Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has called for Independence Day to be made Malta's only national day.

The debate over Malta's national days has been ongoing for a number of years, with some suggesting one should be chosen, others saying two in order to appease both major political parties, and others arguing the current number should remain.

Former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was present amongst the public.

Delia tonight, addressing a not so sizable crowd at the Floriana Granaries during the Independence Day mass meeting, said: "This needs to be our national day, not a day for nationalists, but one to remind us about when we were born as a nation." He appealed to government to make the one national day that unites the country, Independence Day, for all the Maltese and Gozitans.

"Malta truly belongs to all of us, and not just the few. That is our Malta."

Delia said that on Independence day, all Maltese and Gozitans were born, not just nationalists.

The Opposition Leader spoke of the work done by past PN governments, building industry, infrastructure, the tourism sector among others.

He said that Malta could not have become a  truly European country without having taken that first step, the step for independence. Delia spoke of the importance of knowing and remembering where we all came from.

He said that successive PN governments created a democratic state that looks out for human rights, and a constitution that only the Maltese can change, not foreigners. He said that the European Convention became part of Malta's laws, and highlighted the creation of the local councils.

Delia said that government is taking back what the PN governments had given over the years.

On the issue of migration, he said that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat wanted to operate a pushback policy in the past, stating that the Prime Minister was not even ready to save lives. Today he changed tact due to Europe. "What does he want? Pushback or opening the Maltese territory for everyone to come without operating essential security?"

Delia said that the PN will never fail in its obligation to save lives. He also said that it has another obligation to protect the security of the country and protect the Maltese identity while safeguarding the interests of the Maltese and Europeans before anything else.

"We must be clear. Our obligations are crystal clear, we want our economy to continue growing and for there to be more jobs, to abide by our international obligations while looking out for Maltese interests first and foremost."

This government does not have a plan with regards to migration and expanding the economy.

He asked where government plans to house all the migrants government needs to fill jobs being created in Malta, stressing that the Maltese are struggling with rent and property prices.

Referring to legal migration and cheap labour, he said it is not safe to walk the streets under Labour. He said that Malta used to be one of the safest countries in the world, children playing in the street. "Do you remember that Malta? Where is it, where did it go?"

Delia said that the youths barely remember a time where in Malta, people couldn't express themselves or buy the newspaper they wanted, express their own opinions. "PN governments gave us that."

He said that today, fundamental rights are again under threat. He said that human rights laws, anti-racism and equality laws and others were introduced by PN governments. "Our youths don't remember, and think that the world is today. We need to remind you where we came from to know where we want to go."

"Tourism, the Freeport, igaming, information, all these things were brought in by the Nationalist Party." These, he said, belong to the people by right.

On the topic of education, he said that it used to belong solely to the state, and those who wanted to advance weren't able to. He said that past Labour governments in the past wanted to keep schools as they were.

The PN Leader highlighted the level of healthcare under past PL governments, saying that doctors were attacked in the past. He said the PN had built new hospitals and health centres around the Maltese islands.

"Today we have a government for whom even healthcare is for sale." He criticised the Vitals Global Healthcare deal, saying government sold three hospitals to them, and that the public still doesn't know who owned that company.

He said that the PN went to court to take back the hospitals for the Maltese people. "Those don't belong to government, to the Labour or to the Nationalist Party. They belong to the Maltese and Gozitan people, by right."

He spoke of millions of Euros in investment PN governments had brought to Malta, such as the interconnector. Turning to infrastructure, he said that over the past five years, no capital investment was made. "Before, there was the construction of the cruise liner terminal, the airport, the new Parliament. All capital projects we see today are thanks to the PN's vision and work by past PN governments."

He mentioned that PN government brought the respect of larger countries, adding that such things are now taken for granted and thus they are at risk.

He spoke of the need to plan how the country will grow, mentioning that it is resulting in cheap labour. "A labour government that doesn't care about poverty, about the workers." He highlighted that government's very own consultant said that they are creating a cheap labour situation.

He poked fun at the American University of Malta, and the number of students it has managed to attract.

He criticised government for taking over constitutional bodies. He said the Attorney General is breaching the constitution, referring to the whole Egrant report saga. He said the Attorney General didn't want to testify before the Maltese and Gozitan people, yet the Court ordered him to do so, to say the truth. "This is the fight for democracy."

Delia spoke about domestic violence, saying there have been one case after another yet government has done nothing.

He spoke about the need to increase protection for the unborn child.

Delia asked why government continued to talk about the PN, if the party were truly broken.

"Muscat is trying to scare people that the PN is broken," he said, while stressing that the PN is capable of uniting the country.

The PN Leader brought up the recreational marijuana issue, and said government wants to give the youths drugs as a leisure activity, while the PN has a different idea, giving youths the arts and music  instead.

He said that he does not want two Malta's with an underclass, a Malta for the rich and one for the poor. He mentioned that government is not caring for the people. "Stand up and realise, let us unite as a single people once and for all, one independent nation."

Youths need to have a say as they will be voting in next general election - Clyde Puli

Youths need to have a say as they will be voting in next general , PN Secretary General Clyde Puli said while addressing the Independence Day mass meeting.

Puli said that the membership age for the PN had decreased to 14-years insisting that these youths need to have a say as they would be voting in the next general election.

He said he was honoured to be speaking at this mass meeting for the first time in his new position as General Secretary.

Mentioning several times the achievements of the past PN governments including giving Malta its Independence as well as becoming part of the European Union, he said the PN made changes in this country over the years, which are now being boasted about by others.

"Projects that are now being funded by billions the PN received from the EU," Puli highlighted. He continued to say that the seed that the PN planted is bearing fruits today.

"We are nationalists because we are proud of our country and we believed that our country is not for sale," said Puli referring to the IIP scheme. He also went on to say that Malta is one nation made up of Maltese people who are all equal whilst insisting it does not belong to those in power and those around them.

To chants of "Nazzjonalisti" Puli criticised the government's deal with Vitals for selling the national healthcare to foreigners without the knowledge of who they are and who have no experience in the sector. He used the metaphor of going to a mechanic when one has a toothache instead of a dentist.

Puli then turned to the PN's party organisation saying that they needed to look internally whilst acknowledging that they are facing financial and organisational difficulties. He said that in time the results will show when people understand the party and its vision. Puli also mentioned that the PN already made changes in the party's organisation and its media.

Since the 12 months PN party leader Adrian Delia has been in his position, the PN had acquired 1700 new members, a number not seen in over 13 years, Puli pointed out.

Mentioning the upcoming election, Puli noted that the PN had alread put forward seven candidates for the MEP election in 2019 and 200 for the local council election.

 

Puli also said that the PN needed to be a party that cares for the country but also for the members of the party. He made reference to members that in the past may have felt left out or who may have got hurt.

The PN needs to be at peace with itself by acknowledging its mistakes but also what it has achieved Puli said, again mentioning the PN's achievements of independence and accession into the EU as well as the financial services and democracy.

He went on to say that although the PN has had some of the biggest losses, he said that among other things at least a journalist was not killed. Puli made reference to Daphne Caruana Galizia's makeshift monument saying that during political tension flowers were put on her grave but now flowers are being removed from the spontaneous monument.

17 Black was also brought up with Puli questioning how the government can deny that they do not know who owns it.

Puli also said that the PN will remain together, all led by Delia because of their shared values and believes. He also paid homage to previous leaders Lawrence Gonzi and Eddie Fenech Adami saying that all leaders have always had vision and courage and have been persistent although their choice was not always the most people.

Photos by Michael Camilleri