‘Government turned civil service into a Labour club’ – Busuttil

Nationalist Party leader Simon Busutitl has this evening hit out at the government’s treatment of the civil sector, accusing the prime minister and the Labour government of turning the public service into a Labour Party club.

“Through the numerous transfers within the civil service, and the appointment of several Labourites – most notably the appointment of a Labour supporter as the head of the civil service [Mario Cutajar] just days after winning the election – the government is turning the civil service into a Labour club,” Busuttil said.

Over the course of the government’s legislature, the PN has lambasted the government for appointing its inner circles within the civil sector, accusing it of carrying out vindictive transfers and of political discrimination against anyone not part of Labour’s core.

Addressing a political rally in St Paul’s Bay, Busuttil insisted that anyone who is discriminating against civil servants on account of their political allegiance would be held responsible.

“When the time comes, the PN will take action against anyone – include the heads of the civil service – who is committing this political discrimination against civil servants. These people will be held responsible,” Busuttil warned.

Echoing PN Secreteary General Chris Said, who also addressed the St Paul’s Bay faithful, Busuttil reiterated his call for the government to publish its contract on the Delimara gas plant and its agreement with Henley and Partners.

Claiming that the government is purposely “hiding something”, the PN leader also claimed that the government’s failure to publish the contract is maybe because the “certain people would be benefitting from the contract.”

Despite prime minister Joseph Muscat’s initial denial, the government signed the first tranche of the Delimara gas plant contract on Friday last week. The consortium ElectroGas has so far entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire a 30% stake in Enemalta’s special purpose vehicle Malta Power & Gas Ltd (MPGL).

Earlier, Muscat insisted that there is no secrecy in the contract and that it will be published and open for scrutiny in due time and once any commercial-sensitive information is analysed – a bone of contention for Simon Busuttil who called on the government to publish it before the European elections, claiming that the government’s failure to publish the contract is fuelling questions and doubts.

In a reaction to the government’s refusal to publish the whole contract it signed with Henley and Partners – the concessionaries of the government’s Individual Investor Programme – Busuttil reminded that the company had funded political parties abroad.

A cautious Simon Busuttil also hinted at possible corruption, but in an effort not to make sweeping statements, the PN leader instead took umbrage at the government’s transparency pledge, arguing that its refusal to publish the contract means that it has something to hide.

On Wednesday, Public Accounts Chairman Tonio Fenech demanded that a ruling be sought from the Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia to decide whether the government has to publish its contract, after junior minister Owen Bonnici had turned down the Opposition’s request to dissect the contract.

Calling on the Speaker to decide “in favour of transparency,” Busuttil hoped that the decision would be taken after the MEP elections.

Taking umbrage at the prime minister’s championing of Cyrus Engerer and his portrayal as a “hero” and a “soldier of steel,” former PN minister Michael Falzon – who also addressed the party event – argued that Labour’s grassroots would soon realise that this was a mistake.

“We would not be realistic in demanding the expulsion of Cyrus Engerer from the Labour Party, but rather than portraying him as a hero, the prime minister should have recognised Engerer’s mistake and acknowledge the true victim behind Engerer’s crime,” he said.

In addition, Falzon argued that in creating a parallel between the “real” soldiers of steel and Cyrus Engerer, the Labour Party risks losing the votes of its grassroots, claiming that this "parallel is mistaken."