Waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet quddiem il-Parlament, id-Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Mario Mallia sostna li d-deċiżjoni tal-Kumitat Parlamentari, li jinkludi wkoll rappreżentanti tal-Gvern, li jaċċetta r-rapport tal-Kummissarju għall-Istandards fuq il-kwistjoni tal-impjieg fantażma tal-mara tal-Ministru Clayton Bartolo, huwa pass ‘il quddiem. Dan ifisser li sa fl-aħħar hemm qbil fuq l-ovvju.
Mallia sostna li fil-kuntest ta’ din id-deċizjoni, tispikka iktar u iktar il-pożizzjoni li ħa l-Prim Ministru fuq il-każ, li issa hija wkoll kuntrastanti mill-pożizzjoni li ħa l-Kumitat Parlamentari li fih hemm ukoll deputati min-naħa tal-Gvern. Tista’ tgħid li pajjiż sħiħ qed jaqbel li kien hemm l-abbuż, imma l-Prim Ministru sal-lum għadu jinsisti li kull siegħa xogħol mis-Sinjura Muscat, fil-fatt kienet saret. Għal xi raguni, il-Prim Ministru qed jibqa’ jmeri l-fatti, li l-flus li ħadet is-Sinjura Muscat għal xogħol ta’ konsulent bħala espert fuq il-qasam tat-turiżmu kienu flus imħallsa abbużivament kemm għax ix-xogħol ma sarx kif ukoll għax ma kienx hemm il-kompetenza li jsir. “Is-sigħat ta’ konsulenza ma sarux” tenna Mallia.
ADPD filwaqt li ttenni li r-rappreżentanti tal-gvern fuq il-kumitat parlamentari qed jaqblu mar-rapport fl-interità tiegħu, ma tistax ma ssaqsix x’kien qed iżomm lill-Prim Ministru li jkun hu, qabel kulħadd, bħala Prim Ministru, li jiddikjara dak li ġara bħala inaċċettabbli. Mallia saqsa għaliex ma kienx il-Prim Ministru, li qabel kulħadd, ħa l-passi dixxiplinarji neċessarji mal-ministri tiegħu, u jitlob biex il-flus li tħallsu b’mod illeċtu jerġgħu jintraddu lura. Huwa ċar, sostna Mallia, li l-Prim Ministru abdika mir-responsabbiltà li jagħmel dak kollu possibbli sabiex is-sens ta’ kontabilità u ndafa fil-ħajja pubblika tiġi mħarsa. Dan jimplika tmexxija dgħajfa li tinsisti bil-messaġġ ta’ xejn mhu xejn u li min jogħġbu jitħanżer se jsib il-protezzjoni.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Sandra Gauci saqsiet ukoll x’qed iżomm lill-Prim Ministru milli jaħfen ir-riedni tal-kabinett tiegħu li b’mod oxxen, jimpjega persuni ta’ fiduċja fil-ministeri ħafna iktar milli hemm bżonn u li huwa permissibbli mill-istess liġi li tirregola tali mpjiegi. Huwa ovvju, tenniet Gauci, li l-Prim Ministru, għal snin sħaħ, ħalla għajn waħda magħluqa għall-abbuż sfaċċat ta’ mpjieg ta’ nies imħallsa mit-taxxi, lil nies li ġew impjegati sempliċiment għax qrib tal-ministri konċernati u tal-partit fil-gvern. Jidher li l-Prim Ministru iktar jibża’ għan-nies ta’ ġewwa milli jħares l-interess nazzjonali, li jinkludi s-sens ta’ meritokrazija. Dawn in-nuqqasijiet qed iwasslu biex tkompli tiddakkar kultura ta’ korruzzjoni u impunità. Mhux ta’ b’xejn, saħqet Gauci, li ħafna żgħażagħ qed jitbegħdu mill-politika u saħansitra jitilqu minn Malta. Huwa ċar li l-pajjiż mhux qed jilħaq l-aspirazzjonijiet tagħhom f’ħafna aspetti inkluż is-sens ta’ ġustizzja, meritokrazija, u ndafa fil-ħajja pubblika.
Għaldaqstant, Sandra Gauci saħqet mal-Prim Ministru li flok jibqa’ jkejjel b’xiber partiġġjan u parrokkjali d-deċizjonijiet u l-pożizzjonijiet li jieħu, għandu jassumi rwol ta’ mexxej serju f’pajjiż serju. Dan għandu jagħmlu billi jieħu passi konkreti, deċiżivi u immedjati hu stess kontra min, anke jekk qribu, jabbuża mill-pożizzjoni tiegħu, flok ma jistenna lil ħaddiehor jagħmillu xogħlu. Fl-aħħar nett, Sandra Gauci talbet lill-Prim Ministru jagħti spjegazzjoni kif l-uffiċċju tiegħu f’Kastija kien responsabbli biex approva l-ħlas ta’ eluf ta’ ewro lill-mara tal-ministru, bħala persuna la kkwalifikata u lanqas esperta. Dan speċjalment meta tali ħlas huwa riżervat biss għal każijiet ta’ konsulenzi eċċezzjonali.
“Il-ħuta minn rasha tinten” temmet tgħid Gauci.
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Where is the Prime Minister’s leadership taking us?
During a news conference in front of Parliament House, ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia said that the decision of the parliamentary committee, which includes government representatives, to accept the report by the Standards Commissioner on the phantom job given to the wife of the Minister Clayton Bartolo, was a step in the right direction.
This means that there is agreement on what is clearly obvious. Mallia stated that in the context of this decision, what noticeably stands out is the position taken by the Prime Minister, which is in total contrast to the position taken by Parliament’s Standards Committee consisting of deputies from both sides. We have come to a point where the country is in agreement that there was abuse, however the Prime Minister has kept on insisting that Mrs Amanda Muscat has conducted the work she has been paid for. For some reason, the Prime Minister keeps on denying the fact that Mrs Muscat was paid for work that she has not done, and moreover, for work that she was not qualified to do. Consultancy work has not been done, reiterated Mallia.
Seeing that government representatives on Parliament’s Standards Committee have unanimously agreed on the Standards Commissioner’s report in its entirety, one cannot help but ask what is keeping the Prime Minister from publicly declaring that this is unacceptable. Mallia asked why the Prime Minister has not taken the necessary disciplinary steps with the Ministers involved, and have the money paid for consultancy refunded. It is clear, Mallia reiterated, that the Prime Minister has abdicated from all responsibility concerning accountability and ethical behaviour amongst parliamentarians. This implies a weak leadership that gives a clear message to all that anything goes and whoever acts unethically will find protection
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci also asked what is keeping the Prime Minister from reining in the Cabinet from recruiting more persons of trust than necessary. It is obvious, Gauci said, that for a number of years the Prime Minister has closed an eye to the abusive practices involved in putting people on the public payroll, especially when it concerns people close to Ministers and the party in power. It seems that the Prime Minister is more concerned with the people in inner circles rather than meritocracy in the name of national interest. These weaknesses are contributing to a culture of corruption and impunity. It comes as no surprise, said Gauci, that many young people are put off politics and also leaving the island. It is clear that the country is not appealing to them in many ways, including a sense of justice, meritocracy and standards of public life.
Therefore, Gauci insisted that the Prime Minister must take on the role of a serious leader in a serious country instead of taking decisions and positions that are clearly partisan in nature. He should take immediate, decisive, and concrete steps himself against those individuals, even if they are close to him, without having to wait for other people to do their job. And finally, Gauci asked the Prime Minister to give an explanation how his office in Castille was responsible for the approval of thousands of euros to the minister’s wife, as a person who was neither qualified nor expert in the field concerned, especially when such payments are reserved only for exceptional cases of consultancy.
“As the saying goes, the fish rots from the head down,” concluded Gauci.
