‘PN pledges to buy energy from interconnector, the cheapest option’ – Simon Busuttil

Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said that the Nationalist Party (PN) will continue to speak out about the issues that concern the people of Malta and Gozo.

He spent the majority of his speech at a political activity in Marsaxlokk on the risks of the LNG tanker and expressed his disappointment with authorities allowing the tanker to be allowed to berth before the relevant public consultations took place.

“The PN pledges to buy electricity not from the monument of corruption to Joseph Muscat – the new power station – but from the cheapest option, the interconnector. We pledge that we will place personal responsibility on Dr Muscat, (No Portfolio Minister) Konrad Mizzi and (OPM chief of staff ) Keith Schembri who negotiated the secret contract of the LNG tanker, in the event that safety and security is threatened. In the event risk remains an issue, we pledge to have the tanker removed from the bay of Marsaxlokk. We pledge that on the first day of a PN government, we will continue studies and requests to build a gas pipeline, so that we will remove the tanker risk from Marsaxlokk.

“We will continue to speak on behalf of the people of Birżebbuġa and Marsaxlokk,” he said.

The Opposition leader said that Dr Muscat will reduce the price of electricity in tomorrow’s budget, and in that way people will think it is because of the tanker and will start to view it as favourable.

“Who are you trying to fool, Prime Minister?”

“The electricity bills could have been lowered ages ago, and not through the long-awaited new power station, and not because of the dangerous tanker, but thanks to the interconnector,” he said.

He promised that with a PN government a break-water would be built in Marsaxlokk in order to provide protection to the local fishermen and create a safer environment for the residents of the area.

Dr Busuttil then spoke of the value of homes in Marsaxlokk, saying that these are the concerns he hears from people of the area.

Dr Busuttil debunked Dr Mizzi’s claims that the tanker will be reducing pollution. It is the interconnector that does not produce any pollution, he said. The three options were: a lot of pollution from the power station, a little pollution from the tanker, and no pollution from the interconnector – therefore it is the last option that makes the most sense.

He said that the government is working backwards, buying electricity from the new power station at a more expensive rate than the interconnector.

Dr Busuttil said that one cannot refrain from speaking of corruption when decisions taken make no sense.

“Is there a risk, or not, from the LNG tanker? I stood up in parliament and asked the Prime Minister if he will be making a statement on the tanker. I asked the Prime Minister about why he did not publish the safety reports, if there is no risk.

“Dr Muscat said that I am not correct for asking the questions that I did, but what use is an opposition if I do not raise these questions? We will continue to speak about the concerns on people’s minds.”

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was concerned that gas cylinders stationed at the Cafè Premier would have caused considerable damage to the National Library if they exploded. So how much should we all be concerned with the LNG tanker in Marsaxlokk, Dr Busuttil said.

The government is working backwards, buying electricity from the new power station at a more expensive rate than the interconnector