The Gonzi administration is trying to distort the truth, the Labour Party (PL) said in reaction to the emergency EU Health Ministers' meeting on the swine flu, which will not be attended by Malta.

The government is saying that its representatives will not be able to attend a EU Health meeting on the Swine Flu because the PL did not offer the pairing for Thursday’s parliamentary sitting.

The PL said that the Gonzi administration is trying to avail itself from the current situation to gain a political advantage.

The PL insisted that this was a distortion of the truth. The opposition whip had suggested the Gonzi administration to move the parliamentary sitting and the vote to Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Instead the government chose to create a political situation.

Furthermore, the government had moved a procedural motion to regulate parliamentary sittings, yet it is still pretending the pairing.

The Gonzi administration also put forward an electoral amendment without any form of consultation and without any guarantee that each and every person on the electoral list are eligible to vote.

The PL said that its commitment for a national strategy on Swine Flu was never under discussion. The Party also pointed out that Dr. Michael Farrugia had taken part in the Committee on the Swine Flu.
If the Gonzi administration continues to act arrogantly, without flexibility and is not able to take control of the agenda of its MPs, the least it could do is to take up the Labour Party’s offer. The offer is still open, the PL insisted.

The Gonzi administration is placing its own interest before that of the nation.

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