It seems that the Maltese people want to walk the road forward with the Nationalist Party, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said as he spoke during a political activity on Sunday in Rabat, Gozo.

He said that he has recognised and taken note of recent surveys which have shown the PN leading ahead of the PL, though he remarked that the road ahead is “still long and uphill”. He remarked that the PN will still continue working and remains as “the party that believes in our country’s future.” He added that the PN believes that this future “can only be achieved together”.

A MaltaToday survey published on Sunday morning shows that the PN leads the PL by 12,000 votes, although Grech managed a 26.6% on the survey’s trust barometer compared to Prime Minister Robert Abela’s 42.6%.

Grech was speaking during a political activity on Sunday in Rabat, Gozo, where he said that Gozo should have a regional council which is capable of having decisions be made by Gozitans, “because they know what they want.”

Grech said that Gozo is primarily for Gozitans, and that Gozitans have the capacity, want, and enthusiasm to lead the island. “Gozo should be a regional island. We believe that no one can know what is better for Gozo than Gozitans.”

The political activity involved speakers from different associations and organisations from Gozo, including the Gozo University Group, which was represented by Presley Clark.

Responding to comments made by Clark earlier in the event, Grech said that the point of having better accessibility for Gozitans who are studying and working in Malta while also having it be feasible for Gozitans to maintain their future in Gozo is the fulcrum of what needs to be understood when it comes to a political direction for the island.

“We believe, and have always believed, that Gozo can offer the opportunities for Gozitan youths, workers, and professionals… all Gozitans who want their future in Gozo,” the Opposition Leader remarked. He continued that he enjoys how local youth are interested in pursuing futures in other European nations, “but not because they do not have a choice in Malta.”

Shifting to another point of discussion, Grech began speaking about business, as another speaker present was Daniel Borg of the Gozo Business Chamber.

Borg said that he wishes to see a more autonomous Gozo which is capable of deciding on its own priorities, as well as where money should be spent. He added that Gozo depends on sectors such as tourism and construction, but that these sectors need to be grown in a more sustainable manner, while also seeking out other sectors.

Grech said that business is a priority for the PN, and that it believes that private businesses are an essential part of economic growth both in Malta and Gozo. He remarked that he enjoys seeing businesses investing and people enjoying themselves, but that it needs to be understood that while businesses and those who invest have space and opportunity, “we cannot decrease from the rights of all those people who need to experience the same town square, roads, and sidewalks”.

On the matter of public space and the issue of business, vehicle, and pedestrian use, the PN Leader remarked that there needs to be a balance so that everyone can enjoy the use of public space.

Luke Said, from the NGO Ghawdix, said that Gozo need a strong and sustainable economy, but that it needs to be built on sectors that help Gozitans. He added that the voices of the Gozitans need to be heard so that Gozo is protected.

Joe Muscat, the CEO of the Gozo Tourism Association, said that connectivity is the success of every country that aspires to have a tourism industry. “Without connectivity, you cannot have a touristic destination,” he commented.

When asked to speak of short-term, medium-term, and long-term suggestions that the GTA would propose, he replied that in the short-term, a ticketing system should be introduced for the Gozo Channel which gives people the option to pre-book their journeys. He continued that there should also be a smart ticketing system which allows people to have one ticket that is able to be used on the Gozo Channel as well as the fast ferry and on public transport.

In the medium-term, he said that the Nikolaus ship needs to be changed and that a new ship should be bought or built on the level of the three other ships already in service. He continued that development on the Gozo airfield needs to be done as quickly as possible as it is an investment which Gozo has been awaiting for many years and “will give tourism a boost forward as it would improve connectivity”.

In the long-term, he said that the Gozo Channel’s fleet of ships should be changed. He remarked that the first ship came into service over 30 years ago, and that “like anything else, has their shelf-life”. He said that necessary investments need to be made in changing the fleet.

Muscat continued that as an association, the GTA has been clear from the beginning that it did not agree with the government’s proposal for the Gozo tunnel “for various reasons”. He added that the tourism sector believes in Gozo’s natural and environmental characteristics, and that every infrastructural investment needs to respect such characteristics. Having said that, the GTA CEO commented that the traffic problem needs to be solved, and that the time has come for serious consideration of an underground mass-transport system.

Grech said that the PN needs to not just be decisive and determined with political will, but that it needs to be prepared to share that p political will with a Gozitan council capable of making decisions, “and so Gozitans themselves would be able to make decisions for themselves and Gozo with that political will.”

He said that it is important that the discourse is clear. “The current government has evidently thrown away what it means to respect everyone’s rights. Regulations need to be enforced in a just and benevolent manner. It is our promise that with us, you know where you are.”

The Opposition Leader continued that the PN wants people to continue developing and investing, but that it also wants it to be understood that while developers have either rights and the PN wants to strengthen those rights, “we understand that we also have our obligations”. He continued that those obligations are an essential part of the understanding that we live in a community, “a community where space is everyone’s.” He remarked that this right needs to continue being defended everywhere, both in Gozo and Malta.

Grech said that the economy needs to continue moving forward, and commented that the PN will continue leading it forward, “not just with government investment but also with private investment by establishing a level playing field and an atmosphere where one works in a framework of clear regulations.”

“We want to continue growing the economy by reducing taxes, but a reduction in taxes in a special way for our families, because we believe that our families are investing in the future, investing in our children and youth. We want to strengthen our families, not with words as others do, but with our plans and solutions.”

The PN Leader said that it is not acceptable for the government to “continue stealing money from the people by taxing the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment)”, and said that the PN will remove the tax on the COLA.

Grech concluded by saying that the PN believes that “together, not just us politicians,” Gozo can be made better for Gozitans first and foremost, but also for Maltese. “Together, we can make our country and everyone’s lives better. Your wellbeing, the individual, is at the centre of our political thinking.”