Pullicino Orlando non-committal on Labour's museum motion

Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando yesterday refused to say how he would vote on a parliamentary motion announced by Labour leader Joseph Muscat calling on the government to immediately revoke its backing of the proposed underground extension of St John's Co-Cathedral museum.

Dr Muscat gave notice of the motion yesterday morning, which also calls on the government to propose the identification, restoration and use of other buildings in Valletta to serve as an extension of the museum.

Last November, Dr Pullicino Orlando launched a stinging attack on the museum extension proposal - describing it "extravagant".

The Labour leader's move is likely to put the MP in the spotlight when the motion is voted upon in parliament, particularly since the government has just a one seat majority.

The Nationalist MP stood by his arguments against the project when contacted yesterday but was non-committal on the motion.

"Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has not in any way shown his support for this (St John's museum extension) project. I will follow the debate when it comes up for discussion and then vote accordingly. It's not right of you to ask me how I will be voting if this vote is taken in Parliament. It is putting unfair pressure on me via the media and it's not right," Dr Pullicino Orlando said.

It is extremely rare for the ruling party to lose a vote in Parliament. The most notable in recent history was Dom Mintoff's vote against the Labour government's proposals to develop Cottonera in 1998, which then Prime Minister Alfred Sant decided to interpret as a vote of no confidence in his administration.

In an abrasive statement last night, the Nationalist Party said that Dr Muscat's motion confirmed the "amateurism" of the Labour opposition.

The PN said the motion also showed that Dr Muscat had failed to learn the most basic ways of how one could tap EU funding, despite his four years as an MEP.

Labour's motion states that the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division (PPCD) of the Office of the Prime Minister had approved the project, which would cost some €16 million, of which some €14 million would come from EU funds.

It also states that in the absence of a clear indication of the government priorities for the use of EU funds, the presence of Richard Cachia Caruana - the government-nominated representative on the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation, which is behind the proposed project - gives rise to a conflict of interest.

The motion also makes reference to the objections to the project voiced by a number of NGOs, which warned that the works could be detrimental to the cathedral and to underground structures in Valletta.

It also calls on the government to immediately launch a broad consultation on the priorities for the use of EU funds in a bid to reach consensus, more so since the implementation of such projects would cover more than one legislature.

However, the PN said it appeared that the PL leader was unaware that the government had published its priorities for EU funding through its National Strategic Reference Framework in December 2006. The consultation process on the priorities for EU funding lasted from autumn 2005 until June 2007.

The process to obtain funds was also set under a series of EU regulations, the PN said, and the (PPCD) did not approve projects for EU funding.

Ultimately, the Nationalist Party said, the PL's motion confirmed the millions that Malta was absorbing from the EU, proving Dr Muscat wrong in his "crusade" against EU membership.