Prime Minister Joseph Muscat called for an end to an ‘us vs them’ tribal mentality, and acknowledged that the Labour Party used this tactic in the past which resulted in losses at the ballot box.
“Let’s move away from the mentality of ‘us vs. them.’ The PL has used this tactic for many years. The past is a perfect example of the past not being a guarantee of the future. When we operated in this way, we lost badly. I refute this idea, which is not to say that I believe we have a right to govern, but I refute nurturing the ‘us vs. them’ mentality.
“The hostility we are met with in Parliament reminds us of the past, because it is an attempt to have the PL act in a certain way.”
Dr Muscat congratulated all deputy leader candidates, and applauded former PL president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi for garnering such a high number of votes. On Saturday, Economy Minister Chris Cardona was elected to the role of Deputy Leader for party affairs, beating Justice Minister Owen Bonnici and Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi.
His comments come during a political activity in Mellieha this morning.
He said that Dr Cardona must use the qualities of all three candidates, and also channel the talents of no-portfolio Minister Konrad Mizzi. Dr Muscat said that the newly appointed Deputy Leader must also deliver all that has been promised, and ensure that justice and fairness prevail.
“My mind is at rest, because while I am completely committed to this party, having such a strong deputy leader with a clear vision of the party’s direction allows me to concentrate on my duties,” he said.
My priority is to change Malta for the better. “We need to communicate better,” he said.
“PL has to be a reflection of society. Today’s delegates are different from yesterdays. The way they think is evolving, in the same way that society is evolving. The issues we tackle do not come from me, or the Cabinet, but from the public.
“Our front door is always open. This government is reaching unprecedented levels of healthy growth. I admit we have delivered some auto-goals, and all criticism is stemming from mistakes which we made ourselves. We need to learn and continue learning. We need to be more responsible and be humble enough to accept internal criticism.
“We must then have the self-confidence not to let destructive or pointless criticism tear us down.
He slammed Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil for not having any substantial proposals and for being overly-negative, in a way which is unhelpful and disruptive.
He also criticised the Nationalist Party’s short-term plan to mitigate traffic, stating that the government is prioritising bigger projects which will have a lasting effect.
Dr Muscat stressed recent developments in court that PN MP Claudio Grech sought to silence a person who was informed of the oil procurement scandal, prior to the last general election. It emerged that Mr Grech told the person in question to distance himself as the case was causing damage to Austin Gatt. Prime Minister Muscat said this proved the double standards of the Opposition.
He also criticised Dr Busuttil for proposing that Air Malta, the national airline, should be sold off on the stock exchange in order to ensure that it remains in Maltese hands. Dr Muscat questioned whether Dr Busuttil had listened to any expert advice, and whether what the Opposition Leader proposed was even legal in the first place.
He said that Dr Busuttil cannot turn around and say ‘it was a suggestion of principle,’ because he was trying to take the place of the Prime Minister, and had to propose concrete policy in order to prove what his leadership would be like.
Dr Muscat spoke of a number of important issues, such as the minimum wage and the level of people at risk of poverty, and stated that he wishes for a serious debate to be carried out by the public, and one which is not limited to governing officials and the various ministries.
PN reaction
In reaction, PN MP Claudio Grech issued a statement saying:
“The article published by the Labour Party newspaper il-Kulħadd, repeated word for word by Prime Minister and PL Leader Joseph Muscat is nothing but a desperate attempt to twist the truth.
“It is a lie that I “tried to silence a whistleblower.” The facts show that not only didn’t I silence anybody, but that I encouraged anybody aware of any irregularities to go straight to the Police Commissioner.
“In the meantime I will be filing for libel against the Prime Minister and PL Leader Joseph Muscat, against the PL newspaper il-Kulħadd and all those who try to twist the truth.”