Busuttil’s support of Freeport expansion ‘detrimental to residents’

Simon Busuttil’s support of further expanding the Freeport in Birzebbugia will be at the detriment of residents, the Labour Party said today.

Lambasting Busuttil for his U-turn on statements that “ODZ is ODZ” and no development on such land must take place, the PL said the PN leader was now supporting the development of agricultural land in Birzebbugia.

“This is the same Simon Busuttil who was part of the government that used the south of Malta as the island’s dump yard and treated residents as second-class citizens,” the PL said.

It went on to point out how the Labour in government had taken measures to help improve the air quality of the south of Malta and projects – such as football and water polo pitches – to help the communities.

“Simon Busuttil is not happy about this positive change and he was ‘shocked’ to hear the Prime Minister standing against further development of the Freeport,” Labour said, adding that Busuttil’s statement had shocked residents.

In a reaction, the Nationalist Party accused Muscat of “launching an attack” against the Freeport and its workers, claiming that this was “synonymous with a politician who is out of touch”.

It said that for all its talk, the Labour government would be placing a gas tanker whilst the PN in government had left “a huge legacy”. It also said that, with his position against further Freeport expansion, the Labour government has now proven to be “a clique of political elites” – hurling back a description used by Muscat to describe Busuttil following the outcome of the Brexit referendum.