The opposition is like a self-driving car, driven by no-one, and people are asking 'where is the driver?' Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday.

Muscat was speaking during a political activity held at the Labour Party Club in Msida on Sunday morning, where he compared the Nationalist Party to that of a driverless car, yet instead of specialising in Artificial Intelligence, it specialises in nonsense, he said.

 "There is a phrase, 'the tail is wagging the dog', which is used for organisations who do not know who is at the head, and that is also a very clear way of describing the opposition's situation."

Muscat reflected on Helena Dalli's grilling session by MEPs on Wednesday and he pointed out that certain PN MEPs tried to discredit Dalli, however failed in doing this.

"Are people aware of what is happening in Delia's party? That they tried to cause damage right up till the last hour of Helena's grilling to get her rejected. I ask the Opposition leader this; did those who tried to discredit her but failed, do so with you blessing or behind your back? If they did it with your blessing, admit you opposed Dalli. if it was behind you back, be a man and take action now."

He also highlighted that Commissioner for Standards George Hyzler had confirmed that Cabinet members had not had their salaries increased, as claimed by the opposition. "Hyzler said that none of this was true. Who will shoulder responsibility for this lie?" asked Muscat.

"The government's aim for the budget is to see what can be provided to the population, and not what can be taken away from them"

Discussing the upcoming Budget, Muscat said that previously people used to worry when the budget came round. "People were hesitant to see what prices would increase, to see an increase in petrol and electricity tariffs. Our aim as the government is to see what we can provide for the preople and not what we can take from them."

Muscat said that currently there are 177 vacancies for chemists, with only 13 Maltese and 13 foreign students have enrolled to join the chemistry course at University this year.

"Once medical cannabis product stats, the 177 vacancies for chemists will rise to 250, taking us years to fill in those vacancies. We must find solutions, (...) and the solution isn't to ask factories to stop coming to Malta. These factories are an investment to improve Maltese people's salaries and they will be paying tax in Malta. I am here to attract more investment," he explained.

He also spoke about construction, saying that the economy was not growing because of construction, but on the contrary, that construction was taking place because of the economic expansion.

"Greed, is what is bothering people about the construction industry, that there are people out there who wish to only gain for themselves, instead of respecting one another in society. I believe that everyone expects a fair deal," he said. "It is the government's role to make people listen and to understand the new challenges," said Muscat.

He highlighted that as the economy and society continue to develop, new challenges and difficulties emerge. "People understand that our government has solved many of the past problems. Yes there are new problems and it is this government that works towards addressing them and pushing the island in the right direction." He said that a broken party cannot take such necessary decisions or actions.

Muscat explained that Malta's economy was strong because it was diversified, and not dependent on just one sector. "The Maltese economy isn't dependent on financial services, tourism, gaming or infrastructure, but each sector is important. If one sector faces a problem, the economy does not collapse, this is what sustainability is and it is a crucial point."

He said that the challenge is to manage economic growth in a sustainable manner. "When we speak of sustainability we do not mean that the economy stops growing or moving forward." Muscat reflected on former Nationalist Prime Minister George Borg Oliver, and explained that the main goal was to make Maltese and Gozitans 'little rich men'.

"Our aim is to strengthen the middle class, to build a new middle class, remove poverty, to care for our elderly and provide young people prospects for their future; providing a good quality  of life."