There has been a 4% decrease in trust in Prime minister Robert Abela as people are now realising "how fake he is," PN Leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday during an interview on party media.
This result came to surface after a survey was carried out by MaltaToday, he said.
When Prime Minister Robert Abela says that there was no issue with governance, it shows that he is not in touch with the reality of the people and that he does not know what is happening, said Grech. He added that a total of 12 ministers that Abela is surrounded with are involved in a scandal or have been in the past.
As an example, he mentioned the episode of former education minister Justine Caruana where she gave a work contract to a friend who was not qualified for the job. He also said that the latest one is Health Minister Chris Fearne, awarding a contract worth €163,000 a year to Carmen Ciantar to act as CEO of the Foundation for Medical Sevices.
New Covid-19 measures
Grech said that the PN is in touch with the people.
He said that in reality there are individuals who are feeling threatened by the implimentation of measures coming into force.
The PN leader said that he is not against the Covid-19 vaccine or booster as he believes these are needed tools.
Noting that while there are individuals who may have taken the vaccine but are not willing to take the booster, others cannot take it because of their health.
He added that these people have rights too, but with the new measures, they might not attend activities that are beneficial for their mental health or go to work.
Air Malta
Commenting on the decision to cut Air Malta's workforce by half, Bernard Grech said it is vital that they do not end up jobless.
"The Government lied about Air Malta's financial situation when they said that there would be a surplus, as now the Minister for Finance Clyde Caruana said that Air Malta is like a fireplace, where you place money, and it just burns."
Noting the position Air Malta was in 2012, he said that the PN knew what needed to be done, and they were ready to act.
Speaking on behalf of the party, he said that Air Malta is important for the Nationalist Party and that they will do everything in their power to make the situation better.
Above all, the PN expects that when they are elected to govern, they would still find an Air Malta, "as it is an institution that Malta cannot afford to lose."
The increased cost of living
Commenting on concerns raised about the increased cost of living, Bernard Grech said that the current Government aims to fatten its wallet.
The Government's contract given to Carmen Ciantar, which amounts to €163,000, is more than the recent AI Research Fund announced by the Government a few days ago, a sector with much potential, Grech said.
A PN government is ready to allocate a €40 million fund to facilitate European commerce, and for people to have a better job, especially those who export raw materials. He said this will ensure that basic necessities do not continue to increase in price.
Grech noted that the Government is using independent media to convince that this is an international problem and that he can do nothing about it.
A PN government will ensure that such issues are tackled early, where if they become unavoidable, they will make sure to minimize its negative impacts, he added.
12 legislative bills to partially amend Malta's reputation
Answering questions during the interview, Grech said that the 12 bills the PN proposed that would implement some of the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry recommendations and fight corruption would make sure that the problems created by politicians emerge.
Commenting on the reaction given by Prime Minister Robert Abela, where he said that these bills are a gimmick by the PN in efforts for the upcoming election, he said that all the current Government thinks about is the forthcoming election.
Police force
Turning to the police, Grech said that the PL has tarnished the reputation of the Police force, and some officers are leaving the force.
Grech added that since the Police force are considered essential, their safety and security needs to be guaranteed and this should be reflected in the laws implemented.
He added that Police officers feel demoralized at work, with some of them unable to complete the last few years needed to complete their 25 years of service.