For a few minutes yesterday question time in Parliament turned into a shouting match between Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi and Resources Minister George Pullicino when the minister, answering questions for Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, could not answer a supplementary question on plans for the restoration of Fort Ricasoli.
Mr Mizzi said that Fort Ricasoli was literally falling to pieces, especially on the breakwater side, and needed urgent attention.
Mr Pullicino said he was sure that Mr Mizzi, on his way to Parliament, could appreciate the ongoing restoration of fortifications to the tune of €36 million for six kilometres. When the current project was finished and the EU voted more similar funds, attention would turn to other works, including Fort Ricasoli.
A technical report had been drawn up on how more EU funds could be dedicated to forts Ricasoli, St Angelo and St Elmo, which were also crumbling.
Mr Mizzi said that besides EU funds the government could save more to spend on the fortifications, such as by not forking out what he called “corrupt money to certain people” and “some consultant with those rates”. Although pleading that he was only standing in for Minister Fenech, Mr Pullicino seemed to know about other forts; so why not about Fort Ricasoli?
What if a problem concerned Sliema? It was a case of two weights and two measures.
Mr Mizzi mentioned what he called a number of scandals, such as the new pumps that should have directed sewage to Ta’ Barkat but had failed and let the sewage go into the sea. Funds could have been saved on the wasteful goings-on at Delimara power station, where fuel had been mixed with sludge.
Mr Pullicino said that if Mr Mizzi was aware of any scandals he should bring them up. The government had installed a number of institutions to check what was going on.
Reacting to Mr Mizzi’s reference to “some consultant with those rates”, he said he had only given a temporary appointment to a consultant, thus facilitating the operation of an inactive board so that the people could have the service.
Mr Mizzi said that even if Minister Fenech was not overseas and not in the House, Mr Pullicino still could not wash his hands of answering PQs once he had accepted the responsibility.
At this point the Prime Minister intervened, saying that Mr Fenech should have left Malta in the morning for a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers which had been cancelled and substituted by a teleconference at 5.30 p.m.
Mr Mizzi said he was not criticising the Finance Minister for not being in the House in the circumstances, but Mr Pullicino had taken it on himself to answer PQs and he had not. Whenever he asked supplementary questions all Cabinet members promised to take notes and refer to ministers, but only a few ministers really gave the expected answers eventually.