Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia has called for resignations over the way increases were granted to ministers and MPs behind the public’s back, calling it an “unprecedented mess”.

“Those who made this mess – and this is a mess – should shoulder responsibility. I don’t know where the responsibility lies. I don’t know whether the Prime Minister is directly responsible. I wouldn’t drop it on his lap because he has enough responsibilities...

“But the people who advised him... I think heads must roll. Because this is unprecedented... You won’t find it happening anywhere else,” the backbencher said yesterday.

He said former Labour Prime Minister Alfred Sant was “frankly, bang on” when he accused the government of ridiculing MPs and being in contempt of Parliament by the way the pay rises were granted and announced.

Dr Farrugia’s comments come a day after he said ministers and parliamentary secretaries had been receiving their higher honoraria since the decision was taken in May 2008. On the other hand, the rise that was meant to be given to the other MPs had yet to be given to them.

He said the issue had “upset” him because all MPs were meant to be treated equally.

The government has explained that while MPs got their salaries from Parliament, ministers were paid by their ministries, so, in their case, the changes could be made straightaway.

When contacted, Dr Sant said Dr Farrugia’s revelation further strengthened his argument about contempt of Parliament, which he raised in Parliament last week and will follow up with the Speaker next week. He said if ministers were allowed to keep their honoraria they should have been paid by Parliament not by their ministries; otherwise this was just a separate pay rise.

Neither was Dr Farrugia happy with the government’s explanation, saying: “It doesn’t make a difference which department is paying. MPs should receive the same salary. So it was definitely wrong to have ministers and parliamentary secretaries paid an increased rate for half a legislature while the rest did not even know if they’re going to get the increase.”

Dr Farrugia pointed out that since backbenchers were kept in the dark about the increases – while the rest were already pocketing the money – their objections could never have reversed the decision.

Dr Farrugia and his colleague, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, chose to donate their pay rise to causes close to their hearts.

Asked whether he would take any other action, Dr Farrugia said: “The stability of the government from my end was never in question and it will never ever be.”

When pressed about whether he felt comfortable within a party he disagreed with so strongly, he admitted it was disheartening to find out that 15 of his senior colleagues “found no difficulty in pocketing their pay rises for two and half years”.

He added: “I’m 48 and I can wait. I can wait.” Pressed whether this meant he would wait for a change in leadership, he said: “I have been in the Nationalist Party since 1982 and I look forward to remaining even after the next election. What can I tell you more than that? I can wait.”