In an attempt to cover up the misconduct of its Ministers and their associates, the Labour Party shamelessly continues to lie, the Nationalist Party said Friday..

Because the PN is demanding transparency regarding the exorbitant spending on the Film Festival, Labour issued a statement trying to scare people into thinking that the PN will remove the cash rebates from the film industry.

It was the PN that introduced cash rebates to attract investment in the film industry and the only thing it will do when in Government is to ensure that the Maltese industry is the first to benefit from more support and has a level playing field. And that no one has to sleep with anyone to get what they deserve.

It was the PN who established the Malta Film Commission and the PN has nothing to learn from Labour on how to grow industries, the party said.

What a PN Government will certainly not do is use the industry for the Minister and his friends to pose and squander public funds on glitz while leaving Maltese artists with crumbs.

The Labour Government turned the Film Festival into a farce to the extent that Jason Micallef, the Labour Party's Special Delegate in charge of implementing their own electoral manifesto, was appalled at how they squandered money which was supposed to be invested in the film industry. Labour stalwart Neville Gafà wrote at length about Owen Bonnici's incompetence and wastefulness as he fed oysters and poured the finest drinks for around 1,000 guests, transporting them by yachts and accommodating them in the country's top hotels.

The PN said it is always ready to listen to how we can grow our existing industries and attract new industries and economic sectors to our country. In this field, the Labour Government has failed completely.

The Labour Party has been in Government for 13 years and still has yet to attract its first economic niche, because the only one it had, that of selling passports, it has now had to dismantle. All it is left with is foreign workers, the PN said.

Had it not been for the sectors established in our country by the PN - gaming, financial services, maritime, aviation, pharmaceuticals and others - the economy of this country would have hit a wall long ago, the PN said.

In reply, the Labour Party said the PN issued a hysterical statement because it has been "caught that it will dismantle the cash rebate that has left so much wealth in the film industry".

Instead of continuing with its parochial and negative policy, can the Nationalist Party explain how the capped rebate system that will replace the current cash rebate will work, and how much the capped rebate will be?

Workers, investors and thousands of families whose job depends on this sector must hear a simple answer from the Nationalist Party on this, the PL said.

These workers do not know whether their job is at risk with the Nationalist Party, while the Labour Party in Government is investing in this industry to continue creating jobs and wealth for the people.