PN leader Simon Busuttil today outlined a number of proposals a future PN government would implement, one of them being giving more independence to institutions and authorities.

He cited Minister Helena Dalli’s case with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, instead of defending the public, defending the minister.

Mepa said this week that following a site inspection it carried out on 14 November and a comparison made with photos taken on 29 March 2012, no further construction works had been carried out on a site in Zejtun belonging to Minister Dalli and her husband.

Dr Busuttil said that another proposal concerns the appointment of a Commissioner for Standards in public life. He said a proposal made by the PN has been ignored by the government.

He said that a future PN government will ensure that before individuals are entrusted to fill public positions, they should be scrutinised in parliament.

People who are appointed to government boards and authorities must be really competent, and not simply be given a reward for appearing on a billboard.

The PN leader, who ended his speech by saying, “stand up for what is right”,  was speaking during the three-day PN general conference, themed ‘Political Honesty,’ which came to a close this morning.

PN demands answers on helipad cover-up

On Minister Manuel Mallia, Dr Busuttil said that the minister should shoulder political responsibility following an incident which led to his driver driver being accused of attempted murder.

The driver is facing such accusations only because the Opposition pressed for this to happen, and only after public pressure for the government to react after such a horrible incident.

He took umbrage over the fact that a number of MPs are earning thousands of euros after they were given dual roles, some earning more than the prime minister.

He also referred to another cover-up, revealed by The Malta Independent today, regarding the helipad incident at St Luke’s Hospital, where a patient lost his life after a parked car illegally parked on the  helipad did not allow the helicopter to land. The Department of Health had said that the patient would have died anyhow and the parked car was not the reason behind the patient’s death.

The Malta Independent on Sunday revealed that the records related to the registration number of the vehicle which was parked on the helipad, disappeared from Transport Malta’s registry. Dr Busuttil demanded that questions raised are answered.

Busuttil says facts speak for themselves on Budget

He said that the European Commission has said that Malta’s budget is off-track so it is not just the Opposition who is stating so.

“When the PN speaks out on the current economic situation, the government emerges saying that we have no knowledge of economic matters, even when we present facts such as statistics issued by the EC,” he said.

He said that the Opposition will be voting against the budget for various reasons, including the fact that it has no social or economic direction and “because the government has no moral authority”. Dr Busuttil said this budget does not seek new avenues to enhance economic activity while the budget does not distribute wealth in a just way.

PM should take action following some ministers’ irregularities

Highlighting other irregularities involving a number of Dr Muscat’s cabinet ministers, Dr Busuttil called on the prime minister, “who claims to be a positive person, to take action”. Dr Busuttil explained that the way this government is tackling certain issues is only leading to the public losing trust in politicians across the board.

On PL MP Luciano Busuttil, he said that he was accused by the Court of Appeal as having had a conflict of interest. “We also heard that the same person, who is the chairman of the Malta Council of Sports, asked to review all tenders beforehand, something that his predecessor did not do.”

He said that Minister Mizzi went to Spain before the bidding process tied to the public transport service even ended, questioning why he met up with one of the bidders. Dr Busuttil said that Minister Helena Dalli should shoulder political responsibility over the illegal works carried out at a property both her and her husband own.‘PM reviving old honoraria issue to divert attention’

Dr Busuttil also referred to Dr Muscat’s reviving of an old issue, the honoraria, to divert attention from more pertinent issues.

Dr Busuttil said that this week witnessed a number of events unfold but if he were to point out which was the most positive of the lot, it is the visit to, “our headquarters by a number of University graduates”.

Earlier

Addressing the conference, deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami started off his speech by thanking everyone for their support during the difficult moments he experienced to do with his health recently. Turning to honesty in politics, he said that where there is a lack of it, this is where corruption starts.

"Not one day goes by without witnessing the government being caught up in some controversy or other," he said. He questioned how a minister can go negotiate a deal with a bidder for a tender and then the same bidder is chosen as the preferred bidder, referring to the meeting held between Minister Joe Mizzi and Autobuses de Leon in Spain earlier this year.

Secretary general Chris Said termed the Budget as a “billboard budget” while also stating that the big screens airing the Prime Minister’s speech in St George’s Square reminded us of a scene in North Korea. He also referred to the helipad cover-up, revealed by The Malta Independent on Sunday, today.

PN MP Toni Bezzina, who shadows transport, said that the government hasn't the solutions to problems the country faces.

He accused the government of hanging around with criminals and employing them in its various ministries. Mr Bezzina said that it is about time the prime minister starts acting after two years in government.

"The time has come in the name of honest politics to take action against those who are abusing power," he said.

Former PN MP Edwin Vassallo said that the kind of politics Dr Busuttil is pledging to follow, that of honesty, is risky since it is unpopular but this is the way forward. He said the PN should learn from its past mistakes and also from Dr Muscat's.

The conference, which kicked off on Friday tackled a number of topics, including how best one can see that entitities, such as the Ombudsman, the Police Force and the Administration of Justice are left to work independently.

In a news conference launching the event earlier in the week, secretary general Chris Said pressed on the isse that such eneitties are witnessing political interference and vowed that a PN government, once elected, would ensure that these entities are left to work without any poltical interference.

PN MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici also pointed out that the government is building its policies on a pack of lies while the PN is working to ensure that its politics is based on honesty.

(PN spokesman on education Joe Cassar)

PN deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Mario de Marco on Friday accused the Labour administration of suffering from amnesia after he said the government has failed to live up to its promises and is doing things differently. Dr De Marco said that as Labour was turning itself into a right-wing party, the PN could once again become the centre-left party that stands for solidarity.

PN MP Mario Galea said that the late Gianni Psaila, known as il-Pupa, who was a convicted criminal, had changed his attitude after a bomb had been planted under his car. Mr Galea said that Psaila had called him soon after the incident and told him that on 1 December 1986, a driver of a then Labour minister, who occupies an important role in Brussels today, had fired shots towards the Tarxien PN club. Psaila had also told him that it was him who assisted the minsiter’s driver. Mr Galea was making this reference to what happened  recently, where a minister’s driver was involved in a shooting incident, highlighting that such an incident happened in as short as 20 months the PL has been governing for.

PN MEP Therese Commodini Cachia said that politics should be based on the voice of each and every one of us, whatever the sector of society we represent. She said that politicians can earn their respect only if they serve the people in an honest way and not seek to serve individuals who belong to their inner circles.

“The PN was in need of a shake-up,” she admitted. The shake-up, she added, is being conducted by Dr Busuttil without blowing his trumpets.

(Simon Busuttil's girlfriend Kristina Chetcuti)

'Honesty is the best policy'

PN MP Clyde Puli said that a PL government made a lot of pledges prior to the general election but has failed to live up to them. He said that the PN’s weapon is the truth, honesty, seriousness, justice.

“Honesty is the best policy,” he said.

MP Charlo Bonnici said that the government ended up hostage to hunters after it promised them the earth prior to the general election.

MP Francis Zammit Dimech said that the country is witnessing a massive deficit, in terms of the public’s trust after the government entered an ‘agreement’ with the people but now it turns out that that ‘agreement’ has been jeopardised.

'Inclusivity is the PN's new way of doing politics'

MP Robert Arrigo said that those who wanted a change and voted for Labour did not get the desired change. He said that the PN’s new way of doing politics is that of inclusivity.

MP Joe Cassar highlighted that Dr Muscat keeps saying that all what he pledged is being implemented, referring to the meagre two euro cent increase daily for students. He said that students are facing an increase in fees in Matsec exams and therefore Dr Muscat has taken away, much more than he gave, to students.

'Man of the moment for PN is Simon Busuttil'

PN executive president Anne Fenech said we were not surprised to learn that the PL’s slogans would evaporate, as they did, such as good governance and accountability. She said that we did not join the EU so that 10 years later, the government’s way of doing things would remind us of a dictatorial-run country. She said that the PN's man of the moment is Simon Busuttil.

MP Tonio Fenech said that the increased fees on car licences and insurance policies were done to make up for the reduction in energy tariffs, while taking umbrage over the the increase in eco-reduction on car tyres and a set of measures we are to face, among the tax increase on wine.