Apps4Parliament : making parliamentary data more accessible

Abstract

The Maltese people are known for being generous, hospitable, and passionate. They jump into any argument, mind, body, and soul… especially when it’s about politics. The tripartite political scene, which recently evolved into a quadripartite one, captivates the Maltese population’s interest to the point where its following is quasireligious. On occasion, parliament sees politicians confront each other, debate, and in the end, legislate. In the process, a huge amount of information is generated. To put things into perspective, during every parliamentary session, backbench politicians and those of the opposing parties pose questions to ministers and parliamentary secretaries to scrutinise the government’s work. In this current legislature alone, almost 30,000 Parliamentary Questions (PQs) have already been made. The problem lies not only with its bulk, but also with its indiscernible format.