Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has issued his second apology in six months over the handling and execution of the Cabinet raises granted in May 2008, just over a week after he defended the decision in Parliament.

“Sometimes we shoot ourselves in the foot,” he told PN councillors in yesterday’s closing session of the general council meeting.

Dr Gonzi defended the decision to allow Cabinet members to retain their MP’s honorarium, saying it was taken in May 2008 when the world was a different place.

“But the way it was executed and implemented was wrong. We did not listen enough and we definitely did not explain enough. We ended up looking insensitive today for something we did three years ago,” he said, with regret, adding that this issue had overshadowed the three years of hard work by his Cabinet.

“A series of mistakes were made. Things definitely should not have been done this way. But I will point a finger at no one. I am the Prime Minister and I shoulder full responsibility for this decision.”

At this point, a member of his audience was heard saying, “You don’t have to,” but Dr Gonzi dismissed the remark and insisted on his apology. “But I will continue to work hard to move this country forward... We cannot let this taint our achievements. I never shied away from making apologies.”

His comments come a week after the Labour Party’s motion labelling the Cabinet decision “insensitive, arbitrary and non-transparent” was defeated in Parliament despite strong reservations from some Nationalist MPs.

The “honoraria issue”, as it has come to be known, exploded last year when the Cabinet’s decision of May 2008 was finally revealed in full through a parliamentary question.

MPs found out they were due a raise which only ministers had thus far been receiving. Amid public outcry, some MPs decided to pledge their raise to charity, labelling it “insensitive”. In January, Dr Gonzi apologised in Parliament, made his ministers refund a part of their raise and postponed any increases to the MPs’ honorarium, which, however, ministers were allowed to keep.

But as The Times revealed last month, ministers kept a €500 weekly increase (which includes a previously unexplained annual duty allowance increase of €6,000) and the Speaker and opposition leader remained on the old salary.

Dr Gonzi’s comments yesterday came after the Office of the Prime Minister failed to answer questions from The Times which were initially raised by Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett. In a press statement last week, Mr Mugliett had asked who was responsible for what Dr Gonzi has previously described as an “administrative error” in the way the raises were issued before Parliament, the public and the opposition were informed.

He also asked whether any action had been taken against who was responsible.