The Nationalist Party has to win back the people’s respect on its own merit by presenting the best proposals for the country, rather than limiting itself to pointing out Labour’s mistakes, Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said this evening.
Dr Busuttil was speaking at the PN’s Independence mass meeting, his first address in a mass meeting.
His speech focused mainly on Labour’s first six months in government and the challenges ahead for the PN to win back the trust of the majority of the electorate in five years’ time.
Dr Busuttil referred to the landslide defeat in last March’s general election remarking that the recent months have been the most difficult in the party’s recent history. He added that the PN has to regroup not only to stand a good chance of returning to power but because a strong Opposition was crucial for a healthy democracy.
Dr Busuttil acknowledged that the PN in recent years lost credibility, saying it had not conveyed the message of a united party.
The party had also left it late to reacted against mudslinging campaigns, and it had lost touch with the people.
The Opposition leader said that despite these shortcomings, PN-led administrations never stooped to the low levels which had characterised the first six months of the Labour government.
Meritocracy was the first Labour slogan which went out of the window, Dr Busuttil said, referring to a number of appointments given to Labour-leaning people and prominent figures in Labour’s billboard campaign.
He also reiterated his criticism about police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit saying that he was more interested in defending the Labour Party that the people. Dr Busuttil added that government was now mounting pressure on the army chief to resign, to be replaced by a Labour-leaning person.
The PN leader recent to the recent agreement with China, hitting out against the government for “selling one third of Enemalta behind the people’s back with no public call”. He also criticised the government’s decision to continue using heavy fuel oil for another two years, remarking that this decision was taken by the same party which branded this kind of fuel as a “cancer factory” prior to the general election.
Touching on employment he said that the jobless rate was at its highest since 2009, while lashing out against the decision to employ the wife of Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi in a top government post. He said that in normal European democracies such action would lead to the immediate resignation of the minister. (Cries of 'Shame on you' by the crowd, a phrase used by the minister, Konrad Mizzi, before the election)
The PN leader also referred to Malta’s downgrade by credit rating agency Fitch, saying that this was the result of the government’s lack of clear vision and economic plan. Borrowing a popular phrase used by the Prime Minister at the height of the immigration with the EU in July, Dr Busuttil said that the government must “wake up and smell the coffee” by presenting a clear plan for job creation.
Dr Busuttil said even though Labour may not be delivering on its promises, the PN must work hard to win back the people’s trust through its commitment to present a clear direction for the country.
He added that honesty and integrity must be part and parcel of a united party which must persuade the electorate that it has the best plans for the economy.
“I ventured into politics as I believe that this is a tool to create wealth and not because of the greed to be in power at all costs”, the PN leader said.
Dr Busuttil concluded his speech saying that he will not adopt a populist approach by promising everything to everyone but by seeking the common good.
The opening remarks of the PN leader's speech were characterised by the presence on stage next to him, of ten-year-old Michaela who will undergo heart surgery. Dr Busuttil said her courage to face the challenges at such a tender age was exemplary - with the crowd bursting in applause.
Those who attended the meeting included former leader Lawrence Gonzi.