Former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech had written to the European Commission a few days before the last general election objecting to its decision to cut incentives for Maltese industry, Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday.

Sent on March 5 last year, the Nationalist government told the commission that it was “unacceptable” but when Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took over, he accepted it and hid it from the people, he said.

Speaking at a political event in Naxxar, Dr Busuttil said Dr Muscat was now trying to shift the blame onto the previous administration as the decision was detrimental to the country.

Dr Busuttil said Dr Muscat even tried to shift the blame onto the Nationalist Party for a report on Gozo which was proposing to earmark €56 million for Gozo. The PN, he said, had nothing to be ashamed of because it managed to secure double that amount.

He also referred to the “album of shame” launched today by the PN, highlighting how people in the inner circles and close to the Labour government were “pigging out” on government jobs, consultancies and appointments.

“Joseph Muscat should be ashamed of this album because he promised meritocracy, he promised a Malta Tagħna Lkoll (Malta for all) and all we got were jobs for those closest to the core,” he said.

Dr Busuttil said people had the golden opportunity to show Dr Muscat that they disapprove of this state of affairs.

Referring to Dr Muscat’s challenge that Saturday’s election was a race between leaders, Dr Busuttil said his political adversary wanted to compete because he started with an advantage of 36,000 votes.

He said an elderly woman approached the party to express her shock that Mater Dei Hospital had sent her to buy a special dressing her husband needed, costing €65.45.

“Dr Muscat does not understand people’s concerns and is governing for himself rather than for them,” he said as he urged people to use their vote to help the PN elect three MEPs for the first time.