The Finance Ministry asked today whether criticism about the Air Malta reform process made twice in as many days by Opposition tourism spokesman Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was meant to set the scene for the Opposition to withdraw from the restructuring committee, just as important decisions were about to be taken.

The ministry said that on Sunday, Ms Coleiro Preca complained that the committee had not met for a month, and she was not happy with the way things were going. The speech, the ministry said, was aggressive and insulting.

In a second statement today, the ministry said, Ms Coleiro Preca said the Opposition could have opted to sit on the fence, adding that there were other matters which she did not wish to mention now because this was not the right time.

The ministry said the Opposition had a duty not to sit on the fence in national matters, but while it was attending the meetings of the committee, it did not know how tp participate in a dialogue where talks were held in a mature and serious manner.

The ministry reiterated the government’s commitment to the long-term sustainable future of the airline.

It asked whether the opposition’s actions were a preamble for the opposition to walk out of the committee now that important decisions were about to be taken. The workers, it said, did not want division but solution.