Eight years after resigning over a government scandal, Minister Michael Falzon repeatedly dodged questions on whether his colleagues, Clayton Bartolo and Clint Camilleri, should follow in his footsteps and resign. 

The two ministers are under increasing pressure to resign after they abused their power and breached ministerial ethics when they orchestrated getting Bartolo's now-wife employed in a job she was not qualified for and did not do 

Falzon, who served as lands junior minister in 2016, stepped down after the Auditor General found irregularities in a property deal that left businessman Mark Gaffarena with a hefty profit.

The government paid €1.65 million for half ownership of a property in Valletta that Gaffarena had purchased for a fraction of the price just weeks earlier.

“What I did (resign) was my decision. That’s Michael Falzon, and if people don’t like that, everyone is free to judge,” Falzon, who is currently Social Policy Minister, said.

When asked whether Bartolo and Camilleri should resign over the lucrative consultancy contracts given to Bartolo’s then-girlfriend and now wife, Falzon said, “It’s not about what I think.”

Tourism Minister Bartolo and Gozo Minister Camilleri have faced pressure to step down after the Standards Commissioner found that the two abused their power and breached ministerial ethics when Amanda Muscat was employed in a role she was not qualified for and did not perform.

Muscat, who previously served as Bartolo’s secretary, was given a €62,000-a-year job as a policy consultant in Bartolo’s ministry. She was later transferred to Camilleri’s ministry, where her salary was increased to €68,000. However, the Standards Commissioner only found evidence of her performing secretarial work and stated that Muscat was unqualified to serve as a consultant.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has repeatedly defended his two ministers, describing them as among his staunchest allies in Cabinet.

“The circumstances do not warrant Clayton Bartolo or Clint Camilleri stepping down from their ministerial duties,” Abela said in a recent interview with the Times of Malta.

“[Muscat] worked her full hours, and the Standards Commissioner confirmed this was not a phantom job. The discrepancy lay in the transition from her role as a private secretary to that of a consultant,” he added.

On Tuesday morning, Falzon was asked if good governance standards had declined in the last eight years.

“I look to the future so we can continue doing good for this country,” he replied.

Falzon also condemned the “mob” (marmalja) that gathered in front of Parliament on Monday.

Falzon was referring to a protest called by the Nationalist Party over the issue. 

“Some in the crowd were cursing MPs as we left Parliament, and some were even cursing our deceased family members,” he said.

Falzon was speaking on the sidelines of a Foundation for Social Welfare Services press conference about the entity’s budget estimates.

FSWS CEO Alfred Grixti highlighted that investment in the entity had grown significantly over the years, emphasizing improved pay and conditions for the 1,000 workers employed within it.

Social Policy Minister Falzon said the government prioritizes inclusion.

“A successful government reaches out to those at the bottom and does not allow people to be discarded,” he said.