26/09/2013 00:00
TW
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STAFF REPORTER PALMA

THE Balearic Parliament united yesterday in its disdain for the intentions of Central Government's Public Works Minister José Blanco to cut the discounts on air travel for Balearic European Union residents on inter-island flights and connections with the mainland. “We can't allow ourselves to be so badly treated,” ran the refrain through all political parties in yesterday's session of the House. “It's a complete injustice.” MPs of all persuasions were claiming that the Public Works Minister was “insulting” the Balearics and “infringing” the rights of its citizens.
The outrage resulted in two draft proposals being agreed on. One was to get Central Government to continue to subsidise the air fares at their current rate of 50 percent and the second was to further the establishment of a public inter-island air service with mainland connections.

Antoni Alorda, MP for the Bloc coalition of Majorca, said that the point about the debate was not that the discount should be maintained at the specific level of 50 percent, but rather that Central Government should bear in mind the costs incurred by people living in the Balearics by virtue of it being an island community.

Alorda said: “We need to have our air travel subsidised because from here we don't have the alternative of travelling by express train as our neighbours on the mainland do.” He also pointed out that Central Government uses tax paid by people living in the Balearics to pay for road building projects on the mainland. “What we can't do,” said Alorda “is take a step backwards by having the subsidies removed.” He gave reassurances that the Balearic government would use all means at its disposal, both political and legal, to ensure that the people living on the Islands are not disadvantaged by whatever decision Minister Blanco comes to.

The second proposal to further the establishment of a public air service was put forward by the Partido Popular who are keen to establish a fixed rate air tariff of 27 euros per route.

Partido Popular MP Mabel Cabrer said that Minister Blanco should apologise to the people of the Balearics for suggesting that discounts were encouraging travellers to make “unnecessary” journeys and also for having kept Balearic President Francesc Antich and two Balearic ministers waiting so long before they could see him in Madrid on Monday evening. “The Balearics doesn't mean a thing in Madrid,” said Majorcan Unionist MP Maria Antonia Sureda.