Prime Minister Robert Abela failed to condemn the actions of Speaker Anglu Farrugia over the letter the latter sent to Matthew Caruana Galizia, the PN said in a statement.

The son of Daphne Caruana Galizia had written to Farrugia calling for his resignation for failing to reprimand Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar. He took the Speaker to task saying that he had simply asked the Clerk to send a letter to Cutajar to inform her that the standards committee had decided to reprimand her, meaning that the former PS was not actually reprimanded, let alone sanctioned. The issue revolves around a decision by the Standards Committee to adopt a report which had found Cutajar in breach of ethics over her role in a failed property deal involving Yorgen Fenech.

The Speaker then sent Caruana Galizia a legal letter penned by Professor Ian Refalo. The lawyer said the Speaker was rebutting the "unfounded" allegations, and invited Caruana Galizia to brush up on the law, saying that he should not have written directly to the Speaker.

The PN said the Speaker defended the government, adding that this went against the Speaker's oath of loyalty, in which he swore to remain loyal and faithful to the people, the Republic and the Constitution.

"Robert Abela also failed to disassociate himself publicly from the comments of government in-house lawyer Anthony DeGiovanni (...) This, after he (the lawyer) said that Matthew Caruana Galizia was partially responsible for his mother's murder," the PN said.

"Abela continues to tolerate such divisive and derogatory comments from PL exponents."

The PN took aim at Abela over education. The PN said that Abela had to change three education ministers in a single year, and has failed to state why 70% of Maltese youths feel frustrated living in the country."

On cannabis reform, the PN said that after the appeal made by doctors, psychiatrists, the constituted bodies and experts in the subject, "Abela is again trying to deviate attention by lying, and saying that this law will decriminalise the use of cannabis, but does not say that the responsible use of cannabis has been decriminalised since 2015, a law which the PN had voted in favour of."

"The PN wants a change in vision for a better environment that we have today, for better education and work, for a better quality of life and a far better reputation than the one that was destroyed by Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela. A PN government will lead a more just society, where opportunities will be there for everyone," the PN statement read.