Early next year, works on the Cultural Hub in Marsa shall commence. This week, together with Aaron Zahra, Chairman of Festivals Malta, and Frans Agius, Festivals Malta CEO, and policy advisor Simon Abela and their teams we addressed a press conference to explain in detail our plans for this very beneficial project for carnival enthusiasts, artists and Maltese families.

This is a €15 million investment from European funds. A tender shall be published to have the land cleared, the size of three football pitches, in the Albert Town area.

This extraordinary complex shall include facilities for artists. Our aim is that this large complex welcomes all cultural genres, with spaces for bands, rehearsals, a green room, and dance halls. Carnival enthusiasts shall have warehousing space for trailers and areas for tailors, among others.

In addition, there will be an open square, which is twice the size of St. George's Square in Valletta.

This is the third massive project in the cultural sector in this legislature, after the restoration of the Grandmaster's Palace and the opening of MICAS.

Works are expected to start at the beginning of the new year and will be completed within four years.

The budget and the PN

Budget 2025 is causing the Nationalist Party many sleepless nights. Its attitude since its announcement has been nothing short of desperate. Meaningless press releases are dished out in heaps daily, and I've lost count of the press conferences held by its spokespersons.

The problem with Bernard Grech's Nationalist Party is lack of credibility on many issues, especially on economic matters; the environment; and other bread and butter issues.

Under the Lawrence Gonzi administration, inflation went through the roof. Instead of controlling it, as the Labour government did, and is still doing, it made matters worse by increasing, steeply, water and electricity rates for families and businesses.

Less taxes

Budget 2025 is the third out of five in this legislature that took nothing away from anybody except the burden of taxes. The first €1,000 of people's pay is now tax-free. Workers are expected to save between €375 and €675 thanks to the new tax bands. When combined with the increase in the children's allowance, a medium-income family with two children will see its income increase by €1,800.

PN's austerity budgets

No wonder that under PN administrations, they didn't want to advertise their budgets because they were austerity budgets. Today, people look forward to the budget. People know where they stand with us. Malta's economic growth has more than doubled compared to 2012 under a PN government

5 light bulbs

Gonzi's 'solution' to 'cushion' the impact of the exorbitant water and electricity rates was to give families 5 light bulbs. No wonder that in 2013, the Nationalist Party suffered a catastrophic defeat at the polls from which it has never recovered. It's a mess, really.

Cruel attacks

The PN's 'strategy', aware that they have zero credibility on bread-and-butter issues, is to lash out at the Labour Party and its people. They leave no stone unturned to try and tarnish the reputation of people who have a different political opinion than theirs, and they do so aggressively and at times, which is often cruelly.

A censoring attempt

After the budget, they went one step further. So desperate are they about the positive impact of the budget on families and businesses, and so annoyed are they about the fact that the budget has been positively welcomed by all, that they attempted to muzzle the government from explaining the budgetary measures on the national broadcaster. The PN engaged former PN Secretary General Paul Borg Olivier as its legal representative to do so.

Borg Olivier and PN Secretary General Michael Piccinino, accompanied by PN MPs Karol Aquilina and Claudette Buttigieg, went to Court to try and unashamedly were even prepared to send the PBS employees to prison in the process. The Court turned down their legal arguments and rejected them. The PN's attempt to silence the government about the budget and its positive effects failed miserably.

Once again, the Nationalist Party was on the wrong side of history. The same spots that the PN did not find a problem broadcasting for a fee on Net TV. They had a problem with them on the National Broadcasting. We will continue to defend to the end the PBS workers and the citizens' right to be informed about something so important as the Budget.

The PN is still in time to retract is request for the issue of contempt of court against the workers of PBS Ltd. If they decide to plough on, we will be there steadfastly protecting and defending the workers. This is no minor matter as the stakes are very high - a contempt of court may attract a sentence of imprisonment. 

Where's the beef?

The PN's pre-budget document, which was leaked by the Labour Party, is a textbook case of political incompetence. Its author is left wondering, he wrote it down, where is the beef, on PN policies relating to the energy sector.

Foreign workers

Malta's huge economic growth in recent years meant that our economy needed further human resources, and foreign workers were engaged especially in areas that were seriously short of staff: catering; construction; manufacturing; delivery services amongst others. However, aware of the need to address the growth in the number of foreign workers in Malta, the government shall be addressing this issue through an effective labour migration policy.

Asked by Saviour Balzan on this matter and how he would deal with this issue were he to be trusted with the government, Bernard Grech said that his solution would be to hold a national conference on this matter. Hilarious, were it not tragic. On this matter, we know what the PN plans are, thanks to their leaked pre-budget document: The importation of no less than 30,000 foreign workers to Malta. How's that for a solution? Unbelievable.

No wonder the electorate does not trust the PN.

Ozzy Lino

I really enjoyed attending a concert by Ozzy Lino where he played his own music throughout except for one song (Purple Haze). 

The concert was professional through and through and was very well attended. For me, Ozzy Lino is one of the singers who is up there, a cut above many.  Truly a magnificent talent and I wish him all the success in the world cause he deserves it. 

East

The Regional Council for the East has issued a very interesting book called "Tnax" (Twelve). This book contains stories from 12 different local authors and each story is inspired from a locality within the region. The book will be distributed amongst students of the 5th and 6th Year in order to inspire the upcoming generation to engage more with their communities. I believe that this effort is a big step in the right direction.

The President of the Council, Anthony Chircop, and his team deserve all the praise they can get for this laudable effort. I would like to thank also Daniel Cauchi, and Michael Spagnol who were the actual brains behind the book which was done with full attention to detail and is very attractive. Of course, it is crucial to keep our kids engaged and the presentation is very important.

'Tnax-il' emphasises also accessibility and inclusivity as it contains videos utilising Sign Language and sub-titles which can be reached through a QR code.

Well done indeed!