Joseph Muscat has again criticised the Opposition leader for his scaremongering about foreign workers, insisting that challenges are not overcome by “building walls and closing doors”.

On Tuesday, Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia warned of “socio-cultural ruin” if the influx of foreign workers was not carefully managed as part of a long-term economic plan.

Dr Muscat speaking in Dingli. Photo: PL

Addressing party supporters in Dingli on Sunday morning, the Prime Minister said that both foreigners and the Maltese changed Malta.

“Our country has been changing, is changing, and will continue to change. We are not scared of change, we don’t instil fear through change and spread the belief that if we remove foreigners from Malta there will be no change and we will live happily ever after.

“We recognise the challenge, but we will not overcome it by building walls and closing doors. We will overcome it by building bridges and issue regulations.”

That is why the government was planning on introducing peace of mind within the rental market, where the challenge remained unpredictability, he said. 

“The economy is growing and people are willing to buy and rent, while foreigners want to come here to live and work.

“In the past, our country was not as attractive. But we are not a desert - people don’t want to move to a desert… we are an oasis.”

While others fanned populism and told people what they thought they wanted to hear, he told people what he believed in, Dr Muscat said, adding that instigating fear of foreigners was the easiest thing to do.

Change will never stop, he insisted. “Once it does, so will our raison d'être.”

Recycling plastic bottles

Dr Mucat also called on people to take plastic recycling seriously.

“The decision [to introduce a bottle recycling scheme] will require a big change in the way we do things. Not many people take waste recycling seriously, while those who do take it seriously are not sure whether their recyclable waste is not mixed with other waste.”

Plastic is one of the largest pollutants, which, if not treated well, contaminated the sea in an irreversible way.

“The irony is that before joining the EU, drinks used to be bottled in glass, and consumers would then exchange the bottles for money. We were forced to open the market to plastic, and now, nearly 20 years later the EU is saying the opposite.”

The bottle recycling scheme the government is proposing would see bottled beverages rise in price bty 10c, with the increase refunded when consumers deposit empty receptacles at vending machines installed across the island.

“This is the most effective manner to collect plastic, introducing discipline and having a recycling method in place that actually works. Some might tell you that the price of drinks will increase – but it will only increase if you are careless,” Dr Muscat told his audience.