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Id-deputat konsulent

Dan l-artiklu deher f' In-Nazzjon ta' nhar it-Tnejn 28 ta' Ottubru 2013



Jidher li l-Gvern Laburista kompla fit-triq li f’seba’ xhur jagħmel dak li qatt ma sar f’25 sena. Il-moda l-ġdida hija li l-Gvern ta’ Muscat qed jimpjega bħala konsulenti lil Deputati eletti fuq in-naħa tal-Gvern stess.

Minn mistoqsija parlamentari li saret mid-deputat Charlo Bonnici, sirna nafu li d-deputat Silvio Schembri qed jitħallas mad-€39,000 fis-sena bħala konsulent fil-Ministeru tal-Ekonomija u l-Investiment immexxi minn sieħbu Chris Cardona.

Ma kienx biżżejjed li l-Gvern Laburista biddel il-liġi biex Membri Parlamentari jkun jista’ jpoġġihom fuq Bordijiet tal-Gvern, minkejja l-kunflitt ta’ interess li din il-pożizzjoni toħloq ma’ xogħolhom bħala rappreżentanti tal-poplu, issa beda jtihom il-konsulenza wkoll. Dan hu ħażin għal diversi raġunijiet.

L-ewwel nett, deputat huwa elett għax il-poplu jidhirlu li dan jista’ jikkontribwixxi fit-tfassil tal-politika ta’ pajjiżna. Qiegħed fil-Parlament biex jagħti s-suġġerimenti tiegħu, jagħti l-kontribut tiegħu, u jagħti sehmu. Imma issa jidher li għal nies bħal Silvio Schembri mhux biżżejjed l-onorarja parlamentari biex jagħtu sehemhom. Iridu paga oħra biex jagħmlu dak li suppost huma diġa’ fid-dmir li jagħmlu bħala deputati. Dan jikxef politiċi li mhux qegħdin hemm biex jagħtu imma biex jieħdu, mhux biex iservu imma biex jisservew.

It-tieni nett, il-pożizzjoni ta’ Silvio Schembri tpoġġieh f’kunflitt ta’ interess ċar. Schembri inħatar ukoll chairman tal-Kumitat tal-Kamra għall-Affarijiet Ekonomiċi, kariga li ġġor paga oħra. Xogħol dan il-Kumitat huwa li jagħrbel il-ħidma tal-Gvern fil-qasam tal-ekonomija. Jista’ Silvio Schembri ċ-chairman tal-Kumitat jagħrbel ix-xogħol tal-Ministeru tal-Ekonomija li tiegħu hu konsulent Silvio Schembri stess? X’jiġri jekk il-Kumitat jara xi nuqqasijiet? Silvio Schembri ċ-chairman ħa jkun jista’ jwiddeb lill-Ministeru li ħa l-pariri ta’ Silvio Schembri l-konsulent? Dan huwa t-tbażwir fl-istandards li dan il-Gvern qed jimxi bihom tort tal-fatt li jrid iżid il-paga tad-deputati tiegħu mingħajr ma jmur lura mill-frattarija li qajjem fuq żidiet fl-onorarja.

Ir-regħba ta’ Schembri ma tieqafx hawn. Jidher li għal Silvio Schembri mhux biżżejjed l-onorarja parlamentari, l-onorarja ta’ chairman, l-paga ta’ konsulent u l-paga ta’ part-time lecturer l-Universita’ (resident li iltqajt miegħu dil-ġimgħa qalli: “naħseb għandu d-don tal-bilokazzjoni biex ikun f’dawn il-postijiet kollha fl-istess ħin!”). Apparti dawn, il-Ministru Manuel Mallia ħatar lill-mara ta’ Silvio, Deandra Schembri, fuq il-Bord tal-Pulizija u fuq Bord tal-Appelli tar-Refuġjati. Dan meta għad għandha 27 sena u m’għandhiex la l-kompetenza u lanqas l-esperjenza għal dawn iż-żewġ karigi. Kif drajna f’dawn is-seba’ xhur, il-meritokrazija Labour-style hija bbażata biss fuq kemm int bażużlu minn ta’ ġewwa.

U dan mhux biżżejjed. Biex jiddefendi l-pożizzjoni tiegħu, Silvio Schembri gideb meta qal li qabel l-elezzjoni kien konsulent bl-istess kundizzjonijiet mal-Ministeru tal-Agrikoltura, xi ħaġa li ġiet miċħuda mill-ex-Ministru George Pullicino. Silvio Schembri, sa qabel l-elezzjoni, kien Manager tal-GAL Xlokk, Grupp magħmul min-numru ta’ Kunsilli Lokali tan-naħa t’isfel ta’ Malta kollha b'maġġoranza Laburista, fejn kien jamministra fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea għal dan ir-reġjun, u fejn il-pożizzjoni tiegħu kienet imħallsa direttament mill-fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Fondazzjoni li tinkludi l-Kunsill ta’ Ħal Luqa, fejn is-Sindku John Schembri huwa missier Silvio, u li tinkludi l-mara ta’ Silvio bħala ‘partner soċjali’. Anke’ hawn, wieħed irid jagħmel ċertu mistoqsijiet fuq l-operat ta’ din il-Fondazzjoni u fuq kif proġetti f’dan il-programm intużaw biex minnhom Silvio Schembri għamel kampanja personali.

Biex issa inpoġġu ċ-ċirasa fuq il-kejk, il-GAL Xlokk iddeċida li lil Silvio, li irriżenja mill-kariga f’Marzu li għadda, apparti 10% performance bonus jitħallas ta’ erba’ xhur paga extra sa Awissu li għadda mill-istess fondi tal-programm. Jitħallas ta’ xhur li fihom ma ħadimx għal Fondazzjoni, għax miskin qalu li “wettaq xogħol siewi ħafna”.

Kostitwent ieħor li kien qed ikellimni din il-ġimgħa qalli: “Dawn b’kemm-il ħalq iridu jieklu?” Il-problema hi li għal dan kollu qed inħallsu aħna. Bħal ma qed inħallsu għal konsulenzi ta’ nies bħal Toni Abela, Miriam Dalli u tal-ħbieb li dehru fuq il-billboards.

Vera li qabel l-elezzjoni Silvio Schembri qal li għandu għal qalbu l-familji. Li ma qalilniex hu li kien qed jirreferi għal but tal-familja tiegħu. Imma ma tantx hemm biex tiskanta b’din l-attitudni. Wara kollox, qed jimxu fuq l-eżempju tal-Prim Ministru.



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