The PN Parliamentary Group's actions on Monday shows that it is united, the party's new secretary general, Charles Bonello, told The Malta Independent on Sunday.

"We did not want to discuss an anti-democratic motion," Bonello said. 

He described the motion as the majority party saying it can give a "direct hit" to the minority party. "With us or without us in Parliament, was there any doubt that the vote would pass? So then, just because they have the majority, they can break the minority and start censuring one person after the next? That is an attack on the democracy of the country, on the highest institution of the country."

"We did not want to be a part of it," he said.

Nationalist Party MPs walked out of the Parliament chamber in protest on Monday, and again on Tuesday, denouncing the Labour Party's motion that condemned PN MP Karol Aquilina for his "arrogant behaviour" towards Speaker Anġlu Farrugia. The Labour Party said that Aquilina had accused Speaker Farrugia of bias and used terms such as "obscene" and "unable to think," even suggesting that the Speaker should sit with government members.

Following the PN MPs' walkout on Monday, PL MPs proceeded to talk about the motion in an otherwise empty chamber, and Prime Minister Robert Abela described what had happened as a clear indication of the division that exists on the Opposition benches. He said that the only compromise they could reach was to walk out of Parliament as there was so much internal fighting that the PN was unable to take a position on the vote of the motion. 

But Bonello, who replaced Michael Piccinino as PN secretary general 10 days ago, rejected Abela's notion that the PN was divided on this and other issues.

"What did you see in Parliament on Monday (and Tuesday)? Our whole Parliamentary Group leaving. That was the best message, that everyone stood up and left, as we did not want to discuss a motion that breaks the democratic system of our country."

'We are not divided'

Asked whether the rhetoric used against the Speaker has caused friction inside the party, Bonello said: "Every group is made up of different characters. The way I react does not mean that another person has to react the same way. The way I think is not the way someone else thinks, but that doesn't mean we cannot sit down together around a table."

"Having a divergence in thought doesn't bother me. We are not in a totalitarian country where, if someone opens their mouth, we would cut off their heads. We as the PN never practised that and will not practice it. You have the right to express yourself as you want, but obviously in a correct way. Then, finally there would be a decision taken in the group and even by the party, and everyone must follow that direction. Despite all that they (the PL) did to try and paint us as divided, the whole PN Parliamentary Group stood up and walked out, as we did not want to discuss that motion."

"I understand why the PL wants to continue painting us as a divided party and continue riding on the difficulties the PN passed through years ago, as that is an easy narrative to try and fool people with. Judge us on the facts. The facts on Monday showed that we are a united Parliamentary Group, and when the government tries to attack not only us, but democracy, like this week, we were unanimously united to safeguard democracy in our country. On Monday we did not safeguard any interest of the PN or of a single MP; on Monday we safeguarded and fought so that this country would not go back 40-50 years, where we would have an unrestrained attack on democracy."

He called the PL's motion in Parliament this week a "flashback to the 80s, but in a different way."

He said that over the past 12 or so years the government "hijacked the authorities and structures" of the country, "and was recently tying the hands of magistrates not to conduct inquiries." The government has now taken the matter to another level, going "a step further and began directly attacking democracy in our country at its heart."

"If we are not going to be wise and not look at [political] colours and ensure that our country saves its democracy, then this country is destined for the abyss." 

Asked whether the PN should be attacking the Speaker as it has been, he said: "We have to respect the institutions. It could be that certain comments were made in the heat of the moment. Maybe we could have not been as furious, but we must also understand that the opposition has a role in Parliament and it must be given the respect that it deserves. Every member of the Opposition must be given the respect they deserve and must have the protection they deserve."

Lively discussions

The Prime Minister has been accusing the PN of having been taken over by an extremist faction. 

Bonello said that the party's response to that was Monday's action, where "everyone followed Bernard Grech."

"I could make a hundred arguments to say how united we are, how good we are, but let's just talk about the facts. Look at the PN over the past months and couple of years and judge for yourself. Did we always agree on everything internally? No. Were there heated discussions? As many as you want. But we are here to bring out the best for the party and the country. God forbid I sat at a table with eight people, with me speaking and everyone just nodding and saying yes, as I would have a problem."

"I want a lively discussion." He said that internal criticism doesn't bother him.

The rhetoric between the PN and PL has become harsher over time, even hateful. Asked whether it will escalate over the coming two years, he said that militant politics bothers him. "We already have politics based on persuasion and I want to see more of it. I want to work more so that our politics is one of persuasion. You are asking me a question, the response of which does not depend on me alone. Despite that I want politics of persuasion, we also need to respond to criticism. If I have a bombardment against me, I have to respond. But I think we always have to respond with dignity. The people don't want politics of extreme confrontation."

As for whether he would describe the language used between the two parties as extreme over recent years, he said that there were circumstances from both sides. "But you also need to recognise that in the past 12-13 years things happened in this country that we had never heard of. I'm referring to corruption, the contracts, the population increase, situations where the people tell the government to stop, but it just continued going. I am also referring to the environment, where this government ran roughshod over everyone."

Regarding the environment, he said that the PN is not against sustainable construction. "We need to take the country forward and to do so you need to take measures that are partially good on one side but then there would be certain regress elsewhere. But let's ensure that they are sustainable developments, and that for someone to do something they do not put their neighbours through hell." 

"We are here to create policies for the common good," he said.

PM's argument that government strengthened the institutions is 'laughable'

Prime Minister Abela has made the argument that the government strengthened the institutions and changed the way major appointments are appointed. "Laughable," Bonello replied.

The PN Secretary General stressed that he has no difficulty with the 2/3rds majority being introduced as a requirement for certain posts, mentioning the police commissioner as an example but, he said, the problems were caused by the institutions having stopped working properly because of this government.

Speaking about appointments to top positions, "the problem with this government is that its choices are made with bad intentions. Let's not pretend that systems that worked for years and years are changed to show how transparent they now are. It's good that the change happened, I'm not saying it's bad, and I have no difficulty with it, but was it needed given that they worked for years and years? Why now... because the choice of appointments are being made with bad intentions. That is the root of the problem, appointing people to positions not because they are capable, but because they are friends or can help them, that is the problem."

In an interview given to another media house soon after he was elected, Bonello was reported as having said that the PN has a 90% chance of winning the next election if it unites and "pulls the same rope". Asked about this, he clarified: "I was asked, between 1-10, how much of a chance the party has to win. I had said even 9 (...) I said we have a chance to win the election if we all continue pulling the same rope. I am not sending a message that we are divided, but I do not know what could happen tomorrow in the PN, PL or Malta. But the party is united" and pulls the same rope, he said. 

Financial problems

Bonello was asked about the party's financial struggles. "I don't understand why there is a focus on the financial problems of our party when there is another party which also has financial problems, it is as though everyone is focused on ours and for others everything passes."

He said that he only became Secretary General a few days ago. "Our financial problems are under control, and have long been under control. Difficulties remain, but we are working to reduce those difficulties. This is debt that was accumulated over time. We are looking to ensure that the debt does not increase and that it is reduced. There are a number of measures which I will continue to strengthen to work along two binaries - that the debt definitely does not increase, and that we see the debt reduce." He said that this issue had begun being tackled years ago, and thanked those who over the years worked and made sacrifices, as well as current employees "who work and give 110% effort." He also spoke about wanting to expand the volunteer base.

Asked whether one of the way he foresees reducing debt is by selling any party owned property, Bonello said that the party "does not have any intention to sell property."

'The people spoke in the elections last June'

While the polls show that the PN still lags behind the PL, Bonello said that the results in June were an indication of what the people feel.

"The people spoke in the elections last June. They spoke clearly and were not afraid of speaking up and taking action." He said that those who decided not to vote as also took action.

Both major parties have their core voters, he said. "Then you have two other groups, those who voted for the Labour Party in the last general election but lost trust in the PL and found the courage and trust in us to vote for us, and the 100,000 voters who lost hope in the PL but have not yet found the courage or trust in us to vote for us. Our mission in the coming two years is to tackle that."

As for how the party intends to do that, he spoke of the need to convince people. "Our policies are good, what we are proposing is good. We have published some proposals but we are still working on others. If we want to have the best proposals, we want to listen to the people."

Told that even with the proposals the party had made prior to the election, there are still many undecided voters, he said that the party wants to help people understand that "politics is not dirty, and that the two parties are not the same."

To say that politics is dirty and that the parties are the same is a Labour Party narrative, he said. "I understand why the PL says that the parties are the same, as then if voters don't have a choice they might as well not change." 

"Politics is a tool with which we can help people. We do not lead the same way the PL does. We are not corrupt, and we want to lead with serious politics." 

He said that very few people see the damage that was done to the country in international fora. While many underestimate this, he said, it is a main credibility issue for the economy with foreign persons. He said it is of the utmost importance for foreign businesspersons to see that the person they are talking to is coming from a serious country and is someone they can do business with and trust without knowing them.