Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is trying to buy voters with their own money, according to Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil.

Dr Busuttil was addressing a crowd in Zurrieq as part of the Party's electoral campaign 'I Choose Malta'.

Refering to the housing pledges which were launched by the Nationalist Party this morning, Dr Busuttil said that in the Dr Muscat's legislature, the latter "won the medal of failure for housing," going on to explain that the government did not build any new housing in the past four years, but instead, increased the rent of social housing. Expressing disbelief, he said "people turn to social housing because they will be in a difficult financial situation."

He said that the Nationalist Party is pledging to put down that rent and give back the difference to those living in this housing, who had paid the increase over the past four years.  

"When I mentioned this point on Independence Day, Joseph Muscat then arranged it in the following budget, he also sent cheques to the people living there with the difference " he said. "I am glad he did a U-turn and went in the right direction, but he promised to change something which he himself did," he continued, "he is trying to buy the vote of people with their own money."

"I am promising to change something which someone else did," Dr Busuttil said, "and he is promising to change something which he did."

Refering to the comment made by German Regional Finance Minister Walter Borjan, that Malta is the Panama of Europe Dr Busuttil said he was 'hurt' and 'angered' by the comment, stating that he doesn't not agree with the comment.

"We do not have offshore companies or the structure for such companies," he said, "However, from the other side, the fact that Joseph Muscat chose to keep people like Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri, got us in a situation where it makes it more difficult to defend Malta's name outside of our country."

Leader of the Democratic Party Marlene Farrugia,  in a powerful speech, asked those present "What do you expect from me? I grew up in the government school down the road, and every day we put up the Maltese flag and sang the national anthem and the Zurrieq anthem, you should expect me to stand up for you.  I will obviously stand  for the fifth district. For the past four years, I was always defending not only the manifesto but I was in a state where I felt I had to always defend my country."

She explained how she used to want to check all business contracts in Parliament over the past four years "to make sure all deals were done well". She listed the contracts of Electrogas, Zonqor Point and the privatization of the hospitals. "The most important details were hidden," she said, "and you thought that I would not speak up?".

"Let's put Malta in the direction it deserves," she exclaimed, surrounded by a cheering crowd and a standing ovation.  

Candidates from the fifth district spoke prior to Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil. The candidates included Toni Bezzina, Shirley Cauchi, Noel Galea, Mario Rizzo Naudi, Mary Grace Vella, Stanley Zammit, Norman Vella and Marlene Farrugia.

In a powerful talk, NET television journalist Norman Vella listed a series of questions which he wants to ask Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, "Why are you showing us pledges on billboards when you could have implemented them in next year's budget, when you would have still been in Government?" he asked.

Hermann Schiavone, who is not new to the party, also gave a heartfelt speech addressing concerns linked with the employment of graduates in youth in the fifth district. "They have not been provided with a life where they feel sheltered," he said, mentioning that many graduates find it difficult to find jobs, where the positions are given instead to people chosen by the Government who are not as qualified. 

This evening, Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil is addressing a crowd in Zurrieq as part of the Party's electoral campaign 'I Choose Malta'. We are now in the second week of the campaign, following a snap election called by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat last week for the 3 June.  This week the party launched pledges on family, employment and a national plan for equality.