Labour leader Joseph Muscat said today that it was very worrying that the Archbishop had expressed his position to the Prime Minister on the St John’s Co-Cathedral weeks ago, but the government was trying to give the impression that the issue was first discussed with the Prime Minister last Tuesday.

Reacting to a story published today by The Sunday Times, Dr Muscat said that the fact that the Prime Minister dropped the project out of convenience rather than conviction was proved by Richard Cachia Caruana’s comment last week that the Prime Minister had had no choice.

The big question following today’s Curia revelation, was why Dr Gonzi had waited until Tuesday to scrap the project, Dr Muscat said.

Had Dr Gonzi waited until his meeting with the Archbishop or did he act when he realised he was going to lose his vote in Parliament and then issued his statement as a smoke screen?

Dr Muscat said the people did not know even half the story and the Labour Party would reveal the information it had, in the national interest.

He said that 'lies' had been uttered over this project. For example, it was said that St John’s Cathedral Foundation was an NGO, when it was not. Indeed, half if its members represented the government.

It was also claimed that the project was selected for funding by the European Commission. Yet Labour MP Anton Refalo had questioned the Commission and it had been confirmed to him, twice, that that was not the case.

The Commission identified the programme which would be funded but then it was the national managing authority which picked the specific project. In Malta’s case, this authority was the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division at the Office of the Prime Minister.

"It, therefore, was Castille which gave the go-ahead for this project, it was the Prime Minister."

Dr Muscat said that last week, at a formal, internal PN meeting, two persons who had an institutional post, declared that funds had been allocated for this project because there was someone ‘who knows how to play the game’. It was also claimed that there was ‘undue pressure’ on officials who had a say on the matter.

The people, Dr Muscat said, expected an investigation and if nothing happened, the Labour Party would take the necessary action.

Dr Muscat also referred to the redevelopment of the Opera House and the rebuilding of City Gate and said the government’s next step should be to work with the opposition and civil society on a holistic masterplan for Valletta. There needed to be a national effort between politicians and civil society on the use of the Opera House site, Dr Muscat said.

See also

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090215/local/archbishop-expressed-position-to-pm-on-st-johns-project-weeks-ago