Opposition leader Simon Busuttil asked today how the government could announce a €200 million investment in the health sector when it had not yet even issued a call for expressions of interest by investors.

Speaking at a political conference in Gozo, Dr Busuttil wondered whether this was a case where Health and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi already knew who the investors would be, despite the call still not having been made.

One hoped that this investment would be realised, Dr Busuttil said. But it seemed that wherever Dr Mizzi was involved, there was playing about with the truth. This was the same minister who should have inaugurated the promised new power station last week, and yet construction had not even been started.  

Now how did he know how much the new health sector investment would be when no call had yet been made?

In his speech Dr Busuttil said the Nationalist Party was already making a difference in the people’s lives. He also hit out at the government for unequal distribution of  wealth.

He said that a big example of how the PN had made a difference to people’s lives was in the way how it had led the government to reduce fuel prices. But that, he said, had happened three months after oil prices started going down. In keeping fuel prices high, the government had undermined not just motorists, but also the economy.

This government, he said, had raised a range of taxes, including the costs of some 400 government services.

This government, he said, was ignoring categories of pensioners, who now could not make ends meet.

The PN policy, he said, was to promote economic growth that yielded equitable distribution of wealth for all.  

The PN policy should be based on honesty and being close to the people, and not the sort of political  interference as seen in the oil hedging process or the Cafe' Premier, he said.

He referred to Labour's daily meetings as part of the local election campaign and asked who was financing the party. The government, he said, was involved in too many issued that gave rise to “pungent smells”.

“Where is the Labour Party getting the money to finance the daily meetings? This raises questions on how the party is being financed,” he said.

Dr Busuttil said appointments such as that of Cyrus Engerer as the prime minister's envoy in Brussels disheartened those who studied and worked hard.

“Appointing Cyrus Engerer because he is a soldier of steel sends out the wrong message to those who study and graduate and expect to be evaluated on their abilities,” Dr Busuttil said to applause. 

He said that under this government, even freedom was being undermined, with people admitting that they preferred not to go to PN activities because they feared reprisals.

Referring to the situation in Libya and the resultant security threat, Dr Busuttil said the prime minister had claimed that, for the first time, the EU had taken a decision for a direct intervention in Libya. Yet the conclusions of last week’s summit showed nothing of that sort.   

In a reference to last week’s Times Talk programme, Dr Busuttil observed that independent observers were already giving the thumbs down to the government. The PN, therefore, needed to continue to work hard to present clear alternatives to this government.