This year, dedicated to the fight against poverty and social exclusion, has barely come to an end when quite unexpectedly, the Maltese learnt about the hefty 40 per cent increase in the earnings of their parliamentarians, backdated from March 2008.

Indeed, when one considers that 22 per cent of all those aged over 65 in Malta are “at the risk of poverty” and that 20 per cent of our children are, likewise, facing the same plight, one asks: is this a sense of equity and social justice?

Surely, the financial resources of our country are there to be fairly shared by all, and the most vulnerable deserve being given priority.

With a cost-of-living increase of €1.16 a week coming into effect on January 1 for working class people and pensioners, doesthis increase not put our parliamentarians to shame if theywere to accept their hefty new earnings?

We expect our representatives in Parliament to lead by example.

The recent warnings of the governor of the Central Bank to use national finances prudently need to be heeded carefully to ensure that our health, education and social security policies be made sustainable .