Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said that government statistics on population size are hiding Malta's true population number, accusing the government of not knowing who is entering and leaving the country.

In his speech during the Estimates Committee in Parliament, Grech said that this is clearly shown when government, to be seen as if it is taking action on the growing population size, announces that a certain number of people were found to be illegally living in Malta, remarking that these do not make part of government statistics.

Grech said that as we are now worried about the government not knowing who enters and leaves the country, this means that the country has a problem of security. "We do not have the necessary guarantee to have control on the peace of mind and the needs of the citizens," Grech said.

"After hearing the Budget speech, and after the Prime Minister answers and diminishes the PN's arguments, the people still make this question to themselves, "am I living better?"" Grech said.

He said that the reality is that at the end of the day, people feel that their lives are not moving forward, and this is evident in the number of surveys, studies and editorials being done.

Grech mentioned the Chamber of SMEs study, which showed that 8 out of 10 family businesses confirmed that the country is moving in the wrong direction. He mentioned foreign investors, where the absolute majority feel that they cannot guarantee their investment in the country, as well as youths wanting to leave Malta.

He said that the elderly are being sent away because the hospital is telling them that they cannot carry out the operations they need.

"The people ask, why are we going backwards in some aspects, and not forward?" Grech said.

Grech turned to foreigners in Malta, saying that the people say that they are not comfortable using public transport, despite it being free of charge, as the buses are full of foreigners. He said that he had an LSE approach him, saying that eight out of 11 of her students were foreign.

"It would be a mistake to make the distinction because someone is foreign, but foreigners outside of the EU are not coming here because we are in the EU, but because they are being imported," Grech said, adding that this government had no clear economic direction, but only increased the population, resulting into growing sectors without a plan, which led to the solution to import more workers.

He said that government's aim is to import foreigners of any level or country who can work with low wages, and those who aspire to have a higher pay lost the comfort that if they work hard, they will move forward, as there are plenty more foreigners ready to do the same job for lower pay.

Grech said that despite government's "massive investment" in roads, amounting to over €700 million, the people are still stuck in traffic, raising the question that there are problems with government's investments.

He said that government's reply on traffic was to leave the house later, and the Minister's reply to solving the traffic caused by the recent SiGMA conference, was for the event to start later.

"This is a government without a plan, it is laughing in people's faces," Grech said.

Grech said having a new economy does not only mean a new economic model, but also new thoughts and direction on how decisions are made, adding that everything is tied together.

He spoke about the country's reputation, and said that the government has not understood that once it was removed from the greylist, this did not solve the problem.

"We must restore the qualities of this country to raise it to the international level, and continue attracting investment, moving from a quantity to a quality economy," Grech said.

He said that a PN government would make the environment an integral part of the renewal and restoration of the national patrimony, and accused government of using cliches and buzzwords on the environment, while knowing that drainage is being dumped in the sea, deeming this unacceptable.

Grech said that all aspects of infrastructure are not meeting the citizen's demands. He appealed for social responsibility, meaning that everyone must shoulder responsibility. A PN government focuses on the society's wellbeing, justice, inclusivity, and support for those in need, as the aim is to build a society where no one is left behind.

Grech said a certain priority for the PN is to end the culture of slavery, and the abuse of people whomever they are, as everyone has the right to dignity.

He said that he does not take pleasure in coming to Parliament and telling government that it has lost its socialist values. "You were elected into Parliament to do good, and not serve the few. There must be wisdom, sense and seriousness in politics, or else you lose everything. I want you to do what is right," Grech said, addressing the other side of the house.

On transparency, Grech said that it was unacceptable for Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo to refuse to publish the full Malta Film Commission report giving the reason that he did not trust the PN. Grech accused Bartolo of hiding, and that it is the Opposition's job to keep government in check.

Taking another dig at Bartolo, Grech made reference to the ruling given earlier in Parliament where Bartolo was found in breach of protocols for giving questions to a Public Accounts Committee witness ahead of the sitting.

"Where is the transparency and separation of our roles? Where is the respect towards the institutions? Bartolo must resign immediately from the PAC, and if he stays, then the Prime Minister must remove him," Grech said.

He reiterated that the PN's politics is different from that of governments: a politics where no one is left behind.