Alternattiva Demokratika accuses Michael Falzon of fanaticism for 'stupid' moratorium comments

Alternattiva Demokratika has hit out at statements by Michael Falzon, shadow home affairs minister and legal representative for the Malta Pyrotechnics Association, for calling a proposed moratorium on fireworks production ‘ridiculous’ and ‘stupid’.

“Falzon is confirming his and the PL’s priorities in politics are not saving human lives but trying to get as many votes possible, at all costs, from the fireworks ‘dilettantes’,” Ralph Cassar, AD secretary-general said.

"A moratorium would only add to existing pressures on the industry,” Dr Michael Falzon warned in an interview with MaltaToday. “It would punish everybody indiscriminately, regardless of whether or not they had been guilty of breaching regulations. And rather than control fireworks production, it would actually drive the industry underground, where it would be impossible to regulate at all.”

The idea for a moratorium on fireworks production was first floated by The Times, and has since been endorsed by Alternattiva Demokratika, the Green Party, as well as numerous individuals including the former Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Brigadier Carmel Vassallo.

However, both the Labour and Nationalist parties immediately shot down the idea, eliciting criticism from AD on the grounds that “votes were being put before lives”.

But Michael Falzon – who is also a self-avowed fireworks enthusiast, and legal representative of the Malta Pyrotechnics Association – flatly rejects this sort of criticism as baseless.

“There is nothing political about it at all,” he contends. “Those who are claiming that this has to do with votes are being unrealistic and irresponsible.”

On the contrary, Falzon claims that a moratorium would be objectionable on purely practical grounds, as it could conceivably precipitate more accidents in future.

“Let’s imagine a moratorium is imposed for, say, three months until the investigations are concluded. What happens when the time elapses? In the aftermath, there will be a mad rush to manufacture fireworks in a hurry… and that’s when accidents are likely to happen.”

But Cassar accused Falzon of providing excuses that betray "his fanaticism in the face of repeated accidents and deaths."

"Falzon mentions a rush to produce fireworks once a  moratorium is over. Not if authorities are serious enough and limit the material available to firework factories. Not if the moratorium period covers all the feasts for a long enough period to prevent hasty work. Not if all material is quarantined with immediate effect,” Cassar said.

Cassar said that if Falzon did not recognise the seriousness of the situation pending the inquiry, the fireworks lobby “should not be considered responsible enough to be licensed to go anywhere near fireworks.”

In the same interview, Falzon defends himself from criticism that his role as legal advisor to the fireworks lobby is incompatible with his official position as shadow minister for home affairs – in which guise he would have to regulate the fireworks industry if Labour wins the next election.

He also sees as ‘irrelevant’ the fact that one of the country’s leading importers of fireworks materials happens to be the father of Opposition leader Joseph Muscat.

However, Michael Falzon does concede that his own ‘plan’ for the future of the local fireworks industry is likely to prove controversial.

This plan features State financial assistance to the Malta Pyrotechnics Association; more MEPA permits issued for the construction of new fireworks facilities; and a revamp of existing regulations governing the fireworks manufacturing process, which he claims have not been updated since 1980.