The Labour Party yesterday accused Lou Bondi, presenter of Bondi+, of repeatedly lying about it in Monday’s edition of the programme, by saying that the MLP had contacted the Broadcasting Authority to stop the programme from going out.

Denying it had in some way contacted the BA, the MLP said it was a shame that the state-funded national broadcaster had been reduced to using presenters who had no credibility and who found it beyond them to be impartial and balanced in the programmes they presented. Worse than that, the MLP charged, they manipulated current affairs programmes.

This has been confirmed repeatedly in recent months in strongly worded statements by the PBS editorial board and by the Broadcasting Authority, relating to Mr Bondi, the MLP said.

In a counter reply, Mr Bondi said that in its decision not to stop last Monday’s edition of the programme, the Broadcasting Authority said it noted the contents of a statement made by MLP health spokesman Michael Farrugia, who among other things said he was turning down an offer to take part in the programme.

The authority, Mr Bondi said, has publicly stated that the 22 October edition of the programme was stopped after the MLP had contacted it over the matter. “It is not relevant whether the MLP made a direct contact with the Broadcasting Authority or otherwise in this case. The fact remained that the MLP did not want the programme to be broadcast.”

Mr Bondi said it is a lie that he had been found guilty of breaking impartiality. “The BA never found me guilty in this regard, and nobody ever accused me... in 15 years of programmes on PBS,” Mr Bondi said.