'Housing aid?': Ministers mocked for claiming they own no property
Ministers who filed declarations to parliament that they owned no property were met with incredulity and sarcastic questions about whether they received social benefits or housing aid during a session in the house on Wednesday.
Minister for Active Ageing Jo Etienne Abela, a doctor, and junior minister Chris Bonett were among those who listed '0' or 'nothing' in a section asking them to list any immovable property.
The declarations, which cover between 2020 and 2021, were tabled in parliament on Monday just before the announcement of the government's budget for next year.
They detail the financial holdings of members of the Abela cabinet as well as those who were left out after the 2022 election. Minister for Active Ageing Jo Etienne Abela's empty declaration form filed on Monday.
However, a number of government MPs who only entered the house after the March election left their earnings for 2020 and 2021 blank.
Prime Minister Robert Abela's own declaration was also somewhat evasive, failing to declare his earnings from rental agreements on his properties. 'You ought to be ashamed'
The matter was raised during a rowdy session in parliament on Wednesday afternoon. The...