Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday that Prime Minister Robert Abela is "still in some way or other being controlled by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat".

During an interview on party media, He was asked about the interview with Joseph Muscat that was published recently. "It is evident that we have a Prime Minister who is weak, and is controlled. Joseph Muscat doesn't interest me, he lost his credibility. Joseph Muscat damaged the country. He should be part of the past not the present. The problem is that Robert Abela cannot cut off from Muscat as he is in some way still controlled by him. I will not continue to comment on Joseph Muscat, what interests me is the country and getting it out of the situation we are in."

He said that the PN must be the party to bring about change in the country.

Asked about the Times of Malta survey, showing that the PN has gained ground, Grech said that he always looked at surveys as a picture of that moment in time.

He said that this survey fills him with courage as it shows that what the PN is doing is reaching the people and that the people are responding to the realities that the country is passing through.

Grech said the PN will continue working to show the public that the PN can continue becoming the party that can bring about needed change. "This government being close to criminality worries me," he said, mentioning that new scandals are too frequent. "It worries me that a month after the conclusions of the public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, that proved there is impunity, Prime Minister Robert Abela has not done anything. The people are showing that they want change." He urged people to join the PN in making the change together.

Turning to the Marsascala yacht marina proposal, which saw strong opposition since its announcement, Grech said that while sustainable development is necessary, we should not do something by damaging others. He said that complete consultation is needed when there are such projects.

"The government seems to have already decided on this development and why? Because it is committed, has its hands tied, because decisions are being taken in a room because of the friends of friends who want to benefit. This cannot continue to happen."

"We cannot let individuals take over everywhere to the detriment of the people."

Turning to the board set up by the PN to listen to injustices people face, Grech said that the party had soft-launched this project weeks ago. "After the official announcement, there were many more people who came forward for their complaints to be studied."

He said that his call is for everyone who feels that they were the victims of injustice, to go to the PN and speak about their issues.

Grech was asked about the cost of living in the country. He said that if the country does not have a strong economy, then the country cannot move forward. "But we cannot solely focus on the economy of the country, as this government is doing, and forget about the individuals."

"We want to ensure that everyone does well."

"There is a basic level of a decent life that everyone should reach. We don't want anyone to fall below that," he said.

Turning to the courts and a recent article penned by Mr Justice Francesco Depasquale, Grech spoke about how the justice system actually works in Malta. He said that the judiciary is saying that there are serious issues with how the courts are working. "There isn't just a backlog, but they are lacking resources and space."

He said that there is mismanagement of the courts. "For example, you would be called as a witness and you would go to court multiple times, yet the case would not be heard, or be heard late. You would use your leave or need to take time off work, or businessmen have to close their businesses during that time. We cannot tolerate this situation anymore. We have a justice minister who is out of his depth. He failed politically, as he was too close to alleged criminals, but he also failed as the court system kept on getting worse."

He was asked about the talent drain from the private sector to the public sector ahead of the election. Grech said that this is a situation that business people have spoken to the PN about over the past months, "especially in Gozo where it was being felt since December. It is evident that the government, while it seems has an advantage over the PN, is working extraordinarily to give jobs to people with the government. The PN will employ government workers when it is needed, but this does not mean that we will do this simply to acquire votes. What interests me is that the government has a good economy and attracts the best talent. You surely cannot do that to the detriment of the private sector however."

He said that the private sector is struggling to find employees. He said some businesses are telling the PN that they are not finding enough workers to open for a whole week. It is unacceptable that the government gives out jobs to take a political advantage on the eve of an election.