The Nationalist Party has a plan for the energy sector which would see the harnessing of new technology in order to cut bills and emissions, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.
Addressing a political meeting in Valletta, Grech said that the PN wanted to prove itself to be an alternative government, and noted that the party wants to put the energy sector had the centre of its work.
He said that the party wants to offer lower bills but also cleaner air using innovative means of energy generation and that its plans look at the long term in this regard. He referred to the government’s failure to get EU funding for a pipeline between Malta and Sicily, saying that the government’s outdated energy policy had resulted in the loss of €400 million.
Grech said the PN would be basing its energy policies on four principle pillars: electricity supply that favours the cheapest source; a plan for the generation of alternative energy; a plan for wide-scale clean energy production; and the necessary infrastructure to move towards electricity-powered transport.
During his speech, Grech praised the workers in the party’s media sector, saying that through them, the party can get to the people and not have its message left in the basement – a reference to a constitutional case which aims to close political party television stations.
Grech said that, unlike past governments, the PN had always believed in the Maltese people’s capability to be on par with other Europeans, which is why a push had been made for Malta to get into the EU.
“Everything you se around you was due to the ability of the PN, of European funds, and of people who understood and were proud that we can be a part of Europe”, Grech said.
Turning to the past week, Grech said that Malta is emerging from a week of “confusion”.
He started the explanation to this by referring to the recently released Corruption Perceptions index, which placed Malta 52nd in the world – the lowest rank it has ever held, saying that this is the continuity which Robert Abela had promised.
“He told us that we are in heaven – this is a Prime Minister who is not in contact with the people, and who is not understand what you are going through”, Grech said.
Moving on, he noted that Abela said that he will not be implementing any curfews, but then the day after implemented restrictions which mean that restaurants have a curfew from 11pm onwards. He said that while the PN agrees with such a measure, the Prime Minister should not take people for a ride.
He then turned to Finance Minister Clyde Caruana. When Caruana was the head of Jobsplus, Grech said that he led a policy that brought thousands of foreign workers to the country to fill the work market, something which the PN had criticized as being unsustainable and which is stopping the Maltese from improving their salaries and working conditions.
Today, Grech said, Caruana said that he had realized his mistake, and had effectively said that the PN was right in its critique. “That’s what happens when you don’t listen to people”, Grech said.
He said that in the past seven years, the Labour government had thrown away the reputation of the country in order to help a few people close to them and their friends move forward.
He said that the PN had continued to put forward proposals. He noted how the government first criticizes them or laughs them off before then adopting them and making them their own – like they had done with Hermann Schiavone’s proposal for stimulus vouchers.
Grech continued by noting Abela’s statement that he wants the country to return to business as usual as soon as possible, but at the same time he noted that the Prime Minister is not acknowledging the plight of the country’s frontliners.
He said that Covid-19 cases remain high, and that the contact tracing system has now “collapsed.”
“Remember, he who starts running before he can walk can trip in his own legs”, Grech said.
He also briefly touched upon a precedent recently set on old rents, saying that he was preoccupied by how thousands of people are now at risk of ending up on the streets if their landlord opens a court case against them.
He said that one cannot touch the rights of landlords, who he said have struggled for many years, but the government must also ensure that the government addresses the problem to ensure that nobody ends up on the street.
PN candidate and lawyer Joe Giglio and PN MP Therese Comodini Cachia addressed the political meeting as well.