While the Prime Minister was locally fanning xenophobia, it was being weak in its actions in the European Union, Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil said this morning.
Speaking during a radio interview on Radio 101 with Malta Today’s James Debono, Dr Busuttil said that Malta should be proud to have saved the lives of 300 immigrants in the past days but it was not right to fan xenophobia.
“These people are victims and we cannot fan xenophobia,” he said adding that this was not just a matter of compassion but Malta had international obligations it should respect.
He rejected the claim that the Nationalist administration had failed in the sector saying that the Armed Forces of Malta had been armed with a fleet of new patrol boats and new aircraft - an investment to the tune of €130 million which all came from the EU. The EU also took 700 immigrants from Malta and another 1,300 were taken by the US.
“This is no failure,” he said adding this did not mean that the PN did not wish it did more.
He noted that he had been the only MEP from Malta to sit on the immigration committee as Labour, which had always won the MEP elections in Malta, never bothered to appoint an MEP to this committee.
Dr Busuttil criticised the government for threatening to use the veto in the EU - pushing the atomic button without first trying to negotiate in a civilised manner. “This does not make sense.”
Labour’s representatives did not even vote against the EU asylum package but only abstained, he said.
DALLI'S CONSULTANCY WORK WAS AGAINST EU RULES
Dr Busuttil was asked about the issue of former EU Health Commissioner John Dalli, who is now implicated in a matter of providing consultancy in the Bahamas “on a voluntary basis” during his term as commissioner.
Dr Busuttil said that after Mr Dalli resigned as a result of his alleged involvement in the snus scandal, he met him more than once and clearly told him that on the behalf of the PN he wanted him to be able to defend his name in the most serene manner.
Mr Dalli and the EPP leadership knew this and if there was a political group which helped Mr Dalli, it was the EPP.
However, on the issue of the Bahamas, the Prime Minister had a lot to answer for because Mr Dalli was now a government consultant. He said he expected Dr Muscat to say himself if it was acceptable for him to still have Mr Dalli as consultant, now that he had admitted to breaching EU rules by carrying out consultancy work, even if he was not paid for it.
On the appointment of Lou Bondi to a public board, Dr Busuttil said this was a desperate attempt by the government at trying to give the impression that Labour’s electoral slogan “Malta for all” was true.
But the people now knew that this slogan had been used in a deceitful manner.
ARMIER
Asked about the Armier boathouses and caravans issue, Dr Busuttil said that the previous government had issued an eviction order against the caravans, which the caravan owners challenged in court and lost.
So the eviction order was now valid and he expected the government to enforce it.
As for the boat houses, the Nationalist Party had not reached any agreement with the owners before the last election so he did not feel bound by any agreement with them.
On party financing, Dr Busuttil said that although the PN was not closing the door it wanted to see what the government was proposing before taking a position as it felt more inclined to support voluntary donations.
SPRING HUNTING
Asked whether he agreed that a referendum on spring hunting should be held, Dr Busuttil said that it would be contradictory of him to say he did when the Nationalist government had fought for hunters in the EU in line with its promise to them.
The country had also been taken to court and lost but a window was left open.
He warned, however, that the EU would completely disallow spring hunting in Malta if hunters misbehaved because the Labour government permitted them to do what they wanted.