PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami yesterday branded Labour’s pre-election meritocracy pledge “a joke”, saying appointments were made according to political beliefs and acquaintances and not on merit.

Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters in Pietà, Dr Fenech Adami criticised the decision to appoint backbenchers to the helm of a number of government entities.

He said some of the appointments, such as that of Labour MP Deo Debattista, who was named chairman of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, might pose a potential conflict of interest.

The feeding frenzy of the Prime Minister knows no limits- Beppe Fenech Adami

Dr Fenech Adami questioned whether Dr Debattista would be loyal to the citizens or to the government.

He pointed out that, in spite of the criticism levelled at the previous administration over the honoraria increase, the Labour government had awarded its own MPs additional streams of revenue through such appointments.

Dr Fenech Adami said the biggest Cabinet in history was costing €1 million each year.

He remarked that the “feeding frenzy” of the Prime Minister knew no limits, referring to a number of former Labour media employees, party officials and close relatives of government MPs who were also on the State payroll.

Fending off criticism that the PN administration had tried to appease backbenchers by making them parliamentary assistants, he said that they only received about €200 a month.

Opposition MP Ryan Callus said that, in the first six months of Labour, almost 500 people had been employed from outside the civil service, mainly in ministerial secretariats.

MEP candidate Norman Vella expressed concern that the checks and balances of democracy were being threatened. He also accused the government of surrounding itself with yes-men.