The government is out of touch with the people, only looking out for those who are “part of the family”, Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said this evening, in Xaghra, Gozo.
“It’s obvious that the Prime Minister cannot know how the people feel when those around him are well off,” Dr Busuttil said, mentioning that Minister for Energy Konrad Mizzi's wife earns €13,000 a month.
The PM wasted a campaign saying he is the underdog and hugging a criminal who had just been given a suspended sentence, referring to Cyrus Engerer who withdrew his candidature for the EP election after a court judgment.
Dr Busuttil slammed “vindictive transfers”, stating that people who have been subjected to this treatment have had their careers ruined. He was referring to recent incidents brought to light regarding numerous transfers within the police department, specifically mentioning an incident where a person had undergone four transfers in a matter of days.
On the same issue Dr Busuttil explained that the Government does not understand that through these transfers, people are getting hurt. He posed the question, “one year following Labour’s rise to Government are you better off?”
Dr Busuttil wants the PN to regain its former reputation and become the Party for the people, arguing that he has run a campaign where he met and listened to the people. “This helped me understand peoples’ troubles, helped me understand what they want and need.”
Mentioning small businesses, Dr Busuttil described his meetings with people who are struggling to make ends meet expressing his concern that these people struggle to sell items in their shops.
Samuel Azzopardi Mayor of Victoria, Gozo mentioned that an integral part of Gozo’s economy comes from small family-run businesses, expressing his concern that shops are empty.
Dr Busuttil criticised Labour MEP candidate Alfred Sant for sending a letter to Gozitans stating that Gozo received less that €2 million a year when under PN leadership, questioning Dr Sant’s credibility. In response to Dr Sant’s claim, Dr Busuttil mentioned several projects which the PN government hd implemented when in government, mentioning the creation of the Radiology unit, the new road from Mgarr to Rabat, the restoration of the citadel, and multiple schemes which had been created.
President of the PN General Council Paula Mifsud Bonnici spoke on the 8,000 people currently unemployed, 5,800 of whom are youths, adding that the Maltese people are suffering. “The Labour Government pledged that Maltese youths would find work,” she added. The PN General Council President posed a question to the Prime Minister; “What will you do for students graduating this coming year who will be unable to find jobs?”
Deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami said that this government was ignoring the needs of the people, and was simply concentrating on those who were close to it. The pre-electoral pledges of meritocracy and "Malta Taghna Lkoll" had gone down the drain in just a few months. Young people who are getting an increase in stipends need to work for 30 years to earn what Minister Konrad Mizzi's wife gets in a day.