Independent investigations on the Panama Papers scandal, the medical visas scandal and every other scandal would be opened by a new Nationalist government, PN leader Simon Busuttil promised this evening.

Addressing the party’s Independence Day mass meeting on the Granaries in Floriana, Dr Busuttil promised that his government would immediately publish all contracts and investigate those which included the involvement of the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri and Minister Konrad Mizzi, both of whom owned secret companies in Panama. These contracts included those relating to the power station, Enemalta and hospitals contracts, he said.

Speaking to applause, Dr Busuttil again appealed to the Prime Minister to get rid of Mr Schembri and Dr Mizzi as they were tainting Malta’s name abroad.

He promised to return Malta to being a trusted country in Europe and the world, to stop Malta from being seen as the country that sold citizenship, was involved in the Panama Papers scandal and in the medical visas scandal. It would once again become the country one would be proud of.

This was what “Let’s all Succeed Together”, the theme of this year’s independence celebrations, meant, he said.

Dr Busuttil also promised that people who served on the most senior positions in the country, starting from the President and including the Police Commissioner, would be elected with a two thirds majority vote in Parliament so that they would not be servile to the government but work independently in the interest of the people.

Many who were deceived by this government, he said, might be afraid to trust him, but while others had first been against the EU and then became in favour, he had always told the truth and worked hard for Malta to become an EU member.

I have no government jobs to promise… I cannot buy your vote… I will not bribe… I will not be bribed… I will not sell my soul… But I am honest

“I have no government jobs to promise… I cannot buy your vote… I will not bribe… I will not be bribed… I will not sell my soul… But I am honest,” he said.

The country, Dr Busuttil said, needed to become independent in thought, from injustices, from corruption, poverty and environmental pollution.

He would return power to the people, Dr Busuttil said adding that that was why he wanted to set up a National Coalition Against Corruption, a coalition in favour of clean politics, social justice and a better quality of life.

In this coalition he would welcome all the people of good will including genuine Labourites who felt that their party had sold its soul.

Dr Busuttil promised that a Nationalist government would respect workers and serve them and it would use tax money to help people on very low income.

It would return rental rates on government property, which were recently increased, to what they were and see that pensions were increased in a sustainable manner.

His government would ensure that people who needed care would get it by right and that operations were carried out according to medical urgency and not according to who one knew.

A Nationalist government would again start to invest in facilities and sports programmes including for the public.

He would not draw up policies from the office but would visit people and understand their situation, he said.

A Nationalist government would work for people with disability and look out for those who fell behind in school to help them succeed.

The priorities of a Nationalist government would be right and its economic policy would be focused on creating new sectors such as fintech - where financial services met technology, digital media services, logistics and distribution. Young people who came up with good ideas would be assisted to implement them.

On the environment, Dr Busuttil said that his government would ensure that the economy and the environment grew together and strengthened each other.

LNG gas tanker

He said he had just been informed that the LNG gas tanker had just left Sri Lanka and was on its way to Marsaxlokk. Residents of Marsaxlokk and Birżebbuġa were worried for their safety and the value of their properties.

These people, he said, would find the Nationalist Party behind them. The PN would be their voice and fight for them.

An alternative public transport system

On traffic, he said his vision was to invest in an alternative public transport system, such as the tram, a modern system that would link the whole country, ideally even Malta and Gozo, one that would encourage the people not to use their own transport.

Turning to corruption, Dr Busuttil promised that people who were found to be corrupt would have to answer for their behaviour, irrelevant what their position was.

The meeting was earlier addressed by the party's deputy leaders Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami.

One has to work for independence - Mario de Marco

Dr de Marco said independence was not something one received and kept.

"It’s something you have to work for everyday.” 

What independence were the people living when ministers did not work in the best interest of the country, and other ministers were not free to vote against them, when the interests of the Prime Minister were deemed more important than the national interest, when national institutions were not free to work in the best interest of the people, he asked.

Our next mission is to succeed together - Beppe Fenech Adami

Dr Fenech Adami paid homage to the Nationalist Party’s political heritage.

The Floriana Granaries, he said, had been witness to several of the party’s steps forward.

The party's next mission was to succeed together - a reference to the theme of this year’s celebrations.

The PN, he said, wanted to help everyone succeed, not just a handful of people as the government was doing.