Taking the people for a ride

The ongoing saga on rises in salaries for parliamentarians and ministers is revealing the crass disrespect of Law­rence Gonzi and Joseph Muscat for the Maltese electorate and taxpayers.

Dr Gonzi has now backtracked on backdating increases to ministers and parliamentary secretaries but will still raise their salaries substantially for the present and future. Is this increase justifiable? In my opinion, certainly not. Of course, since they are working full time as politicians they should be receiving a decent salary related to the quality of their work. But the amount of any increase should only be determined by appropriate studies that justify the increase and not by an “across the board” increase of €26,000 at one go.

The Prime Minister is also increasing the salaries of opposition MPs and government backbenchers from €19,000 to €26,000 a year. I have already written that MPs deserve a decent salary too and that there should be no qualms about their getting €26,000 – and even a bit more – but only if this is linked to a full-time status employment as an MP.

The proposed increase would be a scandalous one if the MPs were to remain part-timers, as they are now. Dr Gonzi should insist all MPs get a decent rise in salary but, at the same time, he should ensure they all give up their other full-time paid employment for their five-year tenure.

Anything less would be just deceit on Dr Gonzi’s part.

Dr Muscat is no less disrespectful of the Maltese taxpayer and electorate. He has shifted the public’s attention to the ministers’ salary but is conveniently avoiding the issue of the MPs’ rise by stating they will all be contributing to a fund set up by the Labour Party. I beg your pardon, Dr Muscat. In first place, who are you to decide your MPs pocket taxpayers’ money so that the PL can then distribute it to the organisations it deems fit? I decide on my money, not you, Dr Muscat. And I definitely do not want to contribute a cent of my taxes to finance a PL fund.

In second place, please do not treat the electorate as idiots. Dr Muscat says that every Labour MP is going to contribute. How much? Will some contribute €100? Will some give €1,000? Will others contribute €3,000 and will others forfeit the whole €7,000 rise?

Why is Dr Muscat conveniently ignoring the fact that some of his MPs, like Marlene Pullicino, have justified this increase? A few weeks ago, on December 14, she wrote an article in L-Orizzont where she justified the rise in the MPs’ part-time salary because she needed to buy various cosmetics and do her hair to look good in her part-time job. As if other people in full-time jobs, working their hearts out, do not need to look good.

Poor her, “with the parliamentary salary we get today we cannot even cover a fraction of the expenses public life demands of me,” she lamented. Amazing. Even Michael Briguglio, Yvonne Arqueros, Carmel Cacopardo, myself and others from Alternattiva Demokratika do politics and have to appear in public. Is Dr Pullicino implying I should ask for some money from the state to get my nails manicured, Dr Muscat?

And what about MP Whip Joe Mizzi? He has been whinging time and time again, including on a TV debate I took part in some time ago, that he needs the rise because – as an MP – he is invited to so many weddings and he is obliged to give expensive presents. If he does not, people will not vote for him.

What amazing logic! We, the taxpayers, are to fork out a rise for part-time MPs so they can then afford expensive presents at weddings in order to be ultimately re-elected. Well, my answer to Mr Mizzi is very clear: No way will I fork out money out of my taxes to enable him and other part-time MPs to buy expensive wedding presents. I do not, in any way, want to finance their election campaign. If he cannot afford a wedding present, he should just stay home and do without the champagne.

The issue at stake here is a highly ethical one. Our country must promote the concept that people should be getting the right and appropriate wages for the work they do, in any area.

Therefore, a full-time salary is certainly due to MPs who decide to work full-time on the parliamentary mandate, which they have had the honour to obtain from the people.

On the other hand, MPs who prefer dedicating their full time to the law courts, hospital or any other public or private employment should only be getting a part-time salary for their part-time political post. You cannot have the cake and eat it, that is, a full-time salary for a part-time job.

Having said this, if our parliamentarians, as it seems some of them do, want to try and have the cake and to eat it, then I see absolutely no reason why the taxpayer should fund another €80 million for the building of a fully fledged Parliament that will be put at the disposal of a bunch of part-time MPs.

arnoldcassola@gmail.com

Dr Cassola is spokesman on EU and international affairs of Alternattiva Demokratika – the Green party.