Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech yesterday took up a suggestion by PN deputy leader Mario de Marco to discuss the role of parliamentarians, saying he agreed that this should be on next year’s agenda.
Introducing the debate on the budgetary estimates of Mr Grech’s ministry, Dr de Marco called for debate on MPs’ honoraria and on whether MPs should work full time.
However, he observed, the best option would be for an MP to keep his private profession and be suitably paid as a part-time MP.
Dr de Marco also suggested MPs be allocated a team of assistants and researchers who would help them to scrutinise and analyse pending Bills, putting them on an equal footing with MEPs.
The current situation is an amateurish approach
Having an independent source of income, not tied to politics, was essential for one’s liberty of expression because otherwise one would be militating in politics as a job and not as a public service. It would mean that one was running for elections to earn a living.
Describing the current situation as an “amateur approach” which perhaps might have worked in the past, Dr de Marco said MPs did not have enough tools to study Bills, to give people the quality of representation they deserved.
This government did not wish to introduce MPs’ honoraria but then it put its own MPs on boards to increase their income. This was nothing but political gymnastics.
There had been an erosion of public trust in politicians, which affected the institution of Parliament and risked it losing the respect it deserved.
As they prepared to move to the new Parliament, the government and the Opposition should ensure that they had the best minds in the country, but they needed to be independent and allowed to operate freely, Dr de Marco said.
Winding up the debate, Mr Grech acknowledged that some of the points raised by the Opposition were valid and their implications would be considered next year.
On the Budget, he said the reaction of the constituted bodies, the trade unions and businessmen was diametrically opposed to that expressed by the PN. What mattered to the government was that the people’s judgement was favourable.
Mr Grech listed some figures which showed economic growth was higher than during the previous administration and inflation was lower, while employment, investment and consumption were all up. Unemployment, deficit and debt had gone down.
He said 80 per cent of the electoral manifesto had been covered during these 20 months.
The government had reached its goals of improving the quality of life of all citizens. It was not true the government had lost its social soul, having increased maternity benefits, free childcare centres, adoption leave, stipends, pensions, disability pensions, as well as adding 10 new centres for people with disability.
Was it an anti-social Budget when income tax ceilings would again be raised and pump €16 million into people’s pockets? Other measures included the lowering of water and electricity tariffs, transport assistance to parents of children attending Church and private schools, and keeping bus fares at today’s rates.
The government was envisioning economic growth to reach 3.5 per cent, full-time employment to go up by two per cent and investment by six per cent. It was aiming to reduce the deficit to 1.6 per cent and likewise the public debt.
It sought to have, by 2017/2018, a quasi-break even in government finances – something the country had not seen for 34 years.
These results would be achieved by a mix of national and EU funds.
He said the 2015 budget not only had vision but was full of new initiatives which would make a difference to all sectors of society.