Government ‘appeasing backbenchers’, meritocracy pledge ‘a joke’ - PN

The Labour government was appeasing backbenchers by giving them chairmanship roles to keep them happy, according to PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami.

“The Labour government not only threw the meritocracy pledge out the window but it has made a joke out of meritocracy,” he said, adding that appointments carried out were “either to appease backbenchers or keep promises made to close friends”.

Addressing the second in a series of press conferences under the theme ‘a government that exploits you’ (Gvern li jahdmek), Fenech Adami read out a list of backbenchers given a consultancy job or appointed chairman of a government authority.

The deputy leader said “one would have expected” the Labour government to take on a different approach after it had heavily criticised the parliamentary assistants’ roles under the Gonzi administration.

“We would have expected a different method, but instead he has given rewards to MPs, their wives, friends and their circle,” Fenech Adami said.

Acknowledging that backbenchers had much to contribute in their parliamentary role, the former PN parliamentary assistant for home affairs said some of the appointments enjoyed today by the backbenchers conflicted with their posts as chairmen.

Fenech Adami questioned how MP Deo Debattista, who sits on the parliamentary select committee for health, could act as a watchdog over the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) of which he was chairman.

“Moreover, one has yet to explain what sort of consultancy is Joe Debono Grech giving to the Ministry for Gozo,” he said as he went on to list some other six MPs.

Fenech Adami said Labour’s “feeding frenzy” had extended to former Labour officials, former One employees and relatives.

Nationalist MP Ryan Callus said it was worrying that the government had increased some 500 jobs in the public service but appears to have given up on creating jobs in the private sector.

According to Callus, the public sector had become “a convenient tool” for the government to keep the promises or favours it made in the run up to the general election.

On his part, candidate for the European Parliament elections Norman Vella said the government’s policies were based “on how close an individual was to the leadership”.

Vella said his own experience of “abuse of power” was an example as to whether citizens should worry whether appointees will work to serve the citizens or the administration.

He however rebutted suggestions that his own secondment to PBS – when he could no longer avail himself of unpaid leave from his immigration control post – had been an example of an ‘unmeritocratic’ administration.

Vella argued that workers in the public service could avail themselves of unpaid leave to gain experience in the private sector. At his time, a public worker had to apply every year and Vella had then requested a three-year extension.

“I gained my experience and used that experience on PBS,” he insisted, explaining that he had garnered his experience working with Where’s Everybody? and went on to present a WE? co-production when he returned to PBS as a TV reporter.