Commission on ministers' and MPs' pay proposed

Updated - The Opposition said this evening that it was against the granting of increases in the honoraria of MPs in current circumstances.

It, however, proposed the appointment of a high-powered permanent commission to come up with a mechanism to establish the remuneration of the President, the Prime Minister, ministers, parliamentary secretaries, the Speaker, the leader of the opposition, related holders of political office and the honoraria of MPs. The remuneration would be relative to salaries in the public sector.

The proposed salaries would be made public immediately and would come into force from the next legislature.

Opposition deputy leader Anglu Farrugia said the Opposition was proposing that the Commission would be made up of the Ombudsman, the Auditor-General and the Chief Electoral Commission, all of whom hold institutional posts.

Dr Farrugia, who made his proposals at a meeting of the House Business Committee, said the Opposition disagreed that the members of the Cabinet should receive a double pay - that of ministers and the MPs honoraria. Remuneration should be single and adequate.

The opposition also disagreed that any raise was given secretly, he said.

With regard to other services given to MPs, Dr Farrugia said the MPs should be given the choice of retaining the current system, or the proposal made by the government with regard to telephones and envelopes. He agreed that in view of the situation at Air Malta, MPs would be given an allowance instead of Air Malta tickets.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, in an initial reaction, said that once civil servants who were elected MPs continued to receive their salaries and received their honoraria, it was only fair that ministers, who were also paid from the public purse, should also continue to receive the honoraria.

He said that in view of the increased duties of MPs, the government first that a raise of the honoraria was justified.

To date, he said, the honoraria had always been decided by the government. The issue now was how that process could become independent of the government and more open. The next issue would be what mechanism would be adopted and what control would be exercised by parliament of the minister of finance.

One would consider whether a commission should be appointed to consider the honoraria of MPs.

Dr Farrugia said the Opposition was proposing that the commission should be permanent and establish the remuneration not just of MPs but also of office holders including the prime minister and ministers.

Dr Borg said he had given an initial reaction. One had to see, for example, if the commission's decisions would be binding or recommendations. He also argued that there were other mechanisms for the remuneration of the President and others. He had only spoken about the honoraria since the honoraria was paid by Parliament.

Opposition whip Joe Mizzi said ministers were already paid as such and should not also be given their honoraria as well.

Dr Borg said the roles of ministers and MPs were different, which was why that ministers were sworn in twice, as MPs and as ministers.

Mr Mizzi said the Opposition would not budge from its proposal that an independent commission should establish the remuneration of public officers, including ministers and MPs. He said the ministers had started to secretely receive the hnoraria of €19,000 and the services given to MPs including envelopes, an allowance of €1,500.

The debate was adjourned at 6 p.m. with the two sides disagreeing on whether the proposed commission should consider the remuneration of the president, ministers, other holders of public office as well as the honoraria of MPs, or just the honoraria.