A Nationalist Party-led government would construct a new road to improve connections to Gozo’s Mgarr Harbour, the party’s leader Bernard Grech pledged on Sunday.

Grech was speaking during a political activity focused solely on Gozo at the PN’s sub-headquarters in Sannat.

On the topic of connectivity, Grech said that the party had confirmed that their plan for Gozo can be funded by the European Union.

Among the first things that Grech said the PN would do if elected would be to stop the usage of the MV Nikolaus – the Greek ferry currently in Gozo Channel service – noting that this was a “third hand” ship and that it costs €13,000 to operate for eight hours – money that he said can be better invested into a new ship.

Grech said that a PN government would also invest in a fifth ship which is dedicated to cargo transit between Malta and Gozo, departing from the centre of Malta.  He said that the party would also invest in Mgarr Harbour as well.

This is where Grech mentioned the road leading to the port, saying that Gozo cannot depend on a one-land road as it creates a significant bottleneck, and therefore requires a new road to be built.

When questioned about the environmental impact that this may have, given that the upper surroundings of the port are fields, Grech replied that there is the possibility that some of this road can be done in the form of a tunnel.

He also said however that quantifying environmental impact is not just about land use, but also takes into consideration the emissions that are caused by traffic jams coming down to the port.

This is why, he said, a PN government would also use European funds to replace the three current ferries with new ones which run on alternative fuels and therefore do not pollute, Grech pledged.

Speaking on planning and construction on the sister island, Grech said that a “lack of development causes regression.”

“We need to establish this principle: development was always essential. The problem is when development is not balanced – when it doesn’t account for the collateral effects it can have,” he said, adding it needs to be ensured that development does not compromise on the positive that it brings.

“Under a PN government, we aren’t going to speak about control.  We were always the party which pushed our country forward in all aspects, and the party of control was always the Labour Party,” Grech said.

He said that the PL “doesn’t trust the people and instead tries to control them,” but added that in an effort to win more votes it had for years decided to allow everyone to do what they want.  Now, he continued, the PL is introducing control in order to solve the problems it created itself.  But those controls are increasing burdens for those who have always followed the law, Grech said, while those who abuse of it continue to do so.

Asked what the PN would do in the planning sector, Grech replied: “We will change how decisions are taken, so they’re not made by those who have personal interests but by those who have the authority, capability, and competence to ensure that everyone’s interests are protected.”

He placed special interest on neighbour’s interests being protected, and said that anyone would be able to develop but only if they respect the law and everyone’s rights.

Grech spoke briefly about tourism, saying that a PN government would incentivise particular niches such as scuba-diving and the entertainment sector through fiscal incentives, and also find ways to incentivise accommodation outlets to promote multi-day – rather than single day – stays in Gozo.

Asked about what the party would do to incentivise Gozitans to stay in Gozo, rather than feeling constrained to move to Malta to make ends meet, Grech said that the PN does not believe in control and if a Gozitan wants to work in Malta then that’s fine.

“The problem is when he doesn’t have a choice,” he said.

He says that reasons such as more career progression and higher salaries for the same job are among the reasons why Gozitans choose to Malta, and so investment is needed in order to make businesses more competitive and offer more opportunities.

More investment is also needed to encourage a better social life in Gozo as well, with Grech saying that this is another thing which impacts why youths seem to prefer to move to Malta.

“We want our youths to have all the necessary opportunities.  Youths are not just the future, but also the present and they are the ones who keep widening horizons.  I want Gozitan youths to be among the best in Europe,” he said.

When it comes to the health sector and Gozo, Grech questioned who believed the PL anymore.

“They’ve told you that they robbed you, that they threw away the money, and now they’re saying that they’ll finish the Gozo General Hospital… they haven’t even started it!,” Grech said.

“On health, the PL has zero credibility. The PN achieved and delivered on its promises and the people still enjoy the fruits of this investment, and that’s what we will keep doing by building a new Gozo General Hospital,” the PN leader added.

Finally, when asked about the PN’s idea for Gozo to have a regional council with decision-making power, Grech branded the PL as a party which “only lies and creates fake news” because it said that the PN wanted to remove the Gozo Ministry.

“We created the Gozo ministry, how can we be the ones to one day remove it?,” Grech said.

He said that the PN believes in Gozitans and in the principle of decisions being taken as close to the people as possible – and, especially, in people’s interests.

He said that the party wanted a regional council which has the authority and power to gather information so that it can make informed decisions for the interests of Gozo’s people, and also be represented in European fora.

“This is the biggest difference between the two parties; we believe in you and the PL is afraid of you,” he said.