Opposition leader hits out at EU, 'all talk, no action' on immigration

Speaking on One Radio, Joseph Muscat reiterated that Malta cannot absorb the immigration influx and the European Union should intervene and help the small countries most affected by it.

“Government should take all necessary measures to safeguard the national interest,” he said. “Just as much Malta gave its humanitarian aid to countries worldwide, with the same effort we expect other countries to do the same.”

Muscat recalled that whilst the Labour Party had objected to the EU’s immigration plan, claiming it did not safeguard Malta’s interests, government still had accepted it: “Now it is proven this plan has not solved Malta’s immigration problem.”

He also referred to the European Socialists had proposed obligatory burden sharing for all member states, but the European People’s Party had shot it down.

“More ridiculous is the fact that Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil had tried to defend the EU’s position,” Muscat said, decrying Busuttil’s stand as “political posturing”.

Justice and Home Affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said he is trying to get the European Union to accept a refugee redistribution centre.

Muscat said government should help Maltese with commercial interests in Libya. “Authorities should coordinate efforts to help keep such companies afloat. I am not saying government should give bailouts, but it should provide a safety net of corporate social responsibility,” he said, proposing scheduled tax payments as one alternative.

Muscat added that when interested Maltese parties talked to ministers, the latter’s reply was that “it was you who took the risk”.

“Similarly, Irish and Greek banks had taken their risks but were still given a bailout. And the Maltese tax payer is now forking out the money to help them,” he said, adding it was political responsibility to safeguard the Eurozone.

Muscat said there is no two ways about it: “We have to find the political means to help the Maltese.”

He added that Malta is not yet feeling the direct impact of the Libyan crisis because the companies have until now kept their employees.

Speaking on hunting, Muscat said the EU has said there is no agreement as claimed by the Prime Minister in parliament over the bag limits for the two-week spring hunting season. “If there is, I ask government to publish the agreement,” he said adding he expects government to publish the technique used by which it established the quota for the spring hunting limits.

This week the prime minister announced it had brokered a deal with the European Commission to allow a limited catch in spring according to how many birds are caught in the preceding autumn.

Muscat added that when the right time comes, the Labour Party will make its “pledge” on the issue: “But ours shall be written black on white, and our word won’t change.”

Muscat also accused the electoral commissioners appointed by the PN of shooting down a proposal to include voters who turned 18 in March: “The reality is, since the agreement was printed in April 18, there was a clear agreement by both parties and there was nothing irregular or illegal was about it.”

Muscat claimed that orders coming “from high above” to change all that had been agreed between the Electoral Commission’s secretary and representatives of both parties.

During his speech, Muscat also talked about pensioners who are paid an average of €600 a month. Muscat said this can go down as to €400 a month, adding there 14,000 widowers who receive a pension of €700.

Muscat said that one solution to the low rate of pensions is to increase maternity leave: “Increasing maternity leave would get more women working, which would heavily impact the increase in the average pension rate.”

He said that flexible hours would also help mothers get back to work as they would be able to balance between family life and work.