Labour leader thinks Lampedusa blockade was ‘right decision’ by Italy

Labour leader Joseph Muscat could not come to criticise the Italian decision to blockade the port of Lampedusa to asylum seekers that had been saved by the Maltese armed forces, and instead lauded Italy for its “strong attitude, a position in favour of its national interest.”

Muscat said Malta should take similar strong stands that safeguard its national interest on immigration. He also referred to instances where EU member states pass the buck to each other on immigration as an example of strong stands.

“Italy issued its asylum seekers with temporary travel documents, so they travel upwards. France refused them and so did Germany, because they took unilateral stands not to apply the rules. So Malta shouldn’t be wary about taking a strong attitude in favour of the national interest. The national interests comes first and before anything else.”

Muscat blamed the European Union for failing to provide clear rules of engagement for the burden-sharing of asylum seekers saved at sea. "We shouldn't feel 'guilty' of not being European about all this... the EU immigration pact we signed was not worth the paper it was printed on."

But Muscat said Italy's blockade was "the right decision", even though Italy breached international law by claiming Lampedusa could not be considered ‘a safe port’ and preventing Maltese rescuers from taking 170 asylum seekers to the Italian island. Instead they were brought to Malta.

Muscat said the Maltese government should not just accept ‘tokenism’ from countries like Germany who accepted to take in 100 refugees from Malta this month.

The Labour leader was fielding questions from di-ve.com editor Paul Cachia and One New journalist Wendy Cachia today on Super One radio.

Joseph Muscat has reiterated that there was agreement from both parties in the Electoral Commission to delay the publication of the referendum writ until late April, so that 2,800 voters who had just turned 18 would not lose their vote for the 28 May divorce referendum.

Muscat said the Electoral Commission had already agreed on delaying the publication of the writ so that the electoral register used would be that published in March 2011, allowing the addition of some 2,800 voters who had just turned 18.

Muscat said the Commission later reversed its position. “I don’t exclude this was done because of electoral considerations... for all his claims to being a stickler on rules, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had no qualms in the 2008 election to increase voting time by an extra hour.

“If the PN ever had any aspirations of being the party of youth, whatever credentials they ever had have now been lost.”

Paul Cachia however asked Muscat whether Labour was even aware that its referendum motion demanded that the writ would have to be published after it is signed by the President.

“The Prime Minister is giving the impression that this situation is due to the wording of the motion. He didn’t see a problem, either because he ignored it or because he wanted to take advantage of it. He was aware that there was convergence between the two parties on the matter of the electoral register.”

The motion asks for the referendum writ to be signed by the President of the Republic within 15 days of the passing of the motion. But Muscat says the writ could have been published by the Electoral Commission much later so that it allows the March electoral register to be first published.

Joseph Muscat said the island had to reconsider its energy policy and dependence on fuel oil, although he made no mention of how to tap alternative sources of energy.

“When the country had to take a decision on its energy needs for the next 25 years, it chose heavy fuel oil,” Muscat said, referring to the Delimara power station extension. The use of heavy fuel petroleum was favoured over the use of gas in a controversial tender that was the subject of an investigation by the Auditor General and now is under review by the parliamentary public accounts committee.

“The geo-strategic developments on the price of oil in recent months, and the impact of the Japanese earthquake on nuclear power policy – Italy for example is suspending the reversal of its nuclear ban and going back to petroleum – means the price of oil is going to increase,” Muscat said.

Muscat also said the prime minister was wrong in creating the impression that the Libyan crisis had not affected the Maltese economy. “Many Maltese companies with business interests in Libya are still keeping many employees on their payroll... we need some good will for these Maltese companies, after all we have already gone to the aid of countries like Greece and Spain in the sovereign debt crisis.”