Prime Minister Robert Abela is ignoring society and continuing to say that the proposed legal amendment to the country's abortion laws will not introduce abortion into the country, when everyone is warning government that it will, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.
The controversial amendments to the abortion law have raised concerns from academics, nurses, doctors, as well as thousands of people who have protested against it, who are saying that the amendment will introduce abortion into the country. The amendments aim to protect the mother and the doctor legally, allowing doctors to perform abortions if the mother's life, or health, is at risk.
Speaking in an interview on NET TV, Grech said: "We should be helping and supporting the mother's health in the case of mental health problems, while also saving the baby."
"The PN remains the only party which works in favour of life," Grech said, adding that on Monday 19 December, the PN will vote against the bill.
On the higher cost of living, which is being especially felt during the festive season, Grech said that the amount of people who are at risk of poverty have increased at an alarming rate in the past 10 years under a PL government.
"The PL government only cares about the economy moving forward. This is politics of quantity which has brought the destruction of peoples' quality of life, more construction, traffic and crime," Grech said.
He continued that under a PL government, units of housing were not made a priority, and the people are realizing the difference between their quality of life, and that of a Minister. Grech said that ministers and government do not realize the difficult realities people have to face.
Grech spoke about water and electricity bills, again reiterating that Abela is trying to change history.
"The truth is that the PL government has been stealing from peoples' electricity and water bills for 10 years. This has been confirmed by the Auditor General and the Court. First they denied it, then they said that it was an anomaly, and up until today, they are still stealing," he said.
Grech condemned government for only giving people their stolen money back in arrears from the 1st of January 2022, saying that this money should be given back in full dating back to 1st of January, 2014.
He mentioned the motion presented in parliament on this, saying that if government votes against it, it would be voting against the people and refraining from giving back all the money owed.
Grech said that the PN has always been a party which debates, discusses and is open to dialogue, and is close to the people, and for the people.
"We must move forward based on honesty and values, we cannot become individualists. Abela is trying to make fun of people, as in the case of the abortion bill, he is trying to convince everyone that the amendments will not introduce abortion." Grech said.
He said that in the past, PN governments have made reforms even if there was a backlash at the time, such as the ban on smoking in certain public areas.
"The PN believes in the right thing, even if it is not popular or populist," Grech said.
Grech also said that under a PL government, local councils and councillors said that they effectively became 'customer care', as the government still does what it wishes in their locality yet they must still listen to the public's complaints.
"The PL government is trying to take away, little by little, the power local councils have," Grech said, adding that previous PN administrations had believed in local councillors, and gave them power over their localities.
He said that there is the need for another reform, and that the PN has created a strong document after holding discussions with local councillors, to help strengthen local governments.
Grech said that Prime Minister Robert Abela is trying to rewrite Malta's history, by only criticising past PN governments instead of acknowledging the great achievements it had made.
"We are proud of the achievements attained by PN governments in the past," Grech said, mentioning Malta's entry into the European Union, reforms in education and for the media, and creating economic sectors such as the aviation and maritime sectors.
Grech said that Abela is trying to make the public forget Malta's history.