Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s decision to give himself and the members of his Cabinet a rise of €500 a week was the worst decision ever taken by a prime minister – a decision against the family.
Two days ago parliament defeated an Opposition motion condemning the government with respect to its honoraria decision.
Contrary to the prime minister, Dr Muscat yesterday spoke exclusively on the controversial honoraria issue during the Labour Party’s political activity, saying that the prime minister had the opportunity to show that he was sorry and that he was ready to correct his mistake.
Instead, however, Dr Gonzi repeatedly asked what the government had done wrong, said the Opposition Leader; at a time when people have to carry the burden of the high utility tariffs and the ever rising cost of living, Dr Gonzi’s behaviour clearly shows that he is not in sync with reality and with the country’s needs.
The country needs consistency and direction to ensure that we move forward, he said; the PL is united, has a clear programme and it is interested in the future.
In parliament on Saturday, the prime minister, together with his party, sealed the worst decision ever taken by a prime minister.
The PN has become elitist and real nationalists are starting to feel they cannot identify with the party any longer, he said, adding that the Labour Party, on the other hand, had again demonstrated that it was on the right side of history by voting in favour of families in parliament on Saturday.
Dr Muscat said the prime minister’s solution was to discuss the matter, but he was not ready to give up the raise. In that case, said the Opposition Leader, Dr Gonzi can discuss the issue alone, because the Labour Party is not ready to be an accomplice with regard to a decision for which Dr Gonzi will be remembered.
Talking about the Select Committee on democracy, Dr Muscat said the Opposition was ready to have it function again, as long as justice is done with all those whose honour was affected by the PN’s behaviour in parliament.
The Opposition had proposed a new mechanism for decisions related to MPs’ salaries; it had proposed the setting up of a committee consisting of the auditor general, the ombudsman and the head of the electoral commission.
Dr Muscat said the government did not want to take on the proposal, however; instead Dr Gonzi wants to remain the prime minister with the highest salary ever, with ministers who have failed on numerous occasions.
While the prime minister is saying that he wants a salaries system based on that of the House of Commons, he is leading the government by means of third world standards, said Dr Muscat, adding that the ministers’ work is characterised by confusion, shortcomings, arrogance and incompetence.
If parliament were to apply the standards of the House of Commons, a number of ministers would have to resign, he said.
Saturday’s vote goes beyond the issue of money; it was a vote that confirmed that the prime minister took the wrong decision at the wrong time, that he was secretive about it and that he doesn’t want to shoulder responsibility. No wise prime minister acts in this way, said the Opposition Leader.
No wise prime minister gives himself and his ministers a €500 weekly raise and at the same time imposes the highest utility tariffs ever, fails to keep his promises with bus drivers and shipyard workers, fails to implement his promise with respect to income tax, and at the same time tries introducing health fees, said Dr Muscat.
“We have a situation whereby the prime minister has been using a lot of energy to try covering up the divisions within the PN and cling on to power when he should be focusing on the needs of the country and the family.”
This clearly emerged in parliament on Saturday, said the Opposition Leader, adding that the PN quickly proposed an impromptu amendment to avoid Nationalist MPs voting in favour of the Opposition’s motion.
He said at least three Nationalist MPs ended up having to declare that they had to vote with the government, not because they wanted to, or because they had changed their mind, but because they did not want the government to collapse.