Former PN treasurer on MPs' salary increase: 'A huge blow to party's social conscience'

Former PN treasurer Peter Darmanin, one of the party's more militant of activists, has surprised supporters with comments on Facebook in which he declared he "absolutely disagrees" with a weekly €600 raise to MPs and ministers.

In the comments he posted on Monday (see image below) reported by l-orizzont Wednesday, Darmanin declares “the PN’s social conscience took a huge blow.”

Just weeks ago Finance Minister Tonio Fenech told Parliament that the Cabinet had agreed back in 2008 that ministers and parliamentary secretaries would be paid an increased MP's honoraria, separately from their salary.

While ministers were paid MPs' honoraria of 70% of the civil service's scale 1 salary (€26,771), MPs were still paid just 50% of the salary (€19,112). Now they are to be paid the new honoraria, and all arrears from May 2008. The announcement caused considerable public outcry at the way the salary raise was not announced, and only officially emerged following a parliamentary question.

The recent gas and fuel price hikes announced by gas suppliers and Enemalta further intensified public resentment at the salary increase. A number of MPs – both Labour and PN – are now announcing that they will be donating their salary increase to various causes.

In his Facebook comments, Darmanin wrote in capital letters, "I do not agree, absolutely do not agree, with the increase (in salary) for parliamentary members”, calling it "exaggeratedly unnecessary, when one considers the present scenario.”

He further argued that the Cabinet should shoulder political responsibility for the contentious decision at a time when families are facing difficulties. “I am sad to say that the Nationalist cabinet failed to read the writing on the wall and now needs to shoulder the consequences for their actions before God and before man,” Darmanin wrote.

While Opposition leader Joseph Muscat has declared he will donate his salary raise to a charity fund administered by the PL, Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia said he will donate the raise to a medical charity and for a fund for infertile couples to adopt frozen embryos.