Updated 6.45 p.m. - Adds PL counter-statement
The Finance Ministry said this afternoon that the Leader of the Opposition had criticised the government for not convening meetings of the Air Malta Steering Committee, when he knew that the committee would meet this Friday and the Opposition had agreed to the date.
The committee will oversee the restructuring of the airline.
In a statement this afternoon, the Labour Party said that despite the urgency, the committee had not met for the past 10 days since its setting up.
The Finance Ministry said that the setting up of the committee was announced by the Minister of Finance last Monday in Parliament when it was confirmed that the EU had authorised temporary assistance of €52m to Air Malta.
On the same day, the minister wrote to the Opposition and the trade unions, asking them to nominate their representatives to the committee. They were given up last Friday to do so.
It was then agreed by all the members including the Opposition, that meetings would be held on Fridays, in order to reduce problems related to travel.
The ministry said the comments made by Dr Muscat were unfair and irresponsible.
It said that while the committee was being set up, work on the airline restructuring programme had continued.
In a reaction, the PL said the setting up of the steering committee was agreed at the meeting presided by President George Abela. At that time it was also agreed that meetings would be held on Fridays. Yet two Fridays had passed without meetings.
The PL said it wanted to see progress and would not involve itself in useless controversy.
Earlier, the party said it had agreed to join the committee to ensure that matters were handled in the best interests of the nation and the airline. It wanted to see real solutions, not solutions which lasted up to the general election.
Labour Leader Joseph Muscat, who spoke about Air Malta this morning, said the PL had opted to join the committee to ensure that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi kept his promises to Air Malta workers. His promsies of job security had been given despite him knowing that problems were mounting, owing to mistaken decisions in the past 10 years.
Air Malta's problems, he said, were not caused by low cost airlines, but because of the way the Gonzi government had introduced low cost airlines in Malta.
He asked if the government would consider Air Malta on its own, or within the general strategy for tourism and an essential cog in the economy.
Dr Muscat noted that the airline had already agreed to lease out one of its aircraft, meaning that an annual reduction of accessibility of 60,000 seats. Clearly, he said, decisions on the airline needed to be taken with tourism in mind.