I just cannot make up my mind about whether the Prime Minister suffers from amnesia or is one who continually slips on banana skins. He accuses the Leader of the Opposition (parliamentary debate, July 1) of using students to attack the government.

Does Lawrence Gonzi not remember the Nationalist Party campaign on schools when Labour in government wanted free tuition? The PN used not just a few students but the entire school population, the teachers and the Church. And when the PN was returned to government they did not give back to the Church one iota of all the achievements that the Mintoff government had won.

The government wanted to be accountable and answer all arguments, Dr Gonzi said. In what way has the government been accountable in the education situation which deprived Malta of EU funds for education programmes? Civil servants resigned but the minister is still drawing her ministerial salary. Is that accountability?

Dr Gonzi felt there was the need for a sacrifice to pay from taxpayers' money for the students who were affected to continue with their studies. But why must it be only the public who makes the sacrifices? Dolores Cristina made none, though she was politically responsible for the €4 million loss in EU funds. Why must the taxpayers always pay for their ministers' negligence?

I do not know how extensive The Times report is of what the Prime Minister said but I did not read one word of defence from him for his Education Minister. Dr Gonzi did not try to find justification for her costly mistake. He too, like me, must be blaming her for the country's loss of EU funds. But why does he not have the courage to sack her?

Is he a man of straw?