Did ex-ministers Roderick Galdes and Clayton Bartolo get a golden handshake for their resignations?
Momentum is asking whether former Minister Roderick Galdes and Clayton Bartolo will receive a termination payment, commonly referred to as a golden handshake, following their recent resignation from Cabinet.
We now have the tradition that when ministers leave office, including those who are caught up in scandals and resignations, get a lump sum termination benefit. These payments have repeatedly raised public concern, particularly when ministers resign amid controversy. Recent examples show the scale of these payouts:
- Former Minister Aaron Farrugia reportedly received approximately €33,000.
- Former Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar reportedly received approximately €27,000.
- Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat reportedly received a termination package of around €120,000 following his resignation in 2020.
Camel Asciak, treasurer of Momentum, said, “When a minister is forced to resign in the context of political controversy or public scrutiny, it is troubling that taxpayers may still be required to fund substantial severance packages. These arrangements are based on Cabinet decisions that lack full transparency and parliamentary scrutiny.”
Momentum believes that the public has a right to know whether Roderick Galdes and Clayton Bartolo will receive a similar payment, how much that payment will amount to, and under what legal framework it is being granted. The continued use of opaque termination benefit schemes for political office holders, at a time when families are struggling with the cost of living, six-figure or even five-figure payouts to resigning politicians are unacceptable.
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