The ox might change its mind
Oxen are notoriously hard-headed creatures, but the new ox that leads the Labour Party might yet change his mind about becoming prime minister, in the light of the hot news from Brussels that Maltese MEPs will get a 540 per cent raise and be paid €84,000 a year.
Or perhaps not, though it might help explain why the trombone-player Charlon Gouder and the microphone-touting Mrs Abela Baldacchino are scrambling aboard the gravy-train and asking you to join them on Facebook, where they explore their hobbies and interests (though not all hobbies and interests, of course).
The prime minister has asked where Joseph Muscat might possibly be, given that he has chosen not to take up the constitutionally crucial role of leader of the opposition. He claims he is writing a VAT report for ‘Brussels’ in between romancing Cherie Mark II, changing the Blair twins’s nappies and listening to Sammy Meilaq’s incandescent speeches. He thinks the role of leader of the opposition can wait, because as long as he doesn’t have to take decisions he can curry favour with enough people to make the grade in a Malta Today survey on trust.
To the minds of far more sensible people, the very fact that he has brushed the role aside for three months while finding plenty of time to go out to dinner, socialise with Jason, attend meetings of delegates and other fools, says a great deal about him – and none of it will make a Malta Today ranking on trust, either.
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With the exception of one of our five MEPs, who keeps us regularly informed and answers practical and difficult questions related to the EU, I wonder what service we’re getting from the others. There were claims from various MEPs that they were instrumental in achieving the satellite fee and the travel tax reductions, all of which I must say I am happy with. But in the grand scheme of things, these are really petty issues. Consumer Columns and organisations deal with such and many other similar issues with far less resources. Another MEP writes articles which I hardly bother reading past the first paragraph. Writing them from Brussels instead of in Malta doesn’t make them any more interesting. We have another MEP who entertains us with his travel adventure stories, both in luxurious destinations as well as in war-torn regions. They’re entertaining stuff I enjoy reading, but is that really what our MEPs should be doing? Might as well read about Mona’s travels, which again is entertaining and enticing, but doesn’t cost the taxpayer anything like an MEP’s salary. Within the Party of European Socialists we then have another member. I have absolutely no idea what he deals with. Might report his work in a section of the press which I don’t read for all I know, but it still leaves me wondering…. Should I bother voting for someone else’s gravy train?? Anyway good luck to them to go on with their travels, MAs and PHDs (ample time for that)and whatever else. After all, as one English MEP boasted with an undercover journalist posing as a student, no one had given him a job description. So, life’s what you make it.
Is €84K a great salary if you live in Brussels? Comfortable you might be, but not rich, and it all quickly goes in housing, insurances, travelling and taxes (if they pay taxes, that is).
(Daphne – Many of the things you mention are provided for over and above the actual salary, and several of the sort of people who try to get an MEP seat don’t have a hope in hell of earning that kind of money by any other means, because they just don’t have what it takes.)
How much do they earn at the moment? MEPs I mean.
(Daphne – read the details here: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080907/local/maltese-meps-to-earn-euro-84-000-per-year)
@Holland – Don’t you know that apart from that amazing salary they have over 200 euros a day subsistence and all sorts of other benefits which actually brings the whole package closer to 300k euros. They even have money for personal travel! Plus, if a person is married or has a partner, they can use the staff allowance to further increase the household income by employing the partner. Then of course, there’s the pension.
Roma – With a package like that, I can think of a few people who will aim for such a post, even if they have to hop over the fence to do so