The Nationalist Party is ready to face its own and the country’s present and future challenges as it had successfully done in the past, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said today.
Addressing a mass meeting on the Granaries as part of the party’s Independence Day celebrations, Dr Busuttil said the PN had to show that as it had been on the right side of history when the country made its greatest acquisitions, it was also capable of being on the right side of the future - the future of a sovereign, modern and European state.
Dr Busuttil paid tribute to George Borg Olivier, who was Prime Minister when Malta achieved Independence and who, he said, had shown courage and vision providing the country with the key with which to open any door it wanted.
Dr Borg Olivier had built tourism from scratch, industry for productive employment and moved the country to the first change in power in 1971, an important acquisition when one considered that many former colonies had become dictatorial states.
He was personally insulted, but he overcome the insults in a gentlemanly fashion and with his love for the people. He overcame violence with reason and now, 50 years later, he emerged a winner, considered a gentleman even by his political adversaries.
Dr Busuttil said that what happened 50 years ago was only the beginning of many other acquisitions for the country to be a sovereign, modern and European state.
The PN believed that the sovereignty and independence of a nation was the sovereignty and independence of a people. It used the key Dr Borg Olivier had given the country to open many doors.
These included the doors of democracy for Parliament to reflect the will of the people, freedom, education, solidarity, respect and EU membership for the country to be successful and make its voice heard among that of other countries.
Dr Busuttil said there were many who had not been confident that Malta could join the European Union and make a success of membership. But he was always confident, did not lose heart then and would not lose heart now.
The PN had opened the door to a modern infrastructure, a free economy and opportunities.
What the Nationalist Party did it did for all the people. What it achieved was not a coincidence but a dream it had the courage to implement because it had clear and sound principles.
It managed to overcome major challenges and as the critics of Independence had now proven the PN right, so did the critics of EU membership.
He acknowledged that there were times when the party had not been on the right side of history and to show that it was genuine it had to be conscious of its mistakes, Dr Busuttil said.
However, when it came to the tough challenges needed to build a modern, European nation, it had always been on the right side of history.
The PN’s ambition now was to be on the right side in the building of the country’s future.
The party wanted an open dialogue society which acknowledged and utilised ideas from all sectors of society, it wanted a free society where everyone was equal, a society which safeguarded that which belonged to the public, one which considered future generations and had strong, fair and independent institutions which safeguarded the people’s interests, looked after the vulnerable and invested in its people.
It wanted a society that utilised the best ideas from among Maltese talent, of which Malta had a lot.
Although some of these ambitions were tough and a change was needed in the way of doing politics, although the PN was in Opposition, it still wanted to show it was capable of having a vision of the type of society it wanted.
It wanted to remain a party which believed in itself, was resilient, optimist and not afraid of challenges, which were also opportunities.
The party was using this time to place itself on a solid foundation in its policies, structures, communication and finances and the party would be calling a general convention for all party members.
Dr Busuttil said he believed in equal opportunities for all, inclusivity and the common good.
The party had to be close to the people, it had to build its policies on principles and values, be a secular party that respected Malta’s Christian identity but guaranteed the right to all beliefs, a party that looked to the future even if it was proud of the past.
It wanted its policies to be based on facts and truth and not populism and slogans, it wanted to be a party that was optimist for Malta and had confidence in the Maltese.