MP suggests Opera House site for parliament

Labour MP John Attard Montalto said yesterday that the Opera House site in Valletta should be rebuilt to house parliament.

Speaking in parliament, he said Malta could follow the example of the rebuilding of the Bundestag in Germany, where the features of the old façade had been retained while a purpose built structure was built inside.

Dr Attard Montalto said MPs were seriously lacking facilities at the palace, where parliament was currently housed. The situation was akin to the senate in Roman times. MPs did not even have a room from which to work. How could they operate once parliament's workload increased when Malta joined the European Union?

In his address Dr Attard Montalto said Valletta as a whole needed to be given a facelift, not least as it would soon be an EU capital city.

It was shameful that one of the most beautiful squares, St George's Square (Palace square) was in the worst state, being used as a car park. Surely the private sector could be encouraged to build an underground car park, leasing some space for the administration.

"Atrocious" City Gate needed to be urgently revamped and much could be done for Fort St Elmo to be used, generating further activity in the city.

Malta, Dr Attard Montalto said, had become a shabby place and improvement had, first and foremost, to start from the capital city.

Dr Attard Montalto called for a better flow of traffic and greater pedestrianisation in the city. He also suggested that one of the streets near the palace could be closed to traffic, so that the karozzini horses could shelter there from the sun.

The government's excess workforce should be used for a general cleanup of the country and discipline should replace laziness, without fear that this would cost the government votes.