Muscat to refuse raise

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat this afternoon criticised the Cabinet for having given itself a pay rise and for not telling anyone about it.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Dr Muscat said that the Cabinet had similarly decided two years ago to raise the honoraria of MPs without even telling the Labour MPs who only learned from a parliamentary question.

The increases still have to be issued, but will be backdated to 2008.

This, Dr Muscat said, showed a complete disregard to transparency.

He explained that ministers and parliamentary secretaries were to start being given the honoraria of MPs, along with their pay as ministers or parliamentary secretaries.

Such increases contrasted with the cost of living adjustment of just €1.16 to workers given in the last budget.

Dr Muscat said he had also learned that according to a Cabinet decision which he was not told about, he, as Leader of the Opposition, was also to start being given the honorarium of an MP along with his salary as Opposition leader.

This raise would total €120,000 over the five years of the legislature.

Dr Muscat said he was not accepting this increase, in solidarity with Maltese families who were struggling to make ends meet and were being increasingly burdened with new expenses, notably for gas, water and electricity.

Dr Muscat said he would leave it up to the Labour MPs to each decide whether or not to accept the raise - which would amount to €7,636 to just over €26,000.

MPs Anglu Farrugia and Joe Mizzi said they had also renounced to the increase in their honorarium.

The government in a statement this afternoon said the Opposition had been told of the raise for MPs in May and had agreed with it.

A Labour Party spokesman, however, denied there was ever any agreement (see separate story).