[WATCH] Joseph Muscat justifies changes to MPs' pensions

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has justified Parliament’s decision to award a pension to MPs who serve a single term, insisting the measure was intended to correct “an anomaly”.

The decision by MPs from both sides of the House to award themselves a full two-thirds pension even if they served just one five-year term, instead of the current two terms, has angered people.

MPs are already at an advantage over everyone else since their two-thirds pension is not capped.

But Muscat has defended the move, saying this was not an increase in pensions for MPs but the correction of an injustice that affected some MPs who served the country well.

The Prime Minister said the request for changes to the law came from the association of former MPs.

The bill, tabled by Economy Minister Chris Cardona, ensures a parliamentary pension for MPs who served for at least one legislature or less. In the case of MPs who did not last a whole legislature, the pension would be on a pro-rata basis.

The measure also applies to Maltese members of the European Parliament if they previously served as MPs in Malta or gave up their seat in Europe to take up a seat in Malta.