The deafening silence from the Opposition over scaled-down plans for a private university at Żonqor in Marsascala suggests the PN is still entrenched in its negativism, the Prime Minister said yesterday.
“Contrary to the last PN administration which had forged ahead with its plans for a new parliament building in spite of fierce opposition, this government halted the process [on the site selection for the American University of Malta] and consulted with all interested parties to reach a solution,” Joseph Muscat said.
The Prime Minister made this remark in a telephone link on One Radio, shortly before PN leader Simon Busuttil was due to speak on Radio 101.
“The fact that this issue did not feature in the Sunday papers is testament to the fact that it has been settled once and for all.”
Under revised plans, the campus will take up 18,000 square metres of virgin land at Żonqor, 80 per cent less than the original proposal that had prompted stiff resistance from environmental groups.
Part of the campus will be housed in old naval stores at Dock No. 1 in Cospicua, which are to be rehabilitated.
However, the Prime Minister yesterday pointed out that suggestions to use derelict historic forts were turned down due to the amount of land needed to build roads.
“This would have been equivalent to the same footprint outside the development zone which will be used in the revised plan.”
Dr Muscat noted that the PN administration had plans to build a hatchery along the Żonqor foreshore but the Labour government did not want to spoil this area of ecological importance and so sought an alternative site further inland.
This would have been equivalent to the same footprint outside the development zone which will be used in the revised plan
Touching on a story in one of the Sunday papers, the Prime Minister questioned whether Dr Busuttil would be asking PN MP Francis Zammit Dimech to resign, following reports that all board members of Seabank Hotel would be charged over the involuntary death of a construction worker.
Three years ago, a 27-year-old Latvian lost his life after being trapped beneath a structure which collapsed during construction phase.
“Will the Opposition leader be requesting Dr Zammit Dimech to step down as an MP, in line with the call he had for the resignation of Justice Minister Owen Bonnici over his involvement in a road accident?” Dr Muscat asked.
The PN reacted by saying that if Dr Muscat wanted to be taken seriously, he should have forced Justice Minister Owen Bonnici to resign over an injury caused while driving his car.
He should also had demanded the resignation of Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon, Chris Cardona, Ian Borg, Anton Refalo, Helena Dalli and former Acting Commissioner Ray Zammit, all involved in various scandals.
In his interview, Dr Muscat said the contrast between the two parties was also shown over Labour’s proposals for amendments to the IVF law. Two weeks ago the party’s women’s section called on the government to relax existing laws and explore the possibility of allowing surrogacy.
Dr Muscat said the PN shot down Labour’s proposals while failing to outline its own ideas.
“These proposals might only apply to a small minority and are more likely to cost votes rather than gain new ones, but are nevertheless floated as their proponents believe in them.”
His comments were reminiscent of the position he had adopted on proposals like the introduction of divorce and same-sex unions.