“The government has failed many of us, and failed significantly,” the Leader of the Opposition Bernard Grech said during the opening of Nationalist Party’s General Council on Sunday.

The political event opened up with PN MP Mark Anthony Sammut calling for a minute of silence in order to pay respects to the workers who have died on the workplace, as he remarked that International Workers’ Day is ten days away, taking place on the 1st of May.

When Grech stepped up to speak, he began by saying that the government had failed people of varying situations through different circumstances.

“It has not failed those who give them millions of euros a year or those close to it, but it has failed you … The government has failed you, you who wants to do more for your children. It has failed you, a pensioner, it does not care that it is not giving you the quality of life that you want. It has failed you, a student, who wishes to continue advancing, and are studying or have graduated and no longer see a future in your own country.”

The PN leader said that one of the subjects in which the government has failed significantly is in relation to the rising cost of living. He remarked that no one aside from those in government who believe their own lies truly believes that the cost of living has reduced.

He said that when it comes to the cost of living adjustment (COLA), there is a consensus among everyone except for the government that the COLA should not be taxed. He continued that it is an injustice that a mechanism which calculates how much someone needs to counteract the rising cost of living is then taken away from them by the government.

Grech said that the PN wants to establish a new economic model, “Which is not based on cheap labour, but is based on a vision which pushes innovation and quality employment.”

Speaking on the matter of transport and mobility, he said that the government has made many promises in this regard, but that the situation has only gotten worse over time.

“The government has spent €700 million in European funds, just so we can now be worse off than we were,” he commented. He added that in regard to traffic, the government has made it clear that they lack effective planning and that it is now important to establish proper bus lanes.

Shifting focus to the topic of the environment, Grech referred to a MaltaToday article which reported that half of the heftiest administration fines issued by the ERA since the year 2013 were issued to government entities, and he said that this means that the government itself is one of the largest contributors to the violation of environmental regulations.

Grech concluded by saying that it is up to the people to be the beginning of change in the upcoming elections on the 8th of June.

Sammut meanwhile recounted some of the developments which have occurred throughout the past year. He remarked that the PN had returned hospitals back to the Maltese people through MP Adrian Delia’s case against Vitals and Steward, and he added that it is now working to return the €400 million taken as part of the deal.

The MP also referred to the public inquiry into the death of Jean-Paul-Sofia, and added that this was achieved after Prime Minister Robert Abela had said that such an inquiry would not happen.

“From the Opposition, we have managed to bring such changes in our country, imagine how much more we could do if you continue showing more faith,” he concluded.

Lino Briguglio, a Professor of Economics, said that he does not agree with Economy Minister Silvio Schembri’s decision to directly get involved in prices, as he believes that it is a very dangerous measure.

He said that the danger is due to the Minister ignoring the law entirely, and placing everyone in the same basket, “as if all businesses are thieves”. He continued that aside from not being a good practice in the current day, there was political pressure, meaning that while the idea is that businesses willingly participated in the initiative, there may have been some sort of unspoken pressure pushing them in that direction.

The economics professor added that prices within Europe have dropped significantly without any direct intervention from Ministers, but said that in Malta, we have a Minister who is taking the credit for the decrease in prices.

Michelle Attard Tonna, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta, spoke about the issue of transport and mobility in Malta.

She said that the quality of life in the country is being affected due to the issue of traffic, and added that Malta has more than double the amount of air pollution recommended by the World Health Organisation, leading to a significantly increased risk of lung-related health issues and other health complications.

“If you do not drive a car in Malta, then you have been regulated to being a second class citizen on the road.”

Luke Said, a science student and activist involved with several NGOs, appealed to everyone and said that it is time to care for the environment, remarking that it is a problem which is only being aggravated and poses serious consequences for the country’s overall well-being.

The General Secretary of the PN, Michael Piccinino, said that the PN is proud that Net Television as well as Net FM have increased their audience. He said that a discussion about the time of political media having passed will one day take place, but that it is not the time to do so now as there is currently a public broadcaster which is functioning as “Super One Two”.

The Deputy Leader of the PN, Alex Perici Calascione, spoke about the incident which took place in Sliema on Saturday which resulted in a worker losing his life on a construction site. “Another tragedy yesterday, another life, another victim,” he said.

Perici Calascione concluded by giving words of encouragement to the candidates of the upcoming elections. He said that this year’s elections are particularly important as the power of local councils and the residents is being reduced, and that therefore it is important for people to vote and express their dissatisfaction with this change.