John Attard Montalto

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John Attard Montalto (b. 7 February 1953 in Sliema) is a Maltese politician and Member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Malta Labour Party, which is part of the Party of European Socialists, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.

He is also a substitute for the Committee on Transport and Tourism, a substitute for the Subcommittee on Human Rights, a member of the delegation for relations with the Gulf States, including Yemen, and a substitute for the delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand.

No stranger to controversy, Attard Montalto ran unsuccessfully for the post of leadership in the Malta Labour Party. Undeterred, he contested, and won the MEP elections and is now an MEP representing Malta within the European Socialists. Most recently, he has been in newspapers for allegedly ignoring his MEP duties to go on expensive private vacations. He contests the charges and has filed several libel suits.

Recently he failed to attend the plenary session at Strasbourg for the vote on the controversial Port Services Directive, a proposal which the Malta Labour Party was against. Attard Montalto, as head of delegation of Labour MEPs from Malta, was not present for the vote. Malta Labour Party leader Alfred Sant said Attard Montalto had been on a "personal political mission" to Central America.

In the past Attard Montalto also voted incorrectly on the Working Time Directive, against the wishes of the Malta Labour Party. [1]

Attard Montalto has also notched up a serious rate of truancy at the European Parliament in the committees he attends. He said of the Committee on Transport and Tourism that it was a "waste of time 80 per cent of the time".[2]

[edit] Education

1974: BA (Hons.) History
1979: Diploma of Notary Public, Doctor of Laws

BA (Hons.) History (1974). Diploma of Notary Public. Doctor of Laws (1979). Lawyer (1979– ). Member of Parliament representing the Malta Labour Party (elected in 1987, 1992, 1996, 1998, and 2003). Minister of Industry and Economic Affairs (1996–1998). Observer in the European Parliament (2003–2004). Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (1992–1996, 1998–2003, 2003– ). Awarded the Malta Literary Award for The Nobles of Malta. Visiting Lecturer at the University of Malta.