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Clearly vexed by a banner comparing George Pullicino to Lorry Sant, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday asked how environmental NGOs did not protest earlier against the extension of development boundaries as this was “a process that had been going on since 1993”. He also expressed his wonder about what happened to their sense of “social justice”
“They are now criticising the extension to development boundaries, but it’s strange how those carrying posters saying ‘Vote George get Lorry’ did not react earlier to the revisions of local plans,” the prime minister said at a press briefing yesterday. “It’s the conclusion of years of consultation. Are we going to say that all this consultation was a waste of time? That it happened for nothing?”
Gonzi said it was positive there was “a strong national debate” about the development boundaries, “but everyone has to understand this is part of a process of consultation … before 1987 there was no consultation; everything would be decided in a closed room without anyone knowing what’s happening. Today we have consultation, and we’re taking note of the protests
and objections.”
According to the prime minister, nobody criticised the criteria adopted to extend the development boundaries.
“Once you accept the general criteria you then have to apply them to the rest of the country,” the prime minister said. “Curiously in the last week the economic and social argument has disappeared completely. Property prices are sky high, and there had been calls for government to tackle this problem for hundreds of young couples who are getting married. It’s a very important point and we have a duty to respond to this issue.”
He said that apart from the general criteria, the Cabinet also decided to include six other areas – one of them in Marsaskala – where “couples were desperate to build their plots”, rejecting arguments about the available empty property as being unsuitable for families.
It is now up to MEPA to evaluate all the objections and feedback sent to its offices in reaction to the proposed extensions, with the final proposals to be voted upon in Parliament.
Meanwhile Gonzi defended his Cabinet members currently under fire. Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech, whose call for resignation came from hotelier Winston Zahra, “is doing his best” to reach tourism targets as Malta faces stiff competition from abroad and government is investing in the tourism industry.
Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett, who has just launched an independent inquiry into the cash-for-licences scandal implicating transport authority driving examiners, has acted “just like a politician is required to act” by reporting allegations or bribery to the police.
“As minister he was duty bound to act upon the information of irregularities immediately, and the minister did just that,” Gonzi said. “This case shows clearly that my government does not tolerate this kind of abuse. Everyone now has the proof that we act upon information, if there is any whistleblower, we don’t care who the individuals involved are – they could be the most important canvassers – because action will be taken. I warn everyone on all our authorities, we won’t tolerate abuses of any sort.”
About Parliamentary Secretary Tony Abela’s letter intervening on an individual’s behalf with the Joint Office revealed by Opposition leader Alfred Sant on Friday, the prime minister defended the former by saying this had nothing to do with private work. Gonzi said he clarified the issue by discussing it with Abela after Sant’s press conference.
“If you only had an idea of how many emails and letters we receive from citizens… what is Sant saying? That we should ignore them?” the prime minister said. “What Sant is saying is that we should be totally cut off from the people in the most arrogant of ways.”
Later on, he said: “The argument is simple: If someone in government does private work for money that would be a breach of ethics and I would remove him.”
Meanwhile, the prime minister interpreted the European Commission’s spring economic forecast as positive, despite a predicted 3.2 per cent deficit figure for 2007. According to Gonzi, the Commission reached that figure only because it was leaving out one-off revenue made from the sale of government assets, but was including one-off capital investments such as Mater Dei.
“The new hospital is a one-off expenditure because, I hope, we won’t be building a new hospital every year,” the prime minister said.
About the prices of pharmaceuticals and the ensuing inflation, the prime minister said government would be announcing new details in the coming weeks, declining to elaborate at this stage.
Gonzi said the government will soon publish a national plan on energy so that by 2010 there would be alternative sources identified as he expects more economic development to happen. This may include offshore wind farms, although the technology was still developing.
The plan is to link the country to the European grid with the possibility of importing clean energy at the best possible prices, the prime minister said.
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