Following what was dubbed the longest Budget speech in history last week, the Maltese had just heard “the most negative speech ever given by an Opposition leader in Parliament,” Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said last night.

Dr Busuttil had attacked every decision and every sector. He found no time to mention even a single point relating to what was going well. Neither did he have any words of encouragement to spare for families and businesses. “In a speech lasting over two hours, he did not speak about the crucial sector of education,” Dr Muscat said in reply to Dr Busuttil’s critique of the Budget.

He did not speak about the health sector, except to ridicule the rather alarming fact regarding the quality of the concrete at Mater Dei Hospital.

He did not speak about issues which most concerned people such as waiting lists and out-of-stock medicines.

“He does not grasp the most basic concepts of economy. He found the time to tell us that he wanted an increase in his and his MPs’ pay cheques and he is not understanding the unprecedented fight against social benefit abuse undertaken by this government.”

Dr Busuttil, the Prime Minister said, was detached from reality and did not feel the nation’s pulse.

“He focused on defending the legacy of his predecessors – Arriva, the €500 increase in pay cheques and high water and electricity bills.

“I expected him to tell us why we were risking a bailout. The word was never mentioned.”