Shadow Finance Minister Charles Mangion should have been given more of a heads-up before he appeared on a TV show where he was confronted with how Labour proposals would impact the deficit if implemented, according to the party’s public relations officer.
Speaking at a Broadcasting Authority hearing last week, Labour’s PRO, Kurt Farrugia said he had met producer Lou Bondì a few days before the show and was told it would feature the cost of proposals made by the Labour leader over the past few years.
“He gave me two examples of proposals and, although I kept on asking, he refused to give me any more details,” Mr Farrugia told the broadcasting watchdog’s board.
Together with party president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Mr Farrugia appeared before the regulator to give more details on a complaint the party filed about the November 1 edition of Bondiplus. The party claimed the programme, aired right after Labour leader Joseph Muscat gave his parliamentary response to the Budget, was unbalanced.
The Public Broadcasting Ser-vices’ head of news, Natalino Fenech, said Mr Bondì was never obliged to give any form of heads up to Dr Mangion.
Mr Bondì, who was also present at the hearing to defend himself, said Dr Mangion should be very familiar with the figures (regarding the party’s proposals), and should not have required any forewarning.
Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi noted that Mr Bondì made a number of comments during the programme which showed unnecessary bias. Among other things, the presenter openly wondered what kind of government Malta would have if Labour got elected, adding, “God forbid” the deficit had to increase to the extent estimated by the programme.
A spirited debate ensued when Mr Bondì accused Labour of aiming to stifle his freedom of expression through its complaints, with Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi insisting freedom of expression would actually be hindered if his party was not given enough space on the national broadcaster to air “its message”.
Mr Farrugia said the programme mentioned proposals Labour never made and conveniently avoided saying how other measures would impact economic growth, focusing only on their effect on the deficit.
Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi complained the audiovisual features on the programme were unbalanced and did not feature the Opposition Leader’s speech given in response to the Budget speech. Nor did it list the government’s broken promises in previous Budgets. Instead, they featured “selective” clips of the austerity measures introduced in other countries.
Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi said PBS held a very different programme examining the Budget speech a week earlier when the presenter was unashamedly positive about the Budget.
Mr Bondì said he had no time to prepare features on Dr Muscat’s speech because it ended just before the programme started and no embargoed copy had been submitted in advance. Still, Dr Mangion was given ample opportunity to say what he wanted, so much so the programme was extended by 20 minutes.
Labour also complained the show began before Dr Mangion was even in the studio, giving the other guest – the Finance Minister – seven minutes to speak unchallenged.
Mr Bondì explained the only reason the programme started without Dr Mangion was that, although he had arrived at the studio on time, he needed to be made up first.
Dr Fenech said this was “history repeating itself”, adding every so often the station had to face “manipulative” complaints by Labour.
He said the analysis programme about the Budget speech could have been presented by former One TV head of news Miriam Dalli but she refused. Mr Farrugia stressed Ms Dalli was not part of the PL.
“Well, she’s not exactly a member of the Nationalist Party either,” Dr Fenech quipped.
The Broadcasting Authority board will now deliberate before taking a decision in the coming days.