Parties trade jibes over ‘golden rule’ agreement

The two major parties may have agreed to support a constitutional change that will impose balanced budgets but this has not stopped them from engaging in a tit for tat over the matter.

The Labour Party has said it will support the change and, in a statement yesterday, deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia insisted the Opposition was doing this in the national interest.

However, in a jibe at the Nationalist Party’s internal problems caused by the abstention of one of its MPs on a no-confidence motion, Dr Farrugia said that, were it not for the opposition’s commitment, the Prime Minister would not be able to secure the constitutional change.

“While we could have really embarrassed GonziPN if we acted differently, we felt that the national interest dictated that we support this change even during a time of political crisis,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister should acknowledge reality and call an election.

The PN was quick to rebut, accusing the PL of arrogance.

“The Labour Party believes it did the government and the country a favour but the Opposition Leader was obliged to support the government on this constitutional change that is of great importance for the country,” the PN said.

The cross-party agreement to adopt the golden rule, as the balanced budget concept is known, in the Constitution was welcomed by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association. Ironically, while the political parties traded jibes, the MHRA applauded their “very mature approach” on the issue.

The golden rule amendment, the association said, would restrict the government from budgetary deficits and, therefore ,limit the growth of the national debt. The MHRA said it had been promoting the adoption of such a measure with both political parties over the last eight months.