Watch: Adrian Delia Says Ministers Deserve A Much Higher Salary
Shadow Minister Adrian Delia said ministers deserve a significantly higher salary, but that this should come with stricter scrutiny of their people of trust.
“I believe that ministers should earn much more than they currently do and I don’t think we should use this debate to sabotage discussion on the Budget,” Delia said on Ricky Debates last night.
“I’m ready to declare that we should appoint an expert body to design a way forward on what the salaries of the Prime Minister, ministers and MPs should be pegged to. After all, if salaries are too low to raise a family then the temptation for abuse increases.”
However, he stressed that higher salaries should be introduced in tandem with greater political scrutiny.
“If I’m now going to earn €60-80k like a regular CEO, I shouldn’t be able to give out fake consultancy positions. I hope we can agree on this.”
Delia’s declaration contrasts sharply with the position taken by PN leader Alex Borg after ministers and MPs received a pay rise as part of a renegotiated collective agreement for the civil service.
Borg argued that it was wrong for ministers to receive a pay rise while the public was only given a €4.66 weekly cost-of-living adjustment. He added that although the raise also applies to him as Leader of the Opposition, he was never consulted and will refuse to accept it.
Following the collective agreement, ministers will earn €57,082 a year, while MPs will earn €25,947.
Photo: Ricky Debates
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