Labour leader Joseph Muscat should practise what he preaches and sack his deputy Toni Abela in the wake of private recordings unveiled last week, Simon Busuttil said yesterday.
He cannot say that he wants ‘clean’ politics and then defends his deputy on a drug-related case
“He cannot say that he wants ‘clean and untainted’ politics and then defends his deputy on a drug-related case,” the Nationalist deputy leader said.
Labour deputy leader Toni Abela was recorded in a private conversation with members of his party discussing a drug-related incident in a PL club in 2010, prompting calls for his resignation.
“The fact that Toni Abela tried to keep information on a serious crime from the police puts him in an untenable position and Dr Muscat has no other option but to sack him,” Dr Busuttil told a news conference.
When probed on the case of Austin Gatt who admitted omitting a Swiss account he inherited from his annual declaration, Dr Busuttil accused Labour of throwing mud at the minister despite claiming it wanted a positive campaign.
Turning to the economy, Dr Busuttil said the PN was the only party that could continue to guarantee economic prosperity during the coming five years.
“The electorate knows that we delivered on the economy and we have a track record which confirms our credibility. Our record speaks for itself,” he told a news conference.
Apart from creating 20,000 jobs, the PN is now aiming to generate another 25,000 jobs, Dr Busuttil said, and this will help the country continue to boost its employment rate, currently at its highest ever.
“If there is something which distinguishes the PN from Labour, it’s the economy,” Dr Busuttil argued.
“While with us everyone acknowledges that the country prospered, everyone remembers Labour for stagnation and unemployment,” he said.