The Labour Party has accused the three nationalist MEPs of voting in favour of higher emissions.
It said that on the same day the PN did a U-turn on the environment, when ODZ stopped being ODZ for the Opposition Leader, his MEPs took the same line in Europe and voted in favour of an EP motion to allow car manufacturing companies to exceed emission levels. This was in the same week the Opposition had spoken so much on cancer.
The PL said the PN MEPs had toed PN leader’s line – Simon Busuttil was also in favour of air pollution because he wanted to keep producing energy through polluting fuels.
It said the government was working in favour of cleaner air and was promoting a healthier lifestyle but Dr Busuttil was more interested in waving (PN) flags.
The PL said the decision to increase emission levels was taken in October by a technical committee made up of representatives of the member states. The decision undermined the trust people placed in the EU when it came to health matters. The PL MEPs voted against the motion.
The PL said the government was working in favour ofpeople’s health including through the switch to gas, the closing of the power station and the upcoming dismantling of the Delimara power station chimney.
Report was approved by Maltese government - PN
In reply, the PN said the PL’s left hand did not know what the right was doing. It said that the PL had lost all credibility because it did not even know that the same EP report had been approved by government ministers at an EU council level.
In a statement, PN MEPs David Casa, Roberta Metsola and Therese Comodini Cachia said the PL had tried to score some political points but was unaware the the Maltese government had endorsed the said report.
The PN MEPs said they had voted to immediately reduce the diesel engine emissions but their PL counterparts had voted to keep the status quo. The only ones who were isolated over the issue were the Labour MEPs, the PN said. It was no surprise that people were losing faith in Joseph Muscat’s party, the PN said.