Labour leader has no confidence in Nationalist PAC members

Opposition Leader Alfred Sant said yesterday he did not have confidence in the Public Accounts Committee's Nationalist majority and insisted that a public inquiry into allegations on the Water Services Corporation and the Manwel Dimech bridge project delays projects be carried out by a judge, or magistrate, in accordance with the law.

Saying he had full confidence in the PAC's chairman, Labour MP Charles Mangion, and the Auditor General, Dr Sant maintained that Investments Minister Austin Gatt lacked faith in the judiciary.

Referring to a letter WSC chairman Michael Falzon wrote in The Times, saying that, as an architect, he has been dealing with construction companies and, occasionally, participating in building developments even after being appointed WSC chairman, this being a part-time and non-executive role, Dr Sant pointed out that the corporation position earned him a salary of about Lm16,000.

Dr Sant asked why, given such a pay packet, Mr Falzon could not give up his shareholding in four companies, one of which is a Polidano Group company that also provides services to the WSC.

Speaking at the MLP club in Ghaxaq, Dr Sant said his party would support successful ventures/initiatives in the country, admitting that the financial and gaming sectors were doing well. The problem was that the wealth they generated was only funnelled for the few and was not being felt by families.

Dr Sant said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi should publish a report on the country's financial and economic situation conducted by experts from the International Monetary Fund some months ago. He said the impartial and technical report had been kept under wraps and that the public needed to know exactly what was going on in order to be able to discuss the government's pre-budget document.

Turning to the manufacturing sector, Dr Sant said the MLP was proposing the setting up of a council, or committee between the government and expert industrialists to come up with better conditions, such as lower taxes and less bureaucracy and more incentives to give the industry a new lease of life.

One project after another was being delayed, costing more, and now there were no completion dates set, Dr Sant said, referring to the Manwel Dimech bridge saga.

The country needed a change based on the truth, Dr Sant said, adding that the people were fed up of "shows", "make believe", plans that remained on paper and receptions. Referring to the launch by the government of projects to regenerate the Grand Harbour area, he said this was a panic reaction to the MLP's intention to issue a plan for the Grand Harbour's development.

The difference between the PN and the MLP was that the latter was sincere, transparent and would deliver what it promised. It did not accept waste and corruption, of which Dr Gonzi was an accomplice because he did nothing to control it, Dr Sant said.

The MLP would be a government for the Maltese and the Gozitans - "so yes, also a government of the Labourites", Dr Sant said, referring to the recent "government for Labourites" speech by the MLP's general secretary.

Dr Sant repeated that the MLP would "act like the Nationalists. What is wrong with that? It would just be without their corruption, waste, inefficiencies and lies".

Reacting to Dr Sant's speech, the Investments Ministry accused the Labour leader of publicly announcing a lack of trust in the PAC, and clearly also in Dr Mangion.

It was surprised at the fact that the Labour leader was turning down the "greatest tool of scrutiny" it had at its disposal to verify how public finances were spent.

The ministry said it was expecting Dr Mangion to call a PAC meeting this week, with Dr Sant as a witness to substantiate his allegations, which the ministry insisted, were unfounded.

The Roads Ministry said Dr Sant had failed to accept the invitation to meet with technical experts to discuss the Manwel Dimech bridge project.