Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil this morning announced the 10 people who will be chairing its policy fora.

They are Ivan Bartolo (economy and work), Valerie Sollars (education),  Maria Cassar (health), Albert Bell (social renewal), Maria Attard (environment and agriculture), Vicki Ann Cremona (Europe and foreign affairs), Joe Giglio (justice and home affairs), David Felice (culture and creativity), Rita Mifsud (Gozo) and Therese Comodini Cachia (overall vision).

Dr Busuttil said the fora’s task will be to meet and listen to professionals and others and come up with new policies for the future and review existing ones. The fora should reach out to anyone who could contribute.

The policies would eventually form part of the party’s manifesto.

Speaking on the Prime Minister’s refusal to confirm yesterday that the new gas-operated power station would be completed by March, Dr Busuttil said the Labour Party had promised reducing water and electricity bills by building the power station in two years and the Opposition and the people expected him to keep his promise.

Although he was now saying that the reductions would still be given, he was not saying what these would be financed from and the people had a right to know that they would not have to pay for these reductions from somewhere else.