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'In debt with the country? More like your aunt' - Tonio Fenech
Tonio Fenech wryly replies to Manuel Mallia’s accusation of being in debt to the country…“More like your aunt”.
23 May 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
3 min read
In a lively encounter on this morning's ONE TV breakfast show, justice minister Manuel Mallia accused former Nationalist finance minister Tonio Fenech of being in debt to the country for not refunding the full €500 salary increase he received between May 2008 and January 2012.
After repeatedly telling Fenech "you are in debt with the whole country," a visibly irritated Fenech told the minister: "In debt with the country...more like your aunt (Midjun mal-pajjiz...ma zitek)."
The animated discussion between the two focused on the controversy surrounding the honoraria saga following the revelation that the former PN cabinet members had paid €299,566.13 in their honoraria refund.
According to information tabled in parliament by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the Nationalist ministers and parliamentary secretaries received a total salary increase of €1,686,876 between May 2008 and January 2012.
But contrary to the impression that may have been given during the electoral campaign, the Nationalist administration was never meant to refund the €500 salary increase but the 20% 'extra' honoraria paid.
The agreement had been reached in February 2011. In other words, the Nationalist Cabinet had to pay back one fifth of the €1,686,876.
However, in today's breakfast show on the Labour Party television station, Mallia insisted that the former Cabinet members were required to refund €1,686,876 in total.
"Independently from what answers the PN was giving in the run up to the 9 March election, the former Cabinet had approved a wage rise secretly, without informing the government's own MPs. They acted as though they were an omnipotent French monarch," Mallia said.
Insisting that the same PN Cabinet members had then decided to only return part of the honoraria, Mallia said: "They decided which part to give back and which part to keep. Tonio is in debt with the whole country and he should be man enough to pay the money back in full, return the wage rise which they should never have given themselves in the first place."
Mallia, who faced the awkward situation of being interviewed by his own communications coordinator Ramona Attard, added that he expected new PN leader to overcome this early test by convincing the former PN Cabinet members to pay the refund in full.
Reminding Fenech that his new party leader Simon Busuttil had claimed that all dues were paid, Mallia said: "Busuttil must have been fooled by the previous Cabinet members because during the electoral campaign he had clearly stated that they had returned all the money."
An exasperated Tonio Fenech retorted by telling Mallia in very clear terms that the PN had never pledged to return the full honoraria and that he was not in debt with anyone.
"I have pure conscience because we had promised to return the difference and that is what we did."
Accusing Mallia of character assassination, Fenech said that while serving as minister he earned €2,000 per month, with which he had to pay his loans, keep a family and work long days and weekends.
"I proudly served the country and shouldered the responsibilities I was given, making a number of financial sacrifices. I repaid the country with my hard work and sacrifices," Fenech said.
Both Mallia and Fenech reciprocated accusations of spin and the former finance minister argued that the Labour government was using the honoraria issue to alienate the country from the "exaggerated" number of appointments in ministries and their secretariats and the government's decision to allow ministers to carry on with their private practice despite breaching the code of ethics.
"They raised the issue through a Parliamentary question to say that not all dues were given. However, I ask why did Joseph Muscat go on TV one week after the election saying that all dues were paid?" he said.
Former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi had increased cabinet ministers' salaries on 5 May 2008 by two measures: increasing their salaries to €38,000 and also awarding them the previously forfeited parliamentary honorarium, however at 70% of the civil service's Scale 1 salary - while MPs were paid the customary 50% of Scale 1.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
Emmanuel Mallia •
He said he has a clean conscience ! But which conscience ? A true, well formed catholic conscience GonziPN ,or a political, diplomatic conscience ?? He has treated us like fools when he was minister, and he still consider himself a minister, still living in the past !
Emmanuel Mallia •
Oh he did not make enough money as a minister, poor soul !What he failed to mention is that his perks toppled his salary !!! Did he not get( and still getting ) monthly petrol allowances ? and when he was a minister, put them all in his pocket, because he used the ministry car, not his own ? Did he not get a lifetime insurance policy for himself, his wife and his children ? Did not parliament paid his water, electricity, TV, mobile, telephone and other bills ? Does he still enjoy free Air Malta travel for his own personal use ? ( no wonder they want to save Airmalta !!) Did he not got extra money for entertainment ? Did he not got entertainment money for his guests ? Did he not got a Maltese classical clock ? And a host of other perks, yet unknown to the public ( the prime reason that they want parliament to be autonomous ! ) Most, if not all perks, he still enjoys, as a member of parliament !
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Can't quite understand why so many people are so quick to defend PL or PN.
The previous PN cabinet pocketed an extra 500 euros and was plagued with constant infighting, this cabinet is the most bloated and expensive in Malta's political history and is already rife with nepotism and favoritism after just a few months...
Ma tantx hemm x'tiddefendi la naha u lanqas l-ohra.
Emmanuel Mallia •
We do not have faith in PN anymore !
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And this from the supposed party of the 'puliti', Fenech outs himself as a real 'hamallu' with only personal interests at heart for joining politics. No wonder the country ended up in the state it did.
Emmanuel Mallia •
A fine example of a so called catholic politician. He claims he has nothing on the conscience. Well, this is a public matter, and I dare say that he is playing diplomacy with God. They all do it ! Do-it-yourself religion. Our bishops need to guide us !
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@ Aviator: the whole GONZIPN lied, lied and continued lying to the people and to the Country about their refunds to the people. Before the elections they were claiming that they were fully paid up and now they have been shown to have cheated the people. If you are in their league then you are clearly justifying this corrupt practice. Dr Mallia was always absolutely correct in Court, always polite and always a gentleman, that is unless he catches someone lying to the Court. Then he had every right to be forceful and request the Court to take action. Your statement as to his behaviour in Court can amount to such a case.
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Proset Dr Mallia. Gibt lil Tonio u lis-segwaci tieghu un bel zero. Filwaqt li dawn ghadhom isemmu x'ghamel il-Labour 40 sena ilu, ma jridux jisimghu il-hnizrijiet li wettqu huma ftit tax-xhur ilu biss.
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Flok il-Ministru Mallia qaghad jitlob lil Tonio Fenech jaghmel dmiru u jhallas lura l-kumplament tal-onorarja, mhux ahjar jara kif jista' jigbor l-eluf kbar ta' euro li ilhom snin jithallsu kapricozament ghal security mal-aktar blogger hadra li qatt kellu pajjizna? Dan zgur jissejjah serq. U kif ser jaghmel biex ma jkollniex zewg kummissarji tal-pulizija? Dan qed ifisser zewg salarji, barra li qed ifisser ukoll li xi hadd huwa dghajjef.
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Ma nafx kif l-ex ministru ghandu l-ardir jiffacja il poplu
Emmanuel Mallia •
Its the same old rhetorics with the PN. They knew that excessive deficit was going to be a problem, but after an election, PN always had austerity measures ready ! Thats what history tells us.
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To be fair I always understood that it was only the additional 20% which had to be refunded and this is what was stated when the whole controversy arose . The 500 euro increase is another matter mistimed but its refund never raised, or claimed pre election. I agree that it is time to move on and not hark on the past as the PN used to be rightfully accused of. It seems that our political parties have a two forked tongue one for when they are in gov and the other when in opposition. The public are getting fed up of their doublespeak. Less debates of the Mallia /Fenech nature and more positive action will serve us better in the serious deficit and EDF procedure we are facing.
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What an arrogant peasant! Sewwa ghidtlu Manuel.
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Jekk mhu ma hadd Tonio midjun ma dik l- mara ta l-arlogg tal-lira: jekk kienet gidba li tiffansah-hekk qalet il-Qorti- x'se jaghtiha lura biex ihallasha? Jekk mhux se ihallasha se jibqa bid-dejn.!
Barra minn hekk Tonio ghandu dejn ta nuqqas ta etika meta fuq freebe jara l-Arsenal fuq ajruplan privat meta kien qed jiddiskuti tenders maghhom?
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Proudly served the country into debts, that can never be paid.
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Alla jbierek Tonio Fenech kien jaqla €2000 fil-gimgha u qal li kien qed ihallas id-dejn (ma nahsibx li d-dejn ta' l-onorarja) u jiena li bil-kemm naqla €900 fix-xahar m'ghandix dejn u ghandi dar tieghi u karozza wkoll. Mur gibu bhali dan Tonio Fenech kif kien jghaddi tghid? Tghid kien jispicca Bieb il-Belt b'xi kopp jew inkella b'xi kitarra u platt quddiemu ghal karita?
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Ma tarax iroddu l-flus lura! Li kien minghalihom anki l-€500 fil-gimgha 'full' kienu jibqaw jiehdu mil-kaxxa ta' Malta! Ma tantx kienu fidili il-ministri Nazzjonalisti.
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Oqghod attent Tonio ghax jekk tghidlu hekk lil Dr Mallia jaf iharkek ghax haseb li ghadu qed jahdem il Qorti flok il Parlament.
Anke biex jati risposta parlamentari jaqlalek fwiedek sar il Ministru ghax imdorri li fil Qorti jaghmu li kien jghid hu!
Priscilla Darmenia •
“Fenech said that while serving as minister he earned €2,000 per month, with which he had to pay his loans, keep a family and work long days and weekends.” – Well Mr Fenech as a professional accountant you know very well that when you embark on something new you have to do your homework. It seems by the above statement that you did not do your homework well as otherwise you would not have entered politics. – However like yourself, number of people enter politics not because of the miserable pay, as you described it, but more for the lucrative side kicks, like receiving expensive presents; Christmas hampers; promises of commission on real estate; free trips on private jets and watching for free international games; an additional salary of € 500 per week behind the people’s back while we only got € 1.16; etc. etc. – The € 1.16 is a real sacrifice when you have to live on a miserable pension and purchasing your medicine because most of the time it is out-of-stock from the government stores.
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Why do politicians no matter what kind seem to find a way to make fools of themselves every time they open their mouths? This is a very childish approach and all politicians should try to keep their personal feelings at home and try not to make a spectacle of the whole thing. Tonio Fenech has moved on and so must Justice Minister Manuel Mallia. People are watching and people don't want to see and hear two educated men go at it This seems to be more personal than political and both Party Leaders must stop the circus. It is enough we have the courts for entertainment, we do not need politicians to add to it. Grow up and do not forget that those going up must someday come down.
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Why do politicians no matter what kind seem to find a way to make fools of themselves every time they open their mouths? This is a very childish approach and all politicians should try to keep their personal feelings at home and try not to make a spectacle of the whole thing. Tonio Fenech has moved on and so must Justice Minister Manuel Mallia. People are watching and people don't want to see and hear two educated men go at it This seems to be more personal than political and both Party Leaders must stop the circus. It is enough we have the courts for entertainment, we do not need politicians to add to it. Grow up and do not forget that those going up must someday come down.
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Oh My GOD what an Amateur!
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u zgur li ma jaghtux il-flus lura!! Jahtfu kemm jifilhu riedu sakemm kellhom cans, mela mhux hekk irodduhom lura - nini niniiiiiii, vera ezempju tajjeb ta xi jsarrfu l-PN.
Paul Pandolfino •
It seems that Dr Mallia wants to divert the attention of the public from the scandalous appointments being made by his Govt. The issue raised by DR Mallia is now a thing of the past, something which the NP has paid by losing the Govt. Now it is time to start delivering and stop behaving like being still on the opposition benches.
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I think we can do without any politicians, without parliament, and we could have saved at least 80 million, their salaries, allowances, and all other perks.
