Gonzi accuses opposition of moving motion 'built on lies'

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday accused the opposition of having moved a motion of no confidence in Investments Minister Austin Gatt based on "lies".

The motion claimed that Dr Gatt in remarks to the House had admitted non-observance of the law in the transfer of properties as part of the Maltacom privatisation process and that he had said that the government could break the law and then, thanks to its majority, rectify matters.

Yet Dr Gatt never said those things and this was proven in the parliamentary records. Had the opposition been reduced to the state where it moved a motion based on blatant lies?

Dr Gonzi observed that in opening the debate Opposition deputy leader Charles Mangion had clearly acknowledged that the law had not been broken by Dr Gatt, contrary to what was said in the opposition's motion. And Opposition whip Joe Mizzi had said it was not what the transcript of what Dr Gatt said which counted, but the tone.

The real threat were comments by Mr Mizzi that the law courts were a "marmalja tan-Nazzjonalisti."

Dr Gonzi said that what Dr Gatt actually said in his remarks to the House on May 31 was the opposite of what the opposition claimed. He twice said that a resolution on property transfers still had to be moved before the House. He also said that because of its majority in the House, the government could give a commitment on the sale of Maltacom.

It appeared that the opposition had thought that the government had gone ahead with the Maltacom deal and transferred related properties without parliamentary approval. That was not the case. This, therefore, showed either bad intentions or superficiality by the opposition.

Labour preached about transparency, yet under the Labour government 40 per cent of Maltacom's shares were sold to unknown buyers. That sale was made on the strength of a document listing Maltacom assets, including properties which, it had turned out, Maltacom had no title to. This government was now sorting out the mess.

The government had followed long standing procedure in the Maltacom talks. It negotiated the best possible deal with the buyers and where required, it laid down that the agreement would become operative subject to parliamentary approval.

Dr Gonzi said this debate should be an eye-opener for the future. Did the opposition want the government to seek parliamentary approval for any deal before it was actually negotiated? How could Parliament set parameters before negotiations were held? This clearly would not make sense and would weaken the position of any future government.

In accusing the government of being arrogant because it had a five-seat majority, the opposition was criticising the people, who had given the PN that majority, Dr Gonzi said.

Turning to comments on respect towards Parliament, Dr Gonzi said the best form of respect was to be truthful in Parliament.

He said the government would not be moving an amendment to the opposition's motion so that posterity would clearly record what the opposition had been up to.

Dr Gonzi denied that the government was being dictatorial. On the contrary, consultation on a range of issues had been very wide and the characteristic was how the opposition kept itself out of the process. That was evidenced in the opposition's silence during the public consultations on public service reform; the liberalisation of telecoms; pension reform; the reforms of the justice and education sectors; accessibility to Valletta and Floriana; the national reform programme; higher education and Matsec reforms; the strategy on how EU funds would be used and the pre-budget document.

Dr Gonzi said he was again inviting the opposition to come forward with its ideas on everything, including pension reform and oil prices.

Having a new style of politics required everyone's participation, mutual respect and observance of the truth.

Dr Gonzi praised Dr Gatt for his efforts for Malta to move forward and for the successes he had achieved for Malta's workers and future generations.