The Maltese government did not consult or inform the Malta Labour Party (MLP) in the slightest about the Malta-US ship boarding agreement that was signed earlier this year, said Labour spokesman Leo Brincat yesterday in parliament.

Parliament was discussing the second reading of the Malta-USA Ship-Boarding Agreements Ratification Bill.

Mr Brincat said that the MLP is looking for better cooperation with the US, politically, economically and commercially and even where security is concerned.

“We are doing this due to the dangers that unilaterism brings about and the new threats coming from various places around the world,” said Mr Brincat.

He pointed out that most of the proposals came from the US and not from the Maltese government.

If the Nationalist government believes in consent between different countries then it has to show clearly that it will do so even if its not elected in government in the next general elections, he added.

“We made it very clear that we are supporting Foreign Minister Michael Frendo’s candidature for Commonwealth general secretary and it is not fair that the Labour Party is shown as doing the opposite,” he said.

However, Mr Brincat said that he does not know where Malta stands in the bilateral agreements with the US.

He said that Dr Frendo never had the decency to inform the committee, even in camera, where Malta stands now.

“However you cannot expect anything else from this government as we are noticing the same on the visa waiver and double taxation issue,” he said.

“I was approached by a minister to discuss this agreement as quickly as possible before it is ratified so that Malta will send a message of goodwill to the US government,” he said.

“We received a copy when it was placed on the US government website – we never received a copy,” added Mr Brincat.

The opposition found about this agreement after Maltese Ambassador to the US Mark Miceli Farrugia presented his credential to US President George Bush.

The Maltese government did not even have the decency to publish a copy of the written speech made by Mr Miceli Farrugia and “we are wondering if he actually did raise these two issues with Mr Bush,” said Mr Brincat.

“If he did really did mention these issues then why did the press release issued by the Department of Information not mention anything about these two issues but only about the weapons of mass destruction,” he said.

Mr Brincat said that the Maltese government is changing their attitude towards the US but he queried if there were security arrangements with the US that the opposition is not informed about.

“If a powerful country like Greece did not sign the treaty, let alone ratify it, because it was concerned about negative feedback before a general election, I don’t see why we have to sign it,” he said.

He expressed his concern how, through the agreement, weapons of mass destruction can be exported through Malta in Maltese registered ships.

In his reply, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg jokingly said that, if Mr Brincat worked in a circus, he would have had the part of a tightrope walker because he was very careful not to compromise himself in any way.

Dr Borg explained that, unlike other countries, Malta signs an agreement but it does not hold unless it is pass through parliament.

“The agreement was signed by Dr Frendo and goes through parliament to be ratified – the same thing that the US is doing,” he said.

However, Mr Brincat pointed out that the treaty was not discussed before the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Dr Borg replied that where important laws are concerned these were always discussed before the committees.

“However, let us not create suspicions where these do not exist,” he said.

Furthermore, said Dr Borg, it is up to the discretion of the Maltese government to refuse a ship registered in Malta or in the US to disembark in Malta if there is any reasonable suspicion that these are carrying nuclear weapons.

Parliament also discussed and approved the second reading to the amendments to various laws about the Energy Resources Bill and Investment, Industry and Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt spoke during the winding up.