We won’t be silenced: The Shift challenges information blackout

Prime Minister Robert Abela has ordered ministers and parliamentary secretaries to stop providing information to parliament and the media about who they employ as advisors or consultants on a ‘position of trust’ basis.

In his latest move to restrict public information and prevent further accountability and transparency, Abela has ordered members of his cabinet not to reply to questions asking for lists of advisors employed in ministries. The same order applies to Freedom of Information requests made by the media.

If you know us at all, you know that we don’t take no for an answer. The Shift has already filed Freedom of Information requests asking for all the contracts of current advisors and consultants.

It’s going to be a long battle, but we believe it’s important to protect your right to know. We do need your financial support to do this.

As you know, we have already been battling 40 legal cases filed against us on other Freedom of Information requests for more than two years. We are winning again, thanks to your support.

Why support The Shift?

We’re impact-led

Our work doesn’t just inform—it drives change. Our stories still contribute to inquiries, parliamentary questions, and inquiries by the National Audit Office, the Standards Commissioner and the European Commission.

Our investigations have contributed to the arraignment of several people in government, or closely associated to it, who who once believed themselves untouchable.

We’re relentless

We don’t settle for superficial stories. Our journalists are known for their perseverance, posing challenging questions and persisting until we unravel the whole story.

We ensure that our biggest stories are updated and expanded, and we’ll spend months waiting for answers to Freedom of Information requests and years challenging their refusals.

We’re fiercely independent

We do this to maintain our editorial integrity, which allows us to investigate and report without fear or favour. But this freedom is not without risk, which is why we are asking you to support our work and our independence so that we can continue fighting for the truth.

Most importantly, we’re different because of our most outstanding achievement: the support of a reader community that has repeatedly shown us that a different way of doing impactful investigative journalism is possible. Help us keep it that way.

Help us fund the campaign. It’s your right to know.