Government and Opposition clash over ministry cars and MCAST campus

Government and Opposition MPs clashed in parliament on Monday evening over a series of questions aimed at various ministries regarding whether any more cars were bought or rented over the past weeks, and whether the Labour government plans to stick to the previous PN administration's plans to build a new school every year.

Answering a parliamentary question from PN MP Jason Azzopardi, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi claimed that despite being several weeks into the new administration, several government ministries were still unaccounted for.

Speaking for his own ministry, Mizzi said that the only new car was one that was hired for general use, while remarking that the global cost on cars has actually decreased given that cabinet ministers have not taken the option of having a second car.

Azzopardi stepped in and insisted that the practice of hiring cars for general use went against the guidelines adopted by the previous administration, and insisted on being told the cost of the decision which would have to be shouldered by the tax payer.

Earlier, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat fended off criticism by Opposition Minister Lawrence Gonzi over whether the government would be forging ahead with ongoing works in the MCAST campus, and whether it would be respecting the PN government's plans to build a new school every year.

Muscat insisted that his government remains committed to build new schools despite the financial difficulties encountered by the Foundation for Tomorrow Schools, unveiled recently by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo.

Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Buontempo, who was filling on for Bartolo, insisted that this issue has nothing to do with the subject of the original question, to which Gonzi responded that it was "unacceptable" that the Education Minister be absent during question time.

Other parliamentary questions revealed that among the ministries which had hired new cars were also the Education Ministry, the EU Affairs Ministry, while the Ministry for the Environment and Sustainable Development also hired a vehicle for general use.