PN leadership hopefuls Chris Said, Adrian Delia, Alex Perici Calascione, and Frank Portelli faced off in a debate today, which saw party unity take centre stage in their second and final debate before the first round of voting in the leadership elections, scheduled to take place on Saturday.
This Saturday, PN councillors will cast their vote and two of the four candidates will be eliminated from the race. It will then be up for the PN party members to vote for their favourite candidate out of the remaining two on 16 September.
A few of the candidates spoke of the importance of unifying the party after the leadership election concludes, while some also spoke of certain elements within the party working against them.
The four candidates were asked an opening question, relating to what keeps the party relevant, and how they can make it more relevant.
Chris Said
Chris Said said that the PN is relevant, adding that the PN has to fight the establishment of Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri. "With me as leader, the agenda would be laid out by the PN and not by this clique," he said.
He said on 17 September, he will work to bring the four PN leadership candidates together, as if they can come together, the party will strengthen and again be in a position to win.
Frank Portelli
Frank Portelli said that the party has no divine right to exist, and that it only exists if the party and politicians are relevant for the people. He said that remaining on the current road will not work, adding that if a paid member tears up his membership - currently such people are being chucked aside. He also commented on the high rent situation on the island.
Alex Perici Calascione
Alex Perici Calascione said the PN's mission is not only to be relevant."The party was determined to keep what is good in this country, to do what needed to be done, to bring about the changes needed that changed the way we live."
He said that his aim, if elected as leader, is to do what the party did for the country, for everything which was positive to be kept and strengthened while realising the reality and working on problems.
"What needs to be changed will be changed in a determined manner."
Adrian Delia
Adrian Delia described the PN followers as sons of patriots, people who want to better the country.
He said that Malta is not a free country, mentioning that when being tied with injustice and corruption, one is not free. He said the PN cannot be bought and cannot move for personal gain.
Charmaine Attard from Newsbook asked Alex Perici Calascione about the hidden hand behind the anonymous letter recently published.
"One of the worst ways to express oneself is through an anonymous letter. In my professional career I have seen many people who were victims of such letters. The hand is hidden as it is an anonymous letter. The content was unfounded. The timing was obvious (due to the election)."
He asked: "Whose intention was this? He argued that he does not let anyone dictate his agenda.
Adrian Delia showed solidarity with Perici Calascione and condemned such situations. He mentioned Hermann Schiavone who passed through a similar situation.
Rachel Attard from The Malta Independent asked Adrian Delia where his company's audit is, and queried how he can convince people that he is not like the PL.
Delia said that there is no audit, but clarified that his declaration of assets were sent to a firm in order to verify them. We are not talking about an audit like Konrad Mizzi's, we are speaking about a person who was a minister close the to the Prime Minister, about a scandal which shook the political world."
He mentioned that the majority of people in the Panama Papers come from countries tied to corrupt countries. He said foreign ministers resigned, but that this did not happen in Malta.
He mentioned that from Opposition he will keep fighting for there to be political consequences.
Kurt Sansone form the Times told Chris Said that he was in charge of Gozo during the last election, and asked about this situation.
Said explained that before the 2017 elections, surveys put the PN seven points ahead of the PL. He said that the PL then started using its power of incumbency, through promotions, transfers etc. As an example, he said that on a beach where one cleaner was enough, there are now seven cleaners not working.
"The power of incumbency was used in Malta as well, and was a main reason why the gap between the parties was so large. If elected, I will work on a strategy so that in the coming election, the government will not be able to use this power in an abusive way. I will put the civil service and authorities under the spotlight."
He said that It is the civil service and authorities who sign off on these situations. "We will ask the investigative branches like the Ombudsman to investigate. We will also take corrupt practices to Magistrates and request investigations."
Matthew Vella from MaltaToday asked Frank Portelli about his debt. "You would end up leader, a pep, with debt that cannot put you above suspicion. Doesn't this mean you are not an ideal candidate?"
Portelli took aim at MaltaToday, and said that the paper declared itself in favour of Labour over the past four years, adding that Saviour Balzan made such a declaration.
Yesterday, he said, the party's ethics committee, "that never said a sentence in favour of me, said that they have 100% trust in what I said. I entered as a shareholder into a company which was in debt. I reduced their debt by LM 1 million. Go and see our books. Our property, according to the last valuation, is worth €29 million. When the hospital is sold, and we are in negotiations, you will see that I will end up with a surplus."
Charmaine Attard from Newsbook asked Frank Portelli what he will do to persuade people to join the PN when the economy is doing so well
Portelli referred to MaltaToday's surveys, saying that he is popular among labourites. He said that the economy isn't doing well for everyone. He mentioned there are youths who do not earn enough to rent a flat. "There are people who government gave land on the cheap. I will be in favour of the poor."
He said that there are 60,000 pensioners struggling to make ends meet.
Rachel Attard from the Malta Independent asked Alex Perici Calascione about his ties to the Corinthia Group. "If Joseph Muscat puts forward a discussion on the Corinthia proposal, will you take a step back, what will you do?"
Perici Calascione said that both his and his wife's declaration of assets were made public without him being asked to make them so. "I have nothing to hide. One of my proposals is to have a code of ethics. Through this code, everyone, from the head down, who has a potential of a conflict would not participate in that discussion."
Kurt Sansone told Adrian Delia that Simon Busuttil told him he doesn't want him as leader, that Jason Azzopardi has said similar. He asked how Delia plans to work with these people and unite the party.
Delia argued that he does not read Jason Azzopardi's comments on Facebook, but knows he made a campaign against him and does not know why.
As for Simon Busuttil, Delia thanked Busuttil for the work he has continued to do. "I respect his opinion, but I respect the will of the councillors more."
He said that the PN is trying to attract new people, and said that the PN he believes in always believed in democracy. He said that the party's passion has always won over fear, and mentioned Malta joining the EU as an example.
"I have no fear that the PN remaining where it is, no fear that it will rise. I trust that our councillors are feeling this, he said while referring to energy and enthusiasm flowing through the PN
The candidates were then asked a question sent in by councillors.
The candidates were fielded another question from councillors. "If the electorate favours someone else, will you continue to work for the party?"
Chris Said
Chris Said said he would, and has spent many years working for the party. "I will be there, as an MP, working for the PN doing what the leader needs me to do. If elected as leader, I will work for these three contenders to have a role in the PN, and to unite the party."
He said that in his first days he will meet with every person who worked for the other candidates to let them know they have a place in the party.
Following the election there must be one winner, the PN. We must ensure it comes ot of this a stronger party.
Frank Portelli
Portelli said he is contesting he does not want the party to continue making the same mistakes. "I want to play the political game to win. I came here with my message." He said he was not ready to continue to 'play to lose'
He said that the party should not have tried to serve both God and the Devil, and if the party had not done that, it would have won the election.
He said that if his friend is caught doing something wrong, then he must go.
Alex Perici Calascione
He said that his first commitment as leader will be one in favour of unity. The day after the election, the leader must take the respect of the party, and build his authority and unity. I would then see the good points in the proposals of the three candidates to see where there is good. All the people helping the candidates are helping the party's aim. He said that for him, the party comes first.
Adrian Delia
Delia said that the experience of the past days showed him what one says and what one does is not necessarily the story of the party. "We are living in a historic time for the party... Despite the Ethics committee giving me a clean bill of health after an attack by one person in the media, on which nothing was found, the party administration chose to take the report, add onto it and ask me to reconsider my candidacy. I reconsidered it and with a clear conscience. After I received complete support, not from the people working with me, but by councillors who were not pledging their support to me at that point." He said they understood that there are a few people trying to keep power in the PN. The people, he said, want a new party, a party they know. He said the nationalists do not recognise the party.
Matthew Vella from MaltaToday asked Adrian Delia about the latest allegations, and whether he believes he would end up defending himself over the coming five years thus neutralising the PN's message. He was also told that the majority of the parliamentary group are not backing him and whether he would have a problem uniting the party. He was also asked how he would become a member of Parliament.
He said he does not think he would have a problem and does not think the majority of MPs are the establishment. He said that a lawyer has thousands of clients who have their stories. "This is the story of a client and not mine." He said that unless the PN wants to be cut off from reality, the party needs to pick people who are not career politicians, and who have worked with people. The world wants people with experiences, and not career politicians, he said. "People at home are not interested in how the party works, they are interested in how their life can improve. "
He said his work was to listen to people's problems and understand them, adding that he would continue to insist on honest politics based on integrity. "On those stories, I was just a lawyer doing my work."
Kurt Sansone told Alex Perici Calascione that the party lost two major elections, the last resulting in no inroad. People have said you are the person to continue down Simon Busuttil's road. Don't you think your candidacy is more of the same?
He said that he was involved in the financial part of the administration for the past 4.5 years. "I assure you as many councillors know, we registered one success after another. Where we are today is miles from where we began. In the beginning we saw the impossible going one month to another. I was responsible as treasures, and we faced challenges which we thought impossible, yet we faced them responsibly and moved forward taking the decisions we needed to take. These decisions saw results. What I did in that sector, despite the difficulties, we reached our position today."
"I will not say everything that happened before is wrong. I will improve on what was good and where we need to renew we will."
Rachel Attard asked Frank Portelli about his time on the Labour media criticising Lawrence Gonzibefore the 2013 elections. When the PL won in 2013, you were appointed as director on the PBS board. Today you are contesting the leadership. If the PL bought St Phillips would you be here?
The PN government had asked to begin negotiations with me on the hospital. We had arrived in October 2012 for €35 per bed. There was a cabinet decision, a discussion in Parliament, and asked whether it would be ok if we wait so that nobody would say that the party ran roughshod over the opposition. I took his word. And then they never came. Did they not come because I was going to reveal scandals?
Those days, oil was being bought for €1 million per day. Y interest is that what happens in the country happens seriously. On PBS I told them I wanted to be free to speak against government as well. Louis Grech only told me not to speak against PBS. I was free to talk about what I wanted.
The candidates were fielded another question relating to security, scandals, and investigative authorities.
Alex Perici Calascione
Alex Perici Calascione said that over the past years his experience with the PN was positive and the doors kept opening up to people. "We kept on opening up the party and there was positive activity which kept on."
He said that what was wrong before the election remains wrong after. The fight against corruption must continue, he said.
Adrian Delia
Adrian Delia said that investment in the police force needs to increase, and that there are areas where children are being beaten by gangs from dangerous countries. "We are not living in a secure country. We must work on justice that works for people. When speaking about our institutions, we must speak about strengthening the protection for people. "
From opposition, he will start working to improve these institutions.
Chris Said
Chris Said said that the party must come out strong so that the fight against corruption can continue. "What was illegal before the election is not made legal. My position would be to work for the party to unite after the election to continue the fight. God forbid a politician says they won't fight corruption. The establishment in this country is the corrupt Castille clique. It is our obligation to continue what Simon Busuttil started, and we must strengthen governance in the country. The institutions are being hijacked by the government."
Frank Portelli
Frank Portelli said that criticising the judiciary, as was done in the case of Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, will not help strengthen the institutions. He said that he believes in the judiciary, and said that attacking judges in the papers undermines the institution.
He spoke about attacks on the police force. "They are not used to drinking. First they beat a nurse, then the police. Of course we need to strengthen or police force. They don't even have video cameras."
"We need to have control over our law and order in this country. Back in May 2007 I wrote an open letter to Lawrence Gonzi speaking about the need for a whistleblower's act, and it was the PL to implement it."
Rachel Attard asked Chris Said how he could be different from the PN's establishment?
Chris Said said: "I am one of many MPs in Parliament. If Parliament is the establishment then I am part of it, but for me the only establishment is that in Castille, Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and Chris Cardona."
He said that people go to him as a lawyer and politician looking for help, and he continues to help them. He said that he wants the PN to be closer to people, with sectoral parties being the fingers of the party in the community.
He spoke of the importance of street leaders.