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Government and Opposition clash over ministry cars and MCAST campus
MPs clash over ‘unaccounted’ cars, ongoing works in MCAST campus, and electoral pledge to build a new school every year
22 April 2013, 12:00am
Nestor Laiviera
Nestor Laiviera
2 min read
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.
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@Pacam: if you do not have evidence to prove your statement, then you are just inventing dirt as your previous masters did, just jitfghu it-tajn u xi haga jaqbad. That is what your master did when he accused the three directors, including his partner Martin Fenech, of involvement in the oil scandal. That in itself is absolutely scandalous and without proof, your statement is also scandalous and libellous.
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Minister Mizzi remarked that the global cost on cars has actually decreased given that cabinet ministers have not taken the option of having a second car.” Was this done in view of the fact that they had opted for a monthly cash allowance in lieu of this second car??
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Jason Azzopardi needs to understand that he is no longer a Minister, no longer in a position to grant garages to GONZIPN inner clique, no longer able to have not only the Ministerial car but also a second car to boot. The previous ministers were stealing our Money. Money we pay dearly through taxation and energy tariffs, through VAT and through duty. All this money was going into lining their pockets and now they start to object and cause a scandal for a Minister to have ONE car and not two as they did. OQBRA IMBAJDA.
