Prime Minister Robert Abela took aim at the Opposition on Sunday, claiming that the PN is stuck in the past.

Abela was addressing a Labour Party political activity in Tarxien.

"The PL believes in investing in people to grow the economy. The PN is anchored in the past and if they were leading the country today, would do what they had done in 2008, where despite the international challenges they would not have helped anyone," Abela said.

"Recently they launched a whole attack on the work I conducted as a lawyer, a career I left behind to become Prime Minister and serve my country (...) With the strength you give me and the satisfaction of working for my country, I have no regrets in making the decision (to become PM)."

This was in reference to a statement made by the PN. The PN said that the last thing a greylisted country needs is a shadow being cast over the Prime Minister, "that he could have been involved in money laundering schemes." The PN's statement came after a story published in the Times of Malta, that Abela had a stake in a property deal back in 2018 which was eventually transferred to Christian Borg, a man recently charged with kidnapping. It has also been reported that Borg and his associates are being investigated by the police over suspected narcotics smuggling and money laundering. Abela was his Borg's lawyer in the past. The Times report reads: "The property deal in question involved what is known as assignment of rights (ċessjoni ta' dritijiet fuq konvenju). This is a legal mechanism that allows the proposed buyer in a promise of sale agreement on a property to pass those purchasing rights over to a third party." It also reports that it can be legitimately used if a proposed buyer finds another party willing to purchase the property instead, but quotes sources as saying that it can also be known to be used to avoid tax or conceal irregular payments.

The PN said that Abela has a lot to answer about this case, including about the number of times he used this method in transactions made - including in his own transactions, how much money he received and if he declared everything.

Abela, speaking during the political activity, said: "They spin and twist the truth because they cannot find anything to say."

He said he will answer to every question put to him. "I gave the information to journalists of my own volition as I believe in transparency. But we know that for the forces of the establishment, the truth is not important. They want to remove our focus from what is most important. They want to take us backwards. I say to them, they have no chance, as for us the future and the leadership of this country is the most important thing."

The Prime Minister spoke of IVF and the government's pledge to make the IVF medicines free of charge. He said that the government will provide a refund for IVF medicine in the form of a grant to all couples who, from 1 January, were going through an IVF process. This will remain in force until the medicines through the public procurement process arrive halfway through June.

Turning to the election, Abela said: "We cannot risk what we have achieved and what we want to achieve."

Abela took aim at the PN for reversing its position on a number of issues. He said that Bernard Grech said that he would change the cannabis reform law if elected to government. "This means he would remove it. In Parliament they spoke as much as they could against this law. They want to throw us backwards."

"Before that, they had said that we had stolen their proposal..."

"They want to keep the name of the law, but remove its essence. They are trying to please everyone with one foot in either direction and that is the worst thing you can do in politics. It is better to show people what you believe in rather than try and take them for a ride."

"You know where you stand with us. We believe in this law and if the people again place their trust in us, we will leave that law in place."

He spoke of the citizenship by investment scheme. "Even on this scheme the Opposition Leader had a foot in either direction, depending on who he is talking to. He is inconsistent. I cannot even count the number of versions he has changed on this scheme."

Abela said that with the practitioners of the scheme, Grech would speak in favour of it, yet in the media would leave the door open.  Abela said that in a mandatory yearly meeting with the Opposition Leader over the citizenship by investment scheme, "Grech spoke more in favour of the scheme than each of us has ever spoken in favour of it. We couldn't believe what we were hearing."

"The Opposition Leader is inconsistent. When alone he says one thing, yet when his strings are pulled says something else."

"If trusted with the leadership of the country, the opposition threatens all we have achieved."

Abela said that the government always takes the needed decisions and has shown that decisions were always taken in the best interest of the people.

"When the moment to choose comes, I want people to choose based on our track record, and more than that based on the projects we have planned for the future of the country."

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri also addressed the crowd.

He spoke of igaming. "In 2020, the number of people working in gaming was 8,300. Last year, the number of people working in this industry increased by 2,000 people."

"Others created fear that the companies will leave, we worked harder to bring more companies."