The government is not practicing what it preaches and is acting irresponsibly, incompetently and arrogantly, Labour Leader Alfred Sant said yesterday referring to the alleged scandals involving Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea and Education Minister Louis Galea.
Speaking in Senglea yesterday morning, Dr Sant said the worst thing Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi could have done about the proposed Public Administration Bill is choose Dr Galea to head the working group who drew it up. He said Dr Galea holds the record of lack of transparency, lack of accountability and lack of efficiency.
Dr Sant mentioned the case of the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools and reminded people that a magisterial inquiry had revealed irregularities in the awarding and payment of contracts. In addition to this, he said, in the scheme involving auxiliaries, many decisions which went against the national interests were taken and people, including Dr Galea’s driver, made a lot of money through this scheme.
In his speech, Dr Sant referred to the situation at the Armed Forces of Malta where, he said, the government was handing out promotions and hefty wage increases on the eve of a general election. He said this was unacceptable and added that the AFM had to remain free of political interference.
He praised the soldiers who are working so hard especially in the field of irregular migration.
Dr Sant said that there are people who are insisting that all soldiers who have reached the age of 55 and would not have given 25 year of service to the AFM have to resign but would not receive their full pension. He said that the MLP had proposed that people who would have not given 25 years of service but would have turned 55 are allowed to continue working as soldiers until they reach the 25-year target, in order to receive their full pension.
The Labour Leader also mentioned the Lm1.3 million waste on the construction of a block of flats which cannot be used because the concrete used was of inferior quality. On the St Paul’s Bay bypass, which he said will be costing at least Lm500,000 more than the cost estimated, Dr Sant said that the part of the road that collapsed years ago will have to remain closed because the government was still in negotiations with the contractor who was responsible for the damage.
Dr Sant also mentioned how the roof on which, according to the plans, a helicopter could land at the new Mater Dei Hospital is not good enough to withstand the weight of a helicopter.
Labour Deputy Leader Charles Mangion also addressed yesterday’s political event. He spoke about Labour’s plans to improve the area of Bugibba, Qawra and St Paul’s Bay. He said that in the last seven years, 22 hotels closed their doors to business and by the end of the summer, another two will shut. He said this was having a drastic effect of restaurants and shops in the area.
Dr Mangion said people were understanding that the MLP delivers all its promises and is only promising things that can be achieved. He said the MLP will be reducing the water and electricity surcharge by half because it will be more efficient than the present government which has spent Lm191 million more than it had originally sidelined for several capital projects. He said accountability, efficiency and transparency will be the order of the day for a Labour government.