Muscat fends off accusations of Labour’s proximity to construction developers

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat came in for some targeted questions on his plans for the environment and energy in Gozo and Malta today, where he declared that a new Labour government had no plans on the Ta' Cenc project for bungalows and that the party opposed the Hondoq ir-Rummien yacht marina and hotel project.

The Hondoq project is currently being recommended for refusal by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, although the project developers are known to be rescaling the project down in a bid to have it accepted by MEPA.

Muscat also denied that his proposal for a new 200MW power station and LNG terminal was backed by the interest of some Labour candidate or party official.

Reacting to questions about the Prime Minister's own declarations calling on Labour to reveal who the construction developers backing Labour are, Muscat denied any business interests in his gas power station proposal, and insisted that the proposal was borne out of consultation with both business and environmental groups.

Muscat also said Labour was the only political party to publish its accounts, when asked whether he would be declaring the finances of his electoral campaign. Gonzi said that the PN would be revealing the costs of its electoral campaign after 9 March.

"That's rich coming from the PN... we had no contractor waiving €1 million in debts owing," Muscat said, referring to PN donor Nazzareno Vassallo's company MFCC Ltd offering services to the PN against no payment. "Moreover, we have already declared our support in enacting a party financing law."

Muscat this morning challenged Gonzi to publish the Nationalist Party’s financial accounts since he became prime minister, including for the last election.

Gozo proposals

Muscat's proposals for Gozo include the construction of a small terminal for cruise liners, an upgrade of the Gozo courts and the introduction of a judge sitting in Gozo so that cases can be heard on the island, as well as the improvement of sporting facilities and incentives for students renting Maltese properties, to take up their courses on Gozo.

Labour has pledged to generate more work for Gozitans inside Gozo, targeting the sister island as a special area of interest in the stewardship of the economy under a new Labour government.

Muscat said that under Labour, Gozo would benefit from a special framework for investment, to generate more quality jobs.

He said the government would be committed to Gozo benefiting from EU funds with a Gozo representative appointed to the Maltese embassy to the EU in Brussels, and that back-office work from the national civil service be transferred to Gozo so that Gozitan civil servants can keep working on the sister island.

Muscat also pledged a start-up tax credit of €50,000 in the first two years for any new business in operation in Gozo, that employs new workers on a three-year contract or an indefinite contract. The tax credit would be able to be availed of within the first four years, and employers could chose to have €5,000 refunded on each salary. Muscat said this proposal stood to create 200 new jobs on Gozo.

The Labour leader also said a new government would continue carrying out studies on creating a permanent link between the two islands, apart from examining the introduction of a quick service between Gozo and Valletta for the 3,000 workers and students that cross the island on a daily basis. "We will also re-examine the possibility of the helicopter service being re-introduced," Muscat said.

Muscat said a new Labour government would also modernize the Gozo general hospital, with new investment in chemotherapy services so that Gozitan patients can receive treatment on the island.