Muscat accuses PM of indecision

Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday repeatedly accused Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi of failing to take important decisions, an assertion that was later denied by the government.

“We have a mediocre government which is giving the impression of instability because Dr Gonzi cannot take decisions,” Dr Muscat said during a political meeting in Paola.

The Prime Minister was giving the impression that he could not take a decision, and this was leading to uncertainty.

The Labour leader said that while the global crisis was a reality, the biggest problems affecting families stemmed from bad decisions or from decisions which were not being taken.

He read out a letter sent by a father of three who said he was struggling to make ends meet, especially because of the high bills.

A government spokesman rebutted saying the government was focused on jobs and was taking the decisions that were needed to boost investment.

By its decisions, the government was keeping people in employment and had launched schemes to train some 26,000 workers. It had implemented an economic stimulus that was contributing to safeguarding jobs.

Dr Muscat said people were sceptical of politicians and successive Nationalist governments were to blame because they lied to win elections.

“Our country is led by a government which might have had a vision in the past but whose vision has since vanished,” he said, adding that government officials could not agree between themselves on important issues like burden sharing and the crafts village.

He accused the government of being unable to take decisions about education, which should be above politics, and criticised the authorities for keeping silent on the shocking statistics that showed four out of every 10 pupils did not pursue their education after secondary school. Dr Muscat also ruled out that his party would do away with student stipends.

“We need a government that acts,” he insisted, adding that potential investors were also facing a situation of uncertainty.

He reiterated a commitment he made when elected Labour leader last year, which was to give any help required to ensure a future for STMicroelectronics, Malta’s biggest private employer.

The government, he said, had projected an €88 million deficit which had exploded to €345 million. Where had all that money gone, he asked. “In incompetence, inefficiency and corruption,” he said in reply to his own question.

He again raised the controversial trip that Finance Minister Tonio Fenech made with two businessmen to watch a football match in Spain, saying a clear lack of judgement had been shown by Mr Fenech as well as by the Prime Minister if, as claimed, he had given the minister permission to make the trip.

He also accused the government of giving conflicting replies when asked how oil was being purchased.

In a statement, the Investments Ministry said that in the past legislature the PL had turned down the government’s invitation to nominate its own expert to sit on the fuel procurement advisory committee. And Dr Muscat himself has refused a presentation by Enemalta on oil procurement.

The Finance Ministry, replying to Dr Muscat’s speech, said it was wrong to use jobs for partisan purposes at a time when the world was going through an economic and financial crisis.

In a counter statement, the PL said Mr Fenech had not understood that what Dr Muscat wanted was a national consensus to help STMicroelectronics.