(Adds Finance Ministry's statement and PL's reply)

The acceptance by the Finance Ministers to go on football trip on a private jet with two businessmen was clearly a case of lack of good judgment, Labour Party leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Addressing supporters in Paola he said that if it was true that the minister, Tonio Fenech, had sought the Prime Minister's approval, the PM had also lacked good judgment.

The responsibility of this matter, Dr Muscat said, was the PM's. A few years ago he had investigated another of his ministers accused of buying air tickets from a particular agence and made him resign. But he was now defending Mr Fenech.

So one could not help but suspect that Dr Gonzi did not act according to principle but according to who was involved.

Dr Muscat said that other questions arose on how Mr Fenech acted in other matters. The country still had to see what would be done about the corruption at the VAT Department. He believed, Dr Muscat said, that only the small fry had as yet been caught.

Dr Muscat reiterated his party's offer to help the government as necessary to protect ST. He said that although 18 months had passed since that offer was made, the government had not yet given the PL any reply.

Dr Muscat said he was repeating his appeal and if the government was not interested in the PL's help, it should take a look at the interests of tax payers but also the national interest, the economy, workers and their families.

Anything that could be done for this crucial investment had to be done, he said.

But in a statement, the Finance Ministry said the Labour leader was irresponsible to make jobs, including those at ST, the subject of a partisan debate at a political club at a time of economic and financial crisis. The Opposition Leader's speech, he said, hindered the national and workers' interests and endangered jobs.

The government had quietly worked to protect jobs and saved 2,500 by offering companies long term assistance and getting them to retain workers while investing more in the country. This was the its committment.

The government also used taxes wisely to increase investment for more employment opportunities to be created. It invited the opposition to be part of this policy of safeguarding jobs and said that as it had already done on other sectors, it was willing to give the opposition a presentation on the initiatives taken to safeguard jobs.

Replying to the Finance Ministry the PL said Dr Muscat's appeal on ST was apolitical and aimed at safeguarding jobs.