Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia today hit out at the fact that he hasn’t all the contracts of works in hand of the new parliament building.

Speaking during an exhibition put up by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop at parliament in the presence of the iconic building architect Renzo Piano, Dr Farrugia said that the new building has been the subject of controversy for months on end, even years but what disappoints him most is that there are still unsolved issues.

Dr Farrugia said that he wants the new parliament to serve as a showcase of parliamentary democracy in Europe but such pending issues were posing a problem.

Speaker Farrugia has been calling on the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee to provide him with the contracts of the new building ever since the building was inaugurated.

He also reiterated his call for a free-to-air parliamentary channel since not all citizens have access to the parliamentary sessions on TV unless you are registered with one of the two TV service providers.

Meanwhile, Mr Piano said that “Renzo Piano is not a one-man show but a team”. He said when one looks at the stone of the new building you will feel quality. The same goes for Valletta, he said, you can feel the quality.

“Architecture is about creating spaces for people. Is it an art or science?” he asked.

He thanked both the previous administration and this government for all their support and continuity.

The exhibition was attended by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, PN leader Simon Busuttil, former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, PL and PN MPs, among others.

Pictures: Mike Camilleri