Cabinet 'not up to the task'

Opposition leader Alfred Sant yesterday accused ministers of shirking their responsibilities while the Prime Minister was doing nothing about it.

"How can the Prime Minister solve the country's problems when he is letting himself be surrounding by a Cabinet which is not up to the task?" Dr Sant asked at a political conference in Zebbug.

While the Prime Minister urged the people not to fear change, he feared changing the Cabinet, Dr Sant said.

He referred to the alleged distribution of copied Eurovision CDs at an activity for canvassers at which Foreign Minister Michael Frendo was present and asked how the minister could now represent Malta at EU ministerial meetings where piracy was discussed.

Dr Sant said the MLP was investigating a number of "stories" about Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett.

What could one say about the state of the government when it was now clear that in a matter which involved many people, such as the driving test, there was clear corruption, he asked. "What sort of Cabinet is this, when a minister has people close to him who are involved in such rackets, and he acts like he knows nothing?"

Dr Sant said Environment Minister George Pullicino had long claimed that Mepa went about its affairs in a transparent and serious manner, and now the Cabinet at the stroke of a pen was making changes to the development zones as large as the whole of Siggiewi.

In Parliament, Investments Minister Austin Gatt had displayed an attitude which showed how the government bypassed Parliament because of the five-seat majority it enjoyed.

Dr Sant said Mr Mugliett had blamed contractors, rather than shoulder responsibility, after new roads meant to last 25 years started to collapse after 25 weeks. Health Minister Louis Deguara blamed consultants for the way hospital waiting lists were getting longer while the Prime Minister blamed oil prices for rising inflation when inflation in other countries was lower.

The Environment Minister said he had not known anything about the planned development of St Anne Square, Sliema. So what were ministers responsible for?

Dr Sant also spoke on the drawing up by the MLP of policy documents, and said society was feeling increasingly cut off from decision-making.

He noted that Mater Dei Hospital is due to open in a year's time, yet nobody seemed to know exactly how the complex migration plan from St Luke's would be implemented.

Dr Sant congratulated the GWU after the ILO's ruling last week on public holidays which fall on weekends.