Taking a leaf from the Archbishop’s Independence Day sermon, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil questioned the Government’s moral standing on a number of issues.
On Saturday, Archbishop Paul Cremona spoke on the importance of strengthening the country’s moral fibre, going so far as to suggest the creation of a parliamentary secretariat to focus on the matter.
But speaking in Gozo yesterday, Dr Busuttil said the country’s moral fibre was under threat by the Government’s decisions.
He cited as examples the employment of the Energy Minister’s wife with Malta Enterprise, a State agency, without a call for applications, and the declaration of assets by certain ministers that were anything but transparent.
One of the ministers with questionable declarations is Gozo Minister Anton Refalo, who has failed to answer questions put to him by this newspaper on the repayment terms of a €830,000 loan when he declared an income of just €26,000 last year.
It is unacceptable to remove Commander for no valid reason
Dr Busuttil also took a leaf from last week’s court judgment in which construction magnate Sandro Chetcuti was given a one-year suspended jail term for injuring former GRTU director general Vince Farrugia.
He said it was shameful for the Prime Minister not to remove Mr Chetcuti from the Building Regulations Board, a State agency, after the conviction.
The moral fibre cannot be strengthened, Dr Busuttil added, if the Prime Minister has his hands tied and cannot remove Mr Chetcuti.
The Opposition leader also criticised what he said was mounting pressure on the Armed Forces of Malta commander to resign his post.
“It is unacceptable to remove him for no valid reason,” Dr Busuttil said.
The Government has come under attack from the Opposition after four majors were promoted to lieutenant colonels, the army’s third highest rank. Opposition spokesmen have claimed the promotions were given to soldiers who were close to the Labour Party.
Turning to the PN’s woes, Dr Busuttil reiterated that the party had to recognise its mistakes and learn its lessons.
He acknowledged the PN had detached itself from the people and suffered the consequences of internal struggles. He said the PN also suffered from unjust criticism – mud which stuck.
“We have to learn our lessons but the standards we have to aim for must not be those of this Government,” he said.
Dr Busuttil said the PN had to aim for higher standards of accountability, transparency and integrity.