| THE TIMES - Wednesday, May 21, 2008 |
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Labour MP Silvio Parnis said that in spite of the nice talk about respect being used by the government, it had totally ignored the opposition when it came to enrolling Malta into the Partnership for Peace programme.
On the increase in the cost of living, he said that while the international situation had to be acknowledged, action had to be taken locally. One must investigate why prices in Malta were rising at a higher rate than in other countries in the eurozone. He hoped that after the government discussed the matter with the social partners it would come up with clear ideas. The government, he said, had already announced that the energy surcharge would be increased next month. The government should inform the social partners exactly what was being done beforehand. The price of oil was reaching record levels and this put on the government the responsibility to take action on alternative sources of energy, especially the wind, sun and sea. The government should aim for at least 10 per cent of its energy to come from renewable sources. Mr Parnis said that complaints on Mater Dei Hospital were on the increase. Unions were worried that the move from St Luke's to Mater Dei was going to be just a change of address, and if this was the case it would be a great disappointment to many. He said that the cost of medicine was also on constant increase, so accessibility of medicine to the elderly should be improved. Mr Parnis said that the international situation was no excuse for the government not to implement its promises. Everyone, including the government, knew what the situation was before the election. |
