‘No One Is Perfect’: Clayton Bartolo Apologises Over Wife Job Controversy
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that “no one is perfect” in an apology over a controversy involving his partner employed as a highly-paid consultant.
“While I don’t agree with everything the Standards Commissioner has written, I accept his report,” Bartolo said.
“If I slipped up, then I humbly apologise. No one is perfect and the only people who don’t make mistakes are those who do nothing. I will continue focusing on my work for the tourism industry.”
Standards Commissioner Joseph Camilleri found that Bartolo had promoted his girlfriend (later wife) Amanda Muscat from private secretary to policy consultant at his own ministry, on a €62,000 salary, despite her lack of specialised knowledge or qualifications.
She was later moved to a policy consultant at Camilleri’s Gozo Ministry with an even higher salary of €68,000 but continued working as Bartolo’s private secretary. Her job there lasted eight months and her contract was terminated at the end of 2021.
Bartolo stressed that her employment with the Gozo Ministry was in line with a government manual on resources, policies and procedures, and insisted that she didn’t benefit from favouritism.
He also said that the Commissioner’s report found she did work in her job. However, he didn’t mention the Commissioner’s observation that her job required her to be involved in actual policy decision-making and not just coordination.
Meanwhile, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri issued a similar statement but notably left out an apology.
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