.png)
Fragmented PN parliamentary group still unaware of honoraria counter-motion
Nationalist MPs have been kept in the dark over what government’s counter-motion will say in response to Labour’s attack on the controversial honoraria increase to Cabinet ministers.
8 June 2011, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
3 min read
For now, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi can rely on the ‘backing’ of his MPs ahead of Saturday’s crucial parliamentary sitting next Saturday that will discuss the honoraria increase, and will end with a vote.
But the Nationalist parliamentary group has so far not been told what government’s counter-motion will say, and until yesterday there had been no communication by PN Whip David Agius, or by foreign minister Tonio Borg who is the Leader of the House.
During last Monday’s PN parliamentary group meeting, the Prime Minister was reported to have admitted to “administrative errors” that led to a complete mishandling of the honoraria issue.
The Cabinet took a decision on May 5, 2008 to increase the salaries for the Prime Minister and government ministers and parliamentary secretaries by being paid their MPs' honorarium as well as a higher salary.
The MPs' honorarium turned out to be a higher honorarium than those of other MPs, and salaries were bumped up with a four-fold increase in duty allowances. The same decision should have included a similar increase for the salaries of the Speaker of the House and the Opposition leader, whose salaries are indexed to the Cabinet’s.
But so far the Cabinet has not forwarded this salary increase to the Opposition leader, despite having been already revealed by MaltaToday in October 2008 and later on last year by Joseph Muscat.
MPs have reportedly surrendered to the fact that the matter had more than evidently destroyed government’s credibility and the attitude adopted by Cabinet ministers over the matter had led to uproar and disdain by public opinion.
MPs told MaltaToday that the “only reason” they would be backing the Prime Minister on this issue is because Labour made the mistake of mainly focusing the motion around Joseph Muscat’s pay package, and not about the anomalous way the hefty salary increases were introduced.
They added that they would have comfortably voted in favour of Labour’s motion should the wording have been far different from what it is.
However, when asked if they knew what the government’s counter-motion – so far only described internally as “reflecting” the sensitivity of the issue, they all admitted that they still don’t know what the position will be.
Although Labour’s motion is expected to be defeated, Gonzi still faces a fragmented and divided parliamentary group, with many declaring internally that the Prime Minister’s position is untenable in the wake of the damage caused by the honoraria saga, and most recently the way he has handled the divorce issue.
A series of one-to-one meetings between Gonzi and some of his MPs were reportedly held before and after Monday’s parliamentary group meeting, and a sub-committee has been formed to gather proposed amendments to the divorce bill that is set to be made law by end of July.
Transport minister Austin Gatt, who previously claimed he would resign if the PN executive committee did not take a formal stand against divorce, was not present for the parliamentary group meeting, and his position still had to be known on the ‘compromises’ that were reached during Monday’s meeting.
•
Ibqghu certi li li skop ta' diversi MPs nazzjonalisti dwar il-ligi tad-divorzju, hu li jressqu emendi bli skop biex ifixklu kemm jistghu li tghaddi din il-ligi mill-parlament. Jafu li hemm zewg deputati laburisti li lesti ma japprovawx ir-rieda tal-poplu - Marie Louise Coleiro Preca u Adrian Vassallo. Issa naraw kemm se jkun hemm MPs tal-PN li lesti ma jhallux lil shabhom jaghmlu l-ostakoli.
Min ma kien jaqbel mal-ebda tip ta' divorzju, ma jistax jitwemmen li issa qed iressaq emendi biex jaghmel il-ligi ahjar milli kif giet ipprezentata minn JPO u Evarist Bartolo !
•
Never ever trust the pn and its mp.
•
Mr antoine vella unity of pn yes but unity with you forget it man! int hadthom il 500euro zieda kalanc? le hux,mela qum mir raqda man u inzel mill qamar1
•
I completly agree with you Mr Antoine Vella. Unfortunately this is Malta that we live in. A case in point is JPO. He was the pon which gave vicotry to Gonzipn in 2008. He was used especially during the debate with Dr Sant when he was issued with a press card to sit for that famous tv conference. This instance awarded both Gonzipn and JPO alot of credibility at that point in time thanks to Dr Sant's miscalculation to use it as a vote catching excersie. In fact JPO was elected from two districts and Gonzi had a narrow vicotry. Albeit all this Gonzipn immediately after taking office rejected JPO and downgraded him to a back bencher. Although I believe that deep down this hurts alot both JPO himself and his costituents, nothing will happen to damage the power of their party. Don't forget the slogan of gonzipn "flimkien kollox possibli" and I emphsise flimkien. Perhaps JPO and Gonzi agreed to part exchange their vote. I will not be suprised (not to say sure) that next Sunday morning Gonzi will break his silence and declares that he will vote yes for the divorce bill. We'll wait and see and goodbye conscience, bible etc. Power will prevail over morality.
•
This is the worst prime minister ever.The PN won last election because of Alfred Sant.Labour will win the election because of Gonzi.Hope gonzi stay as Pn leader until the election.
Micheal Bonanno •
@Antoine Vella. Who told you that the PL wants to bring down the Government? Pure invention from your side. Spinning at its best. What the PL is doing is showing how weak the PN government and its leader is. As for the toppling of the Government, it's being done slowly and certainly from the inside from the likes of you. Keep up the good work. The PL really appreciates it.
•
Martin, PN MPs may disagree on divorce and many other issues but ultimately they are all loyal to their constituents who have voted them as their representatives within the PN.
.
I blame the media for your acute disappointment. You were led to believe that Jean Pierre Farrugia, Pulliciono Orlando or some other backbencher would have brought down the government.
.
It's not happening: Gonzi is at his best in such situations and, hopefully, disgruntled Nationalist voters too will close ranks come election time.
•
@antoine
What about the divorce issue, where is that unity?
.
Get real antoine were are not living back in the 60s, the maltese have come a long way since then.
•
@ Amyoine Vella
Quoyr : "Show of unity by the PN". Ovvja li se juru show of unity fejn jidhol buthom. Kellek xi dubju? Ara biex jesegwixxu l-mandat li tahom il-poplu hemmhekk kuxjenza nisimghu mhux naraw show of unity!!! Halluna tridu! HYPOCRISY AT ITS BEST!!
•
@ Antoine Vella
Naqbel mieghek. Il-PN maghqudin ponn wiehed wara iz-zieda ta 500 euro bil-mohbi lil cabinet u maghqudin aktar wara iz-zieda ta 1.16 euro lil haddiema u pensjonanti. Jaghmlu reklam tas Super Glue jonqoshom bl-ghaqda li ghandhom:)
•
Somehow I was aware, but now I confirm that the Nationalist MP have a double decker conscience where virtue can never set roots.
•
Am I correct in thinking that Labour 'elves' are sorely upset at what is yet another show of unity by the PN?
•
Where is the mistake of mainly focusing the motion around Joseph Muscat’s pay package, and not about the anomalous way the hefty salary increases were introduced.
Here is the motion as reprodued in the MT some days ago
"This House is concerned that the parliamentary honoraria to the Prime Minister, ministers and parliamentary secretaries were not paid from the parliamentary estimates as required by the rules, but were taken from other budgetary votes without informing parliament.
“It notes that the Opposition leader has not yet been awarded his salary as decided on 5 May 2008; notes the Opposition leader’s public declaration to forward his honorarium increase to the charitable fund chaired by Judge emeritus Philip Sciberras, since he believes it is not opportune to claim this increase while so many families are passing through difficult times;
“Considers government’s attitude, in particular the finance minister’s, as a lack of respect to parliament and the people.”
The motion only states that it NOTES and not demands that this is paid up!!!
Jekk tridu tkunu irgiel ghandkhom taqraw il mozzioni sewwa u tivuttaw favur din il mozzjoni.
Kunu irgiel u mhux gwejjef!!
•
Ara vera ipokriti ghandna fill-parlament fuq il bankijiet tal PN. Sewwa, mela fuq il-ligi tad-divorzju li poplu qable li ssir, kollha ghandhom kuxjenza u se jimxu maghha. Biss fuq dil-porkerija li ghamlu bl-honoraria KOLLHA se jinsewa l-kuxjenza. Kristu, li tant juzawh meta jkollom bzonn, sejjah nies bhall dawn: OQBRA MAJJDA. Sbieh minn barra u intiena seba' pesti minn gewwa !!!!
•
Naghti parir lil PL biex jirtira il mozzjoni dwar l-onorarja kif imressqa u jerga iressaqa emendata skond kif jaqblu maghha JPO u Jean Pierre Farrugia halli mbaghad naraw biex jerghu johorgu bhala skuza.
Ehh dak l-imbierek poter kemm igalek taghmel UUUUUUUUUUUUUU.turns.
•
Quote:'They added that they would have comfortably voted in favour of Labour’s motion should the wording have been far different from what it is.'
Unquote: And we say in a loud voice 'Go and tell it to the marines!'
Who is trying to kid whom?
•
Kollox flus u poter! Aqraw din ha taraw:
https://mazzun.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/flus-flus-u-aktar-flus/
•
espcialy to JPO and JPF qaghd ma kont nopsor li intom it tnejn dasek vili u tanejk.fejni il kuxjenza ja psatas.
•
Il-Kuxjenza
Greed (Latin, avaritia), also known as avarice or covetousness, is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed (as seen by the church) is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that greed was "a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things." In Dante's Purgatory, the penitents were bound and laid face down on the ground for having concentrated too much on earthly thoughts. "Avarice" is more of a blanket term that can describe many other examples of greedy behavior. These include disloyalty, deliberate betrayal, or treason,especially for personal gain, for example through bribery . Scavenging and hoarding of materials or objects, theft and robbery, especially by means of violence, trickery, or manipulation of authority are all actions that may be inspired by greed. Such misdeeds can include simony, where one profits from soliciting goods within the actual confines of a church.
As defined outside of Christian writings, greed is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs, especially with respect to material wealth.
•
Those who vote against the PL Motion are AGAINST THE PEOPLE.
I am sure the people will remember your vote against them at election time.
