Opposition leader Simon Busuttil yesterday vowed to make a clean break with the party’s past and stay in close touch with the people.

“My pledge for the next general election is not to let the party detach itself from the people, as this issue has to be addressed once and for all,” Dr Busuttil said in the concluding address of the first PN General Convention.

The event, which was open to the party’s thousands of members, was held over the weekend at the Corinthia Hotel in St Julian’s as part of the PN’s efforts to appeal to the grassroots and regain lost ground after the landslide defeats at the general and European Parliament elections.

In his hour-long speech, Dr Busuttil also challenged his audience to embrace all sectors of society, including those who do not feel at home within the party such as gay people and migrants.

We must ask ourselves if we believe in diversity and an open party

The convention, he said, had given a platform to these people as they were invited to share their ideas.

“We must now ask ourselves whether we have the courage to accept them within the PN, if we believe in diversity and an open party,” he said.

In what could be interpreted as a shift in his approach, there was no podium on stage as Dr Busuttil opted for a more casual delivery.

Simon Busuttil chose a more casual delivery style for his speech.

Dressed in shirt and tie, with no jacket, Dr Busuttil seemed much more at ease as he walked to and fro on stage making his points. The scene was reminiscent of the first speech made by his political rival, Joseph Muscat, after his election as party leader in 2008.

The next general election was winnable, he insisted, even though he acknowledged that “the party will start with a deficit of 36,000 votes”.

“We will be in government and so we must start preparing ourselves.”

Dr Busuttil turned to the controversy fuelled by the allegations made by Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi over a solar energy contract that was awarded under the Nationalist administration.

He said he wanted to make his position clear: if the police probe was to find any evidence of wrongdoing by George Pullicino, the minister at the time, he would be ready to take action against his own MP.

If there was no case, he would expect Mr Mizzi to shoulder responsibility and resign.

Last week Dr Mizzi said in Parliament that the Nationalist government had awarded a €35 million feed-in tariff contract that bound the country for 35 years.

An audit investigation had found shameful irregularities in the contract, which was for the installation of photovoltaic panels on public buildings.

The contract provided for a feed-in tariff of 23 cents per electricity unit for 25 years when it should have been 16 cents.

Mr Pullicino denied that the tariff was his decision and said it was authorised by the Malta Resources Authority.

Both Dr Mizzi and Mr Pullicino referred the case to the police for investigation.

Workshop policy suggestions

A non-political debate on abortion and euthanasia, a tax on fast food to combat obesity, a free bus service to reduce traffic and a course for couples entering civil unions... these were among the suggestions made during workshops organised during the PN’s convention, called Idea Malta.

They were outlined by Rosette Thake, who chaired the event yesterday morning. She said the debate on abortion and euthanasia would serve to empower people to take an informed decision if they were asked to give their views on the issue, rather than take hasty decisions as was the case with divorce and civil union.

Among the other ideas floated were a constitutional reform incorporating upper and a lower Houses of Parliament, the extension of obligatory education to 18, and giving local councils responsibility for some social services.