report (Jan 2009) – – Abs Abs Abs * date John Zammit. They joined 266 MEP can- Lynne report (May 2008) Abs Abs * + – / didates from all over Europe who signed the declaration. Resolution on homophobia (April 2007) Abs Abs * + + + The declaration makes no Resolution on homophobic violence (June 2006) Abs Abs * + + + specific reference to gay mar- riages or adoptions, but calls Zdonoka report (June 2006) – – * + + / on MEPs to support an “inclu- sive definition of the family” Resolution on homophobia (Jan 2006) – Abs * + / + which recognises the diversi- ty of family relationships, and Legend : Abs Abstain, / Not present for the vote, + In favour, – Against to ensure the needs of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans- * Joseph Muscat was elected PL leader in September 2008 and his seat was taken by Glenn Bedingfi eld sexual) families are increas- ingly reflected in EU policy and in its social legislation, including the parental leave Louis Grech in EU law, by their adequate vote once. The two MEPs did stained on the Catania report directive. coverage in future gender not vote in favour of any of on the human rights situa- In a comment on ILGA’s equality laws and policy. the resolutions and reports tion in Europe. This included website, AD candidate Ar- has the most included in the ILGA web- calling on the Commission nold Cassola said he would MEPs’ voting records site. to ensure that member states promote policies for stronger gay-friendly ILGA also published each John Attard Montalto was apply the principle of mutual f a m i l i e s i f e l e c t e d . “A p a r t f r o m MEP’s voting record on seven the only Labour MEP to vote recognition for homosexual traditional family forms, dif- record resolutions dealing with LG- against the Lynne report, on couples, whether they are ferent forms of cohabitating BT issues. which the two Nationalist married or living in a regis- couples should be protected. and that she would vote for Labour incumbent Louis MEPs abstained. The report tered civil partnership. This should be done through equality and justice if elect- Grech had the most gay- backed a proposal by the But Louis Grech and John the recognition of registered ed. friendly record, voting for six European Commission for a Attard Montalto voted in fa- partnerships, including for- The candidates also pledged out of the seven resolutions. new anti-discrimination di- vour of the Buitenweg report mations such as those in co- to ensure LGBT people can Nationalist frontrunner Si- rective to outlaw discrimina- calling for a law to enforce habitation and separated per- exercise their right to free mon Busuttil has the worse tion outside employment on the principle of equal treat- sons, people tied by family movement in the EU with track record, having voted access to goods and services ment between persons, irre- links and same-sex partners”. their families and to support against three resolutions or on the grounds of disability, spective of religion or belief, Labour candidate Sharon measures to increase mutual reports, and abstained on age, sexual orientation and disability, age or sexual ori- ElIul Bonici said she “always recognition of partnerships. four. His colleague David religion or belief. entation. David Casa and La- supported equality for gays, The pledge also calls for the Casa voted against two reso- All three Labour MEPs were bour MEP Glenn Bedingfield trans and intersex people by explicit recognition of the lutions, abstained four times among a small minority of were not present, while Simon action and not only words”, rights of transgender people and was not present for the four Socialist MEPs who ab- Busuttil abstained.

MEP campaign spending shoots way above €1,400 limit

Malta is one of few European thousands of euros for each in- made by candidates and political to their agents and other em- Matthew Vella democracies lacking any legisla- dividual campaign. parties “before, during or after ployees, and their travelling tion regulating party financing, But it’s the ‘friends’ of the can- an election” and the words are expenses, printing, advertising, CANDIDATES for the MEP except for a €1,400 (Lm600) didates who bankroll the cam- construed to mean from the day communications expenses, and elections are still bound by a limit on campaign expenses by paigns – the group of anony- the election is called. Therefore, rent. €1,400 limit on their campaign individual candidates, and not mous supporters which act as all material distributed by pro- By law, all donations must be spending at law, and yet it is more than €7,000 for the same the loophole to plunder voters’ spective candidates including made directly to the candidate all the more evident that their party candidates in one dis- minds with ads and billboards. the party billboards erected just or their agent, who in turn must budgets have clearly exploded. trict. Candidates are able to get away over two weeks ago, must not be vouch all expenses for by a bill Billboards, mailshots, full- That means that for the Euro- with spending way above what covered by that law. stating the particulars and by a page newspaper ads, parties and pean Parliament elections, La- the law intends. As with the general elections, receipt. receptions, and dedicated of- bour can spend up to €84,000 The General Elections Act was MEP candidates must present a Candidates are entitled to pay fices are the norm for the can- and the Nationalist party up to enacted in 1991 to replace the sworn return of their electoral up to a risible €28 in “personal didates with the biggest budgets €70,000. 1939 Ordinance, but it did not expenses to the Electoral Com- expenses” – which include “rea- this year. However, the constant bar- repeal the sections in the pre- mission, declaring all monies sonable travelling expenses” and But the level of spending on rage of paid advertisements, war ordinance that regulated received from donors or asso- “expenses of his living at hotels their full-blown national cam- mailshots, souvenirs, and bill- the expenditure of candidates ciations in respect of their elec- or elsewhere for the purposes paigns this year seems to make boards, not to mention parties and political parties during toral expenses. of the election” but any further a mockery of what is, in all ef- and concerts hosted by the can- elections. They must also list their per- expenses must be paid by their fects, a risible spending limit. didates, will obviously run into The law covers expenditure sonal expenses, salaries paid electoral agent.