It was shameful that the Prime Minister not only did not reply to the Labour leader’s appeal about the MLP’s proposal for climate change legislation, but that he also sent a negative signal to the country that he was effectively against the proposal by failing to promise that the bill would be brought for discussion in parliament, Leo Brincat, MLP spokesman for the environment, sustainable development and climate change said in a statement.

The government said in a counter reply that the statement was a tactic meant to hide the Labour Party’s superficiality in the sector.

As a pretext not to commit himself in favour of the private member’s bill, Mr Brincat said, the Prime Minister had said that the bill was not detailed and that the budget was in itself a bill about the subject.

Mr Brincat said the Prime Minister should know that the Labour Party did not expect to draw up the legislation itself because it wanted a law which would be acceptable to everyone, and be drawn up by everyone – experts appointed by the government and the opposition, NGOs and other stakeholders.

If the government was assuming this negative attitude simply not to please the Labour Party, it was making a mistake. All environmental organisations had welcomed the private member’s bill. If it continued refusing to present such a bill, the government would be losing the country a golden opportunity to strengthen its credentials in the sector, and to serve as an example to neighbouring and EU countries.

Mr Brincat said that as the country which proposed a UN resolution on climate change 20 years ago, Malta had the duty to be a pioneer in the sector.

In its reply, the government said the climate change challenge would not be overcome by statements and vain words. Mr Brincat’s resolution in parliament was made up of just 150 words, but climate change needed more serious commitment than that, and clear and concrete proposals.

The government had chosen substance, and in a few days time the expert committee on climate change which it had set up will be presenting a draft national strategy to address the subject, it added.

Although the draft has not yet been presented, the government added, it had already taken concrete measures against climate change, with various initiatives in this direction taken in the budget, relating to solar water heaters, photovoltaic panels, energy saving bulbs, and others.

All attempts by Mr Brincat to distract the people’s attention would serve for nothing except to remind the people that to date, Mr Brincat and the opposition had presented no concrete proposal because they did not want to risk some clash with some section of the electorate, the government said.