Former MPs association insists agreements on pension must be honoured

The Association of Former Members of Parliament insisted yesterday that the agreement on pensions received by Members of Parliament between the government and the Opposition should be honoured.

The association held a press conference on the issue, which has been the cause of recent controversy.

The government announced recently that it was withdrawing amendments on MPs’ pensions after the Opposition withdrew its support, which was required for the process to move forward. The government had presented amendments that would have seen MPs entitled to a full pension (upon reaching retirement age) after serving a single term. They currently have to serve at least two terms in order to be entitled to a parliamentary pension. There was consensus between the two main parties initially; however, Partit Demokratiku (PD) spoke out against the amendments, and the Opposition withdrew its support.

The association explained that the first attempt to change the legislation was made in February 2017, when a bill was tabled and unanimously approved at the first reading on 1 March 2017. It stressed that there were no objections. The association said that PD MP Godfrey Farrugia was government whip at the time, and said that the association had found all the necessary assistance at the time from Godfrey Farrugia.

Association secretary Lino Debono said that PD MP Marlene Farrugia did not object at the time.

The association explained that after the election (when all the bills in Parliament are dissolved), the bill re-tabled with some changes. They said that all members had voted for the bill and no MP had objected during the first reading. They said the bill also passed the second reading with no objection.

“An MP’s duty is to be present during sessions. Nobody expects Parliament to stop for a member who left to return when they so wish and at their pleasure.”

Debono said that Leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia had given the association his word that he would back to bill. He said that following the second reading, PN whip Robert Cutajar had texted all former MPs informing them of this outcome.

The association said that this was not the first time the issue had been discussed. In 2008, they had agreed with former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and then-Opposition leader Joseph Muscat. He said that they had also found agreement with Simon Busuttil when he led the Opposition.

Debono said the bill would not have meant that MPs could serve for one legislature and immediately receive the pension, but that the pension would apply when the former MP reaches pensionable age. He also said that as things stand, some MPs have no pension at all if they were a teacher or civil servant and had to resign from governmental posts.

Regarding the case of Philip Sciberras, where it was recently reported in the media that he “was granted a privileged pension reserved for MPs despite the Treasury objecting that he had not served in Parliament for the required period of time,” the association said that it had disagreed with the opinion of the Treasury and that at the time, the attorney general’s opinion was sought by the Treasury, and was found to agree with the opinion of the association.