Honoraria issue revisited

Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi yesterday asked for an apology from Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi for having said that Mr Mizzi had known about the honoraria given to Cabinet members back in 2008.

The Cabinet had not given back their 20 per cent increase- Mizzi

The issue surfaced during question time in Parliament when Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis asked Dr Gonzi to give details about the parliamentary earnings of Cabinet members, Parliamentary Assistants and MPs before the 2008 increase, after the increase and now that part of the increase had been renounced.

Dr Gonzi referred back to his ministerial statement on January 19, 2011 and his reply to a previous parliamentary question.

Standing in for Mr Decelis, Mr Mizzi said Dr Gonzi’s allegations that he had known about the increase had been unfounded. It was not only he who had not known about the increase, but neither had any government or opposition MP.

The whole affair had been so covered up that the Accountant General himself had called it a good example of bad practice. Did Dr Gonzi mean that the AG had been lying?

Dr Gonzi and his Cabinet had given themselves an increase of €650 a week at a time when the Prime Minister had been saying that the Maltese must be making sacrifices. Why had the Cabinet not given an example in 2008?

Dr Gonzi said the decision had been taken in particular circumstances, when he personally had eased the plight of MPs who on election had to forfeit their salaries, could not keep their civil-service jobs and were not eligible for promotions. What was good for them was good for the Cabinet. It had been to set a good example when the Cabinet had suspended the honoraria until such a time when it could be justified.

Mr Mizzi said the Cabinet had not given back their 20 per cent increase that amounted to €6,000.

Dr Gonzi said that MPsfrom both sides had continually asked for the situation tobe rectified.

If challenged, he could name one MP who had receivedthe honoraria and his salarybut did not report for work. He had stopped it because it wasnot right.

The government was being chased for a revision of the honoraria, but the opposition never mentioned such pressure.

On January 1 this yearhe had announced a revisionof all government expenditures.

Dr Gonzi pointed out that any professional person who held an executive post had to lose orsuspend one’s practice, butthere was no such rule for any opposition MP.

Alfred Sant (PL) asked the Prime Minister to clarify if the honoraria had been suspended or cancelled. Dr Gonzi said ithad been suspended untilbetter times.

Mr Mizzi said Dr Gonzi had been incorrect when he said Mr Mizzi had insisted on a revision of the honoraria. He had always maintained that such a revision was a government issue.

Dr Gonzi said Mr Mizzi himself had once crossed the floor to sit by him and ask when the honoraria issue would be resolved.

There had already been open talk on this on both sides, but subsequent developments had forced the stalling of the decision.

Question time ended at 6.30 p.m. without the Prime Minister having apologised to Mr Mizzi.