Labour asks PM to explain apparent U-turn

The Prime Minister had a lot to explain after misleading the country into thinking that the utility tariffs would not apply retroactively from October 1, the Labour Party said yesterday.

The party said that Joseph Muscat had asked Lawrence Gonzi on Xarabank whether he was insisting that the new tariffs would be retroactive to October 1. Dr Gonzi answered "No", the MLP added.

Either the Prime Minister was not aware of what was happening or he was not telling the truth, the MLP charged. Only 11 days after having put the people's minds at rest that the retroactive aspect of the tariffs would be dropped, Dr Gonzi went ahead with them.

His total absence in these crucial days was unacceptable, the party added. He could not remain silent as he had done in the past 60 hours on an issue that would directly affect the quality of life of thousands.

His fundamental duty was that of protecting the interests of families and jobs through the decisions taken by the government but, in the case of the tariffs, he was not fulfilling it, Labour said.