‘Cabinet salary rise uncalled for’

The salary raise for ministers is uncalled for, according to Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio.

In a statement, Dr Briguglio said it was ironic that while workers were given a miserable €1.16 weekly increase in the last Budget, and when Malta’s cost-of-living-adjustment did not reflect real increases, the same government gave a €500 weekly increase to Cabinet ministers.

He said the AD agreed with the Labour Party’s proposal for the setting up of a commission to study ministers’ and MPs’ salaries.

“However, we also believe Parliament should be reformed to become a full-time professional institution, and not one made up of part-timers, many of whom consistently fail to attend parliamentary sittings,” Dr Briguglio said. “We believe salary increases and adjustments of Cabinet ministers and MPs should be related to the quality of the work delivered.”

The pay rise had ruffled feathers in the PN parliamentary group, which however, has managed to retain a united front against a motion by the opposition – to be voted on tomorrow – which calls the rises “insensitive, arbitrary and with no transparency on behalf of the Cabinet”.