The government was “lying blatantly” to people in the way it was talking about the drop in the country’s deficit and the increase in debt, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said.
The deception lay in saying the deficit had been reduced while at the same time managing to lower energy tariffs and refund the VAT paid on car registration. But the deficit figure was last year’s and the reduction of tariffs and the VAT refund had still to take place, he said.
“The government has blatantly lied to your faces... it’s not right to have a government that insults our intelligence,” Dr Busuttil said during a party activity in Paola, ahead of the May MEP elections.
Dr Busuttil said the figures created contradictions that had to be explained. Government had said the deficit was down from €225.7 million in 2012 to €203 million, while the debt increased by €373 million, reaching €5.24 billion.
The government was not explaining where the difference between the €203 million and the €373 million had gone, he said.
Ann Fenech, the president of the PN executive, said she had met many people while drawing up the report on the party’s general election defeat and remained in contact with them. Today, she said, they were questioning why they had voted Labour.
Many were convinced by what the PL had said during its “convincing campaign”. They were promised meritocracy and transparency but now realised this was not being delivered.
She was taken aback by the “absurd and disgusting” way in which the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta (Brigadier Martin Xuereb), an accomplished man, was forced to leave. Instead the government put a major (Jeffrey Curmi) in charge of the armed forces.
One had to keep in mind that four grades separated the ranks and this showed disrespect towards the important institution.
She also brought up the case of Mount Carmel Hospital CEO Dolores Gauci, who had no links with politics but had vast experience in the field of mental health. The Labour government put a lawyer, Clifton Grima, in her place.
“I would love to know how he merits the post,” she said, adding the government had based itself on “who you know” rather than “what you know.”