Our pensioners are worried their only source of income is at risk, PN MP Ivan Bartolo said. This is more so when the government has refrained from commenting and avoiding the question of pensions following Michael Falzon’s statement last week.

Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon last week urged people to invest in private pension plans, warning that a demographic shift to an ageing population could impact the public pension system. 

Addressing the media at the party headquarters on Monday, Bartolo said that people elect a government that should protect the common good and ensure a fair distribution of wealth. He added that during their time in government, PN made sure pensions were bettered in various ways. Most significantly by asking for and seeing through revisions of pensions. He said, however, that the government has slept on it and finally its mask fell.

He said it lied when it said an increase in foreigners would benefit pensioners. Bartolo asked government for a statement proving him wrong and put pensioners minds at rest. He added that any government with a strong economy should not have problems with the provision of social benefits.

Ex-Labour PM Joseph Muscat was quoted by PN MP Albert Buttigieg: “If you don’t want more foreigners say goodbye to pensions”.

Buttigieg said that despite the influx of foreigners each paying taxes and N.I, government has created doubt on pensions. He said that it was all a great excuse to justify the massive increase in population that is disrupting our infrastructure but increasing our economy.

He said that Joseph Muscat’s lie was carried on by Robert Abela for this purpose. All their talk of “zero tolerance” was a lie, he said, and ultimately this was done to keep their hold on power. He added that the hardships foreign workers face rarely result in their getting a pension and that we are short-changing them.

For a just society, the elderly must be allowed to live an active and good quality of life, PN MP Stephen Spiteri said. He added that this must not only be done for today’s elderly but also for those of the future. The elderly’s needs such as medicines and treatment for their vulnerability to diseases must be catered for. But he said this was not reached by the government’s yearly increase in pensions at the Budget.

Spiteri said that the waiting lists for government-provided ophthalmic and orthopaedic surgery are months to years-long. So those who cannot do the procedures privately must suffer a poor quality of life. He added that the rising price of accommodation is incompatible with their pension that rarely goes above €800. Spiteri said that despite their contributions to the economy we are now enjoying, our elderly struggle to keep up with their daily needs and suffer in silence. He proposed that the waiting lists are fast tracked. Ultimately, Spiteri said, we need a plan, vision and reassurance. He said that this is what PN offers.