While the Labour Government never misses an opportunity to accuse the Nationalist Party of being "negative" and "lacking ideas," the truth is that it is the Labour Government that likes to take credit for others' work and seizes every chance to copy and steal the PN's ideas, the PN said Monday.

Two years ago, during Social Justice Week, the PN initiated a discussion on poverty and food waste. This led to the PN presenting a Private Members' Bill in Parliament the following May on this subject, highlighting the need to reduce food waste and ensure that surplus food reaches individuals or families in need.

For two whole years, the Labour Government failed to bring this Private Members' Bill before the House of Representatives for discussion. Despite several attempts by PN representatives, including a speech by Party Leader Bernard Grech following the presentation of the 2025 Budget, Robert Abela has now copied and stolen this proposal, launching the initiative this morning as if it were his own.

While the PN welcomes this initiative, Robert Abela has confirmed that his Government - instead of taking the opportunity to send a message that, on occasions like these, both sides of the House can work together - has once again been divisive by ignoring the PN's proposals. Yet, he is now attempting to introduce the same positive proposals as his own, after selfishly depriving many people in need of benefiting from this initiative for two whole years, the PN said.

This is not the first time that proposals or schemes - such as voucher schemes during the pandemic, the Housing Rent scheme, and free transport for school children - originally put forward by the PN were ignored and criticised, only for the government to introduce them months or years later.

This is also the second episode in less than 24 hours in which Robert Abela's Government has taken the PN's proposals and copied them as if they were its own idea. Yesterday, Robert Abela announced that he would consider granting leave to parents who have lost a child during pregnancy - a measure that the Partit Nazzjonalista proposed four years ago, which also extends to parents who have lost children under the age of 18.

Robert Abela and his associates are only capable of copying and stealing ideas, the PN said.

In reply, the Labour Party said that contrary to what was said by the Nationalist Party after this morning's launch of the initiative Żomm Tarmix, this initiative has been planned by the Labour Party since 2022.

In fact, the initiative was electoral pledge 568 of the Labour Party's 'Malta Flimkien' Electoral Manifesto, today a Government electoral programme. The Nationalist Party does not lose one chance to be divisive and partisan, even on such a positive initiative that will help many families and voluntary organisations while rewarding those businesses that take part in it. This is done at the cost of distorting facts or disseminating false information, the PL said.

The implementation of this electoral programme measure will translate into less waste and more food products accessible to the public at a reduced price. It is another decision from a series of decisions taken by the Labour Party in the last twelve years to strengthen social justice in our country.

This Government is committed to continue implementing one measure after another from the Labour Party electoral manifesto. Certainly, it does not need to turn on the cheap politics and ideas of the Nationalist Party in order to make decisions in favour of Maltese and Gozitan families, the PL said.