Commissioner for Standards in Public Life George Hyzler insisted that the prime minister should not solve the issue of low MP remuneration by giving backbenchers jobs with the government.
In a report, the Standards Commissioner had found that all government backbenchers and some Opposition MPs had been employed with the government, directly or indirectly.
Speaking during a meeting of the Standing Committee for Standards in Public Life, Dr Hyzler said there were people who wanted to dedicate their professional life to politics, but could not do so because they would not be paid adequately.
However, he insisted, citizens "could not lose those who do not want to be full-timers".
Dr Hyzler had also noted the move led some MPs to be financially dependent on the government, undermining their independence.
Pointless discussion?
Friday’s meeting was set to discuss the report, but the Labour Party’s representatives insisted that it was pointless to discuss this issue since its recommendations could not be taken up by the committee.
"The discussion here is useless because we cannot decide or change anything," MP Byron Camilleri said.
Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar was already studying the report following a request by the Prime Minister, Mr Camilleri said.
Newly-appointed Equality and European Affairs Minister Edward Zammit Lewis also noted that the report was still being studied by the Labour Party's parliamentary group.
Opposition representative and former Nationalist party leader Simon Busuttil said the conclusions of the report were clear and harshly critical of the current system.
The system of giving backbenchers jobs was fundamentally wrong and unconstitutional, he said, insisting that the report should be discussed.
However, Dr Camilleri insisted the committee had no legal stronghold to change the current system. "It is not the right forum to decide what changes in the law should take place," he said.
Committee chair and speaker Anġlu Farrugia decided that the report would be discussed at a later stage.