Minister 'must take' responsibility for gas crisis

Labour leader Alfred Sant argued yesterday that the responsibility for the gas service debacle should be borne by Austin Gatt, Minister for Information Technology and Investment.

Playing on the minister's second name by calling him "Gasst", Dr Sant said Dr Gatt had publicly declared there was no problem with gas deliveries when in fact the majority of consumers were badly hit by the fuel shortage.

While the shortage had led to stampedes for gas, elderly citizens were left in a quandary on how to get hold of a fresh supply because of their immobility.

Speaking at a political conference at Ta' Giorni, the Labour leader said it had become the government's routine to blame the workers for its shortcomings. The government, in fact, had put the blame on the workers at Enemalta, at Sea Malta, at Maltapost and PBS among other places.

Referring to the Nationalist Party's general council meeting to introduce a number of amendments to its statute, Dr Sant noted that the PN was introducing quotas for women, 10 years after the MLP had done so. He recalled the way the PN had ridiculed Labour at the time for introducing such quotas, adding that the PN was divided on the issue.

Highlighting the local council elections of March 12, Dr Sant said the St Julians local council had only managed to achieve 60 per cent of its pledges.

Giving examples of where the council had failed, he said that while it had promised to look into ways and means of reducing emissions into the atmosphere, this subject was never brought up for discussion.

The same could be said, he added, about the promises made by the council to open state schools after hours for the community, to build a childcare centre and to conduct a study on social problems prevalent in the area.

In the case of Pembroke, the Education Minister had promised the building of a school that has not materialised, with the people now being told that the school would be completed in three years' time.

In the case of Paceville, a balance had to be struck between the needs of the business sector and the residents living there.

Dr Sant touched on the car park development brief for Qui-Si-Sana, where he said residents would be asked to pay for parking in their neighbourhood.

Labelling such practices as vile, Dr Sant said the residents would not have had it their way unless they had brought pressure to bear on the government.

He again lambasted the government for earmarking a parcel of land in Mellieha for the building of a petrol station. This was so that "bucks can make bucks", he said, playing on the moniker of the person who is allegedly to build the station.

Labour Party councillors would make a difference irrespective of whether they were in a majority or in a minority, Dr Sant pledged, adding that the MLP would be the shield of the people who were feeling that the quality of life was being eroded by a government that was no longer credible.

Earlier, party deputy leader Michael Falzon called on voters to send a clear message to the government that it was unfair for it to deny the vote to 13,000 residents in Marsa and Zejtun by pulling out the PN candidates in these two localities at the last moment before nominations closed.