The Budget 2008 allocations to the Environment and Rural Affairs Ministry were yesterday passed through parliament with the government badgering the opposition for first criticising during their talk-time allocation and then leaving empty benches when it came to the government’s turn.

The vote was passed with 31 votes in favour and 24 against.

Opposition MP Noel Farrugia kicked off yesterday’s debate and spoke mostly about farming, fishing and livestock breeding. Mr Farrugia claimed that the government has taken people who work in all these sectors for a ride and that they have so much red tape to deal with that they cannot work properly.

He said that these people have so many expenses that they cannot keep up and have a severe cash flow problem. “There are some who have gone out of business and you know it,” he said.

He also spoke of the situation at sea, claiming that Italian and French fishermen are using drift nets to fish in the Mediterranean and are also going over quota. “Why has the government not done anything about it? Why have they not reported it to the European authorities? And why have they not used to Armed Forces of Malta to take photographs as proof?” he asked. He did not give time for an answer to formulate as he gave his own: “It is because this government is tired and has no direction,” he said.

He said that the PN government was not in touch with reality and constantly took people for a ride. He said that come the election, voters will not believe the PN and will vote Labour because they want a change. He also spoke about the new incinerator at the abattoir and said that it was a travesty that chemical and industrial waste will be burnt to ash along with remains of animals.

Opposition MP Roderick Galdes also spoke and said that there was nothing new announced about the environment in the 2008 Budget. “It was full of rhetoric and there was nothing new; the government is not addressing problems that are affecting the environment,” he said.

He also said that there had been a number of “somersaults” on projects such as the golf course at Xaghra l-Hamra and Ulysses Lodge at Ramla l-Hamra. He said that the government spent millions on reports into the matter, and then changed tack as soon as they saw that public opinion against them ran high and that environmental groups were all out against them.

He said that the government was arrogant: “I hope you do not get elected to office again because you will simply steamroller over everyone,” he said. He also made reference to the new incinerator at the abattoir and said that there was no information that has been made available. “Chemicals will be incinerated there and you haven’t told the people of Marsa what is going on. It is not fair to treat people in Marsa like this, you are giving little information and there are no permits in place. You are supposed to open it next month and you have just launched a public meeting now, it is not fair,” he said.

He also spoke about animal cruelty and said that it has been long known that there is a huge need for an animal respite clinic. “They have been promising it for years and basically they have offered cash and site for it because an election is coming. This is simply not right, you are taking people for a ride,” he said.

He said that the MLP had identified a site for it way back in 1998, but nothing was ever done. He also spoke about the Animal Response Team and said that this cannot work as things are because they find no support and do not have any resources available to them. Mr Galdes also said that the government had been promising decisions on land reclamation and sea-based wind farms. “It’s election time and they still have not made any announcements, when are they going to tell us?” he asked.

In characteristic style, opposition MP Joe Brincat gave a rambling speech that touched on almost all subjects related to the environment and animal welfare. He said: “Well, most of the proposals put forward in this budget speech are re-hashes of things that were not implemented from the last budget in 2007.” He also spoke about emissions in Valletta and said that the new parking system had created a worse situation because there were more cars in Valletta and that they were constantly turning over, meaning that more exhaust fumes were being spewed out over the city. He said that a good, clean and efficient public transport system was needed to rectify the situation.

Dr Brincat also spoke about the incinerator at Marsa saying that it was a travesty to burn chemical and biological waste and animal waste near a place where meat is processed for human consumption, adding that there could be a possibility of transfer of infectious diseases.

MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando opened the government’s session and asked a simple question. “Where would we be if we had believed the Malta Labour Party? We are getting EUR1 billion, not the Lm1.5 million Dr Alfred Sant said we would get if we joined the EU. And that money is all going towards the regeneration of the environment,” he said.

He said that the MLP’s proposals were nothing but half-baked proposals. “Dr Alfred Sant wants to build three golf courses through public private partnerships. First of all where is he going to put three golf courses? And secondly, he is saying that he wants to pay for them through taxation,” he said.

He also spoke about the Animal Respite Centre, saying that work will start this year. “What were we supposed to do? Not apply through MEPA for permits and just do as old Labour used to do and just build where and when we like?” He also spoke about criticism of a neutering programme put forward by Dr Brincat. “Yes, we will neuter strays. What are we supposed to do? Let them procreate and then die of starvation?”

Parliamentary secretary Frans Agius based his speech on the amount of EU aid and subsidies that Maltese farmers and fishermen have received.

He said that every Maltese food production sector, whether it was livestock breeders, fishermen, processors or agricultural farmers have been helped to restructure their operations while at the same time bringing produce up to European Union standards. He said that the government had embarked on a long-term plan which was giving results. Moreover, he said that there were several programmes in operation to allow farmers to continue with their activities but in a more environmentally friendly manner, coupled with the growth of organic farming. Dr Agius said that one important measure announced in this budget was the set up of a Farming Advisory service which will be available to all Maltese and Gozitan farmers.

He also said that the MLP constantly pointed fingers at the government saying that it never listened, and then pointed out that there was not even one opposition MP sitting at the benches opposite him as he was explaining the budget measures.

Environment Minister George Pullicino said that year after year, PN governments had voted more and more funds towards protecting the environment. He said that the only time in recent memory that the funds were less were during the short-lived 1996-98 MLP administration period. He said that one of the major areas that the government was tackling was emissions, saying that low sulphur oil was being burned at the power station and that the new incinerator at the abattoir would also drastically cut what is spewed into the atmosphere. He said that there were also incentives on offer to private industry, such as energy audits. “The government has led by example in this regard, photovoltaic cells are in operation at a substantial number of government buildings and energy audits take place,” he said.

He also spoke about the Civic Amenity and Bring in sites, adding that despite opposition, there were three of the former in operation with two more well underway. He also spoke about tree planting – pointing out that a staggering 26,000 trees had been planted this year alone. “Kennedy Grove is five times the size that it was and we are also going to spend some Lm400 million to rehabilitate the Salini area,” he said. He also added that one of the worst scars in Malta, a disused quarry near Hagar Qim, was to be turned into the country’s largest open-air recreational space. He also spoke about water use, pointing out that today, some 50 per cent of water consumed in Malta and Gozo was generated from reverse osmosis. “Far cry from the Labour days when everything was brought up through bore holes. You made the water table a sieve,” he said.

He also spoke about government’s commitment to safeguard animal rights. “We are working on it and people will soon see the fruits of our labour, but we must also point out that we need to get our priorities straight, our main aim is to improve our children’s education, but we are working on animal awareness,” he said, adding that he wished he could have animals of his own, but that he only lived in a flat, saying that some people wanted to portray him as a person that had no love for animals.

Mr Pullicino also announced that he had met animal rights NGOs to discuss the introduction of minimum standards at sanctuaries. “We are going to allow a two year period to get these sanctuaries in line with European standards so as to ensure the best, or at least acceptable, levels of care,” he said.

He also hit back at claims that nothing was being done to sustain agriculture in Malta, pointing out that some Lm40 million had been dished out in aid and subsidies. “If that is nothing, well I do not know what to say,” he said, adding that there was no one on the opposition benches to listen to his speech.

Mr Pullicino said that he wanted to thank everyone for their input, even the opposition and spokesman Noel Farrugia, again citing that he was not there to receive the thanks. “The MLP does sometimes come up with an idea, but you need many, many more before people will trust you in government,” he said.

The estimates of the Competitiveness and Communications Ministry were discussed in Parliament yesterday. A report will be carried on Monday