[WATCH] Grech’s anger on wasteful Steward deal is justified – Perici Calascione

Bernard Grech was justified to sound angry when pointing out government’s waste of money on a hospitals deal that has not delivered the goods, Alex Perici Calascione said.

The Nationalist Party deputy leader was responding to criticism of Grech’s budget replica speech by Labour Party deputy leader Daniel Micallef on TVM’s Xtra.

The two deputy leaders shared their views after Grech delivered his speech on Monday.

Perici Calascione said the Steward hospitals deal will cost public coffers €80 million next year. “How can you speak calmly and without displaying anger when you see the money being wasted on this deal… government will spend €80 million on it next year,” the PN deputy leader said.

The hospitals deal has been the subject of great controversy since Steward and its predecessor, Vitals, failed to live up to contractual obligations. The deal has also been tainted with allegations of corruption.

The deal saw three public hospitals – Gozo General Hospital, Karin Grech and St Luke’s – 

being given on concession to a private company that was obliged to build a new hospital in Gozo and refurbish the other two to be able to attract medical tourism.

A court case to rescind the agreement and return the hospitals back to the public was initiated by PN MP Adrian Delia and judgment is expected in January.

Micallef reiterated the government will await the court judgment before making any rash decisions on the contract, which is still in force.

The PL deputy leader described Grech’s speech as the weakest budget replica ever by an Opposition leader. “He spent two hours shouting, which is symptomatic of someone who is scared of losing his hold on power in the party. The continuous angry tone is not consonant with someone who wants to present an alternative vision.”