Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/800760
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 MARCH 2017 3 Busuttil, who earns a handsome €44,880 for his role as MP, chair- man of the European Affairs com- mittee and his extra-parliamenta- ry job as head of the Malta Sports Council, said: "on the other hand for a professional/self employed who has no support like myself, being a full-time politician would mean that if not re-elected I would find myself jobless as all clients would by then engage another col- league." Despite growing calls for stricter revolving doors rules, which sees ministers seeking employment in the same field they had influence, Busuttil points out the difficulty for PEPs to be employed in the private sector after the end of the legislature. "A fair and level-play- ing field system must be created. It is ridiculous that even ministers have half the pay of some of their CEOs," he said. Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis, who earns more than some ministers as Commissioner against Bureaucracy, also said MPs should be given a choice to become full-timers or not. The only dissenting voice on government benches is Etienne Grech, a GP, who thinks Malta actually does not afford up to 71 full-time MPs with higher salaries. He called it "an unnecessary cost to the taxpayer" and instead sup- ports either the status quo, or re- ducing the number of MPs if made full-time. PN MPs want voluntary scheme On their part, nine opposition MPs who replied to MaltaToday's questions sent an identical answer, making reference to the PN's doc- ument proposing the voluntary introduction of full-time MPs. David Agius, Frederick Azzopardi, Jason Azzopardi, Claudette Butti- gieg, Robert Cutajar, Mario Galea, Paula Mifsud Bonnici, George Pullicino and Chris Said said: "last week, PN leader Simon Busuttil set up an independent commis- sion led by Giovanni Bonello to propose radical changes in party financing laws, and also the role of parliamentarians." Independent MP Marlene Far- rugia agreed with having full-time MPs, saying she was at present a de facto full-time politician. The Democratic Party leader said she would choose to become a full-time MP, adding that at the moment she carries out her job as a dentist to ensure financial se- curity for her family. Politics, she said, "does not pay in currency but only in satisfaction." TIM DIACONO OPPOSITION leader Simon Busuttil dis- missed internal calls for the resignation of Mario de Marco, pledging that his deputy leader is "going nowhere" and that he would not allow anyone to dictate the PN's agenda for him. Busuttil was speaking a day after his em- battled deputy leader for parliamentary af- fairs performed an act of contrition for the PN, telling supporters he was sorry if his legal brief for the db Group, which won a €60 million concession for public land in St Julian's, had confused them. The PN has since then demanded an Au- ditor General's inquiry into the concession, and prompted a party financing investiga- tion after the db Group revealed it was pay- ing salaries for the PN's executives by in- voicing the party's media company. "Some people have long been trying to create rifts between myself and Mario de Marco and to give the impression that the PN is divided," Busuttil said during a radio conference organised by the PN's workers' section (Solidar- jeta Haddiema Partit Nazzjonal- ista). "I want to make it clear that the PN is not divided, that Mario de Marco is going nowhere, and that I will not allow anyone to dictate the party's agenda for me. The country's problem is not Mario de Marco, but Joseph Muscat." Since it was revealed that Mario de Marco had acted as legal advisor to hotelier Silvio Debono in negotiations for the ITS concession with Projects Malta, which falls under the pur- view of disgraced minister Kon- rad Mizzi – a bête noire for the PN – many have been the calls for De Marco to step down. The new PN candidate and former TV host Salvu Mallia described De Marco as a "dead branch that must be cut off and thrown into the fire", while fellow candidate David Thake warned De Marco that "you cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds". Leading the campaign for De Marco's head was Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, whose court of PN sup- porters quickly joined in to demand his res- ignation. De Marco earlier this week said on Xtra that up to two weeks ago, "Busuttil had no problem with my firm being the db Group's legal advisor and this issue only arose after the party said it would ask the Au- ditor General to investigate the contract because of the conces- sion's value." Busuttil however yesterday said that he was satisfied with De Marco's reaction to the con- troversy, particularly his state- ment on Friday evening to say he was sorry for having hurt the sentiment of party supporters over his role. In his interview, Busuttil also said the PN will in the coming days release a policy document that will propose long-term solutions to Malta's traffic problems, including a tram or light railway system. "We will release the full details soon, but we want it to be such an efficient system that it will no longer pay people to use their private cars as the new transport system will get them to their desti- nation in less time." News warn of potential pitfalls Busuttil: 'De Marco going nowhere, nobody dictates PN's agenda for me' Mario de Marco (left) has said he was sorry for creating a conflict between his legal brief and the PN's interests Government backbencher Etienne Grech disagrees with having full-time MPs