Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech detailed his party's vision for the country's future: a new economic model guaranteeing peace of mind and promoting quality of life for all locals.
Grech addressed a PN independence activity on Wednesday evening at Triton Square, Floriana and, on brand with the theme of the party's independence activities "moving forward" ('il quddiem), the Opposition leader described how he and his party believes the country should progress while celebrating the country's 60th anniversary since acquiring independence from British rule.
While speaking about the Nationalist Party's vision for the country, Grech stated that if elected to power, PN will begin working to implement a new economic model. He remarked that education must support this new economic model by equipping youths with the skills required for the present day and the future, as the key to empowering people to broaden their horizons and access new opportunities.
"This new economic model must anticipate the incoming needs of the future, rather than adjust itself reactively," Grech said.
He summarised the goal of the party's economic model to go past economic growth, emphasising the goals in favour of providing peace of mind, improving on citizens' quality of life, as well as allowing Maltese people to work, enjoy their loved ones, and be happy. Grech added that "economy is not just about numbers to us or an exercise of accounting ledgers, but it is an opportunity and a responsibility for everyone to progress and have the wellbeing they deserve."
"This is my and the Nationalist Party's commitment for you to move forward in our country," Grech said, "Only this way can we guarantee [a positive] quality of life."
Grech also said that for the country to progress, infrastructure must be bolstered sufficiently so that it can handle the present situation as well as support the envisioned and desired economic model of active governments.
On this point, the PN leader iterated how past Nationalist governments have historically provided citizens with much of the infrastructure we still make use of today, such as the reverse osmosis plants during the 1980s. Grech also pointed towards the Nationalist administration of the start of this millennium that acted on its vision to get Malta into the European Union.
"PN has never feared to make decisions that inspire our country to progress forwards," Grech said.
Bernard Grech discussed how the country, in his view, has now arrived at a crossroads for important decisions to be taken for the future of Malta, Gozo, and the Maltese people. Referencing the country's northern-most sister island, Grech said that Gozo can also progress forwards, and that his party's vision can help it advance past the setbacks and issues that the island and its locals presently face.
During his remarks, the Nationalist Party leader pledged that should the party be trusted to lead the country, then their vision for the future will lead to the creation of jobs for everyone. He promised that if elected to power, the Nationalist Party will invest in several economic sectors to provide strong salaries. Here, Grech added that this includes craftsmanship and manual labour, stating that "the time has ended where people look down at crafts as inferior work."
Grech also pledged that PN's vision and new economic model would sustain itself through ESG principles, committing itself to the environment, social wellbeing, good governance, and sustainability. Part of this vision involves investing in economic sectors that are centred around digital transformation, he recounted.
Valuing meritocracy and pre-emptive planning
Throughout his speech, Bernard Grech threw jabs at the present administration, stating that when in power, the Nationalist Party will value meritocracy, and ensure that people advance throughout their professional life if they have the skills to function in a trusted role.
"We cannot remain a country where a person acquires a position simply because they are close to certain someone," Grech said while also dismissing appointed ambassadorships and chief executive positions within government entities to people with "no experience or no idea what their entity does."
Grech narrated how through the developments that have occurred since the European Parliament elections earlier this year, people should see that they can trust his party to lead the way.
Grech recounted how during this year's election campaign, he repeated how the party's two MEPs during the previous term, Roberta Metsola and David Casa, had accomplished plentiful in their positions, despite PN not having three out of Malta's six seats. He then said that as of today, through the news that David Casa has been selected to lead an anti-corruption legislation on behalf of the European Parliament, PN is already doing a lot with its re-acquired third seat up in Brussels.
The Nationalist Party leader also called for governance centred around pre-emptive planning, rather than the reactionary "pointing of fingers when times of crisis arise." As an example of the present administration's reactionary responses he referred to, Grech mentioned how the government had blamed climate change for the power cut situation that plagued the country last summer.
Prior to Grech's remarks, Ġorġ Mallia, Joseph Farrugia, Marisa Xuereb, Michael Galea, and Daniel Vella Fondacaro all gave their own remarks on the country at the moment, collectively speaking negatively about the present state of affairs, economic model, planning, and the government's described inability to be self-critical.