The situation in Libya has served to highlight one thing to those who thought of Air Malta as just a company: that Malta’s national airline is an important strategic asset, Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday.

Besides its role in bringing tourists to Malta, Air Malta is also instrumental for security reasons, since Malta does not have warships to send for evacuations, like other countries, Dr Muscat said during an interview on One radio.

How many companies can say their employees would be willing to put themselves at risk by landing in an unstable country to evacuate citizens, he questioned, adding that he had his doubts about how many low-cost airlines would have done this.

The Opposition was asked to form part of the steering committee for the airline’s restructuring, Dr Muscat said, but now the government seemed to be setting out new conditions, namely it is demanding that the Opposition sign a non-disclosure agreement, which will stop it revealing any commercial information or sensitive information on the process.

“This hinders us from doing our duty, and we will not be signing any agreement which makes us accomplices to the government,” he stated, adding that such things aren’t done in a democracy in the West.

He referred to the recent statement by the Airline Pilots Association Malta, which claimed some information on which the restructuring is being based is wrong, and said this scepticism of people inside concerned him.

This is particularly so after the recent mistake of an extra ‘0’ in the sensitive issue of arms exportation, he said, adding “I can’t vouch for these people”. The Opposition will remain on the Committee in the hope of achieving something.

Dr Muscat went on to say that a number of PN insiders working with Air Malta have recently moved to vital jobs, whereas others, even Nationalist supporters, can be let go.

“This is irresponsible, as is the government warning that if the unions keep insisting on ‘last in, first out’, there will be no guarantee of government jobs”, he said.

Turning to the situation in Libya, Dr Muscat said he agreed with Malta serving as a humanitarian point, but expressed his satisfaction at government assurances that Malta will not serve as a military base.

As the Sunday Times in the UK reported, a British unit was recently captured by the protesters, he said, a clear message that both sides in the Libyan conflict do not want foreign involvement.

Dr Muscat emphasised that the EU must do some soul searching on its Mediterranean policy, which did not see this coming. The Mediterranean agenda should not just be about economic issues, but there must also be serious political dialogue, he stated.

Speaking of the rise in fuel prices, Dr Muscat said that if Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi wants people to take him seriously, he must offer an explanation.

There is no link between the increase in costs and the Libya situation, and they also can’t be justified by the exchange rate. If one accepts that prices should have increased, this should only have been by half the amount, 1c for petrol and 3c for diesel.

Dr Muscat referred to the €14 million in energy benefits which the government gave the people last year, and said that although these were not enough, they should be given again this year.

The Opposition has been unwavering in its criticism of the honoraria, Dr Muscat said, and even as Prime Minister he would not want to be in a position to decide his own pay.

Dr Gonzi and his colleagues are still earning double pay, with an increase of €500 instead of €600, which is unacceptable, he claimed. “Not only does the Opposition desire a country befitting our children, but it will work for it.”

Despite Malta’s shortage of water and the threat of the water table drying up, the proposed underwater tunnel as part of the Storm Water Master Plan will lead water to the open sea, he said.

A first step towards changing people’s perception about living in a polluted environment would have been a power station which does not run on heavy fuel oil, he said.

Turning to Enemalta, Dr Muscat said the employees have his full solidarity.

“I do not think it is acceptable that a public official says action has been taken against employees for being GWU members. I would expect any union to condemn this.”

Storm water plan can potentially double water recycled - Ministry

The storm water master plan is intended to go some way towards solving the island’s flood problem, and would mean the potential recycling of double the volume of water being recycled at the moment, the Resources Ministry said yesterday.

Replying to earlier claims by Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat that the water collected would go to the sea, the Ministry said that when the rainfall is not too heavy, it can lead to the collection of around 650,000 cubic metres of water.

As part of this project, a reserve, which can take 10,000 cubic metres of water coming from Wied Ghollieqa, is to be built. This reserve can also take more water from the project tunnels.

This is because the reserve will direct the water towards the water table, the Ministry said. Dr Muscat made the claims despite various public explanations about the project, it said.

It was also clear that he does not follow what is going on, it said, after he claimed that Malta had only reached a third of its alternative energy targets for 2010.

The Ministry, in a statement on 23 February, had explained that, according to the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), which is public, Malta had no targets for 2010, and the first targets are for 2011-2012, as part of the EU2020 strategy.