Labour MP Marlene Farrugia yesterday laughed-off comments made by her parliamentary colleague Luciano Busuttil suggesting she should resign for not backing the government over its American University plans in Marsascala.
“I will definitely not resign because of people like Luciano Busuttil,” a combative Dr Farrugia told The Sunday Times of Malta.
“Is he trying to make up for his loss of popularity with Labour’s grassroots since he has been dipping his fingers in too many things?” she said, alluding to Dr Busuttil’s various positions as Labour MP, chairman of the Malta Sports Council and chairman of Parliament’s European Affairs Committee.
Following Dr Farrugia’s criticism of the choice of agricultural land to be used for the site of a new American university by Jordanian investors, Dr Busuttil suggested on Facebook that Dr Farrugia should move on if she disagreed.
No one trusts one another inside the group any longer. Even though many oppose this project from an environmental point of view
“If I ever go ballistic in public for the umpteenth time against my party and its leader, who happens to be the Prime Minister, I would seriously consider leaving that Parliamentary Group out of respect for the people who elected me and my colleagues in that same group,” Dr Busuttil wrote.
Reacting immediately, Dr Farrugia fired back on her Facebook page: “Luciano Busuttil prefers to keep quiet and benefit instead of defending people,” she wrote.
Asked by The Sunday Times of Malta whether her opposition to the project at Żonqor is shared by other Labour MPs, she said that she was sure there are others who disagree but are afraid to speak out.
“No one trusts one another inside the group any longer. Even though many oppose this project from an environmental point of view,” she said.
Dr Farrugia has already warned that she will not back a parliamentary resolution if this project is built on ODZ land.
“I am still hopeful that this project is constructed on an alternative site. There are many including disused fortifications in the area. We cannot just use the ODZ land because the government seems to be committed with these businessmen on this particular land,” she said.
Attempts to reach Dr Busuttil were unsuccessful.
Dr Busuttil has been in the news a number of times over the past two years.
Apart from earning almost €45,000 annually from his various roles in politics and government-related appointments, it was recently revealed that he employed a full-time driver despite being a part-time chairman of the government-appointed Sports Council.
Dr Busuttil’s driver was appointed without a call for applications.