Blatant propaganda by the government made the Nationalist Party change its decision not to allow election candidates to host programmes on its broadcast media, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday.

In comments to this newspaper, Dr Busuttil said the Labour Party was exploiting all government resources to push its propaganda.

The initial decision, made last year, aimed to ensure a level playing field for all candidates and encourage them to appear on other media, he said.

However, in light of the way the government was making use of all media available to it, including Public Broadcasting Services, Dr Busuttil said the party wanted its candidates to use all their skills for the good of the party.

PN candidate David Thake, who set up his own radio station after the party dropped his show, said he believed this to be a good move, adding that the party needed to be flexible and “use all the assets it deemed fit”.

In light of the way the government was making use of all media available, including PBS, Dr Busuttil said the PN wanted its candidates to use all their skills for the PN’s good

Would he return to present a show on the party’s radio channel? Mr Thake replied that he remained at the disposal of the party and “by all means, would consider going back”.

Meanwhile, Dr Busuttil continued to remain supportive of controversial candidate Salvu Mallia, saying he has no regrets for bringing him on board as a general election candidate.

Mr Mallia’s outbursts made headlines in recent weeks after he brought up Adolf Hitler when discussing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s leadership traits, among other things, with the PN saying that he was conveying outrage against the corrupt Labour government.

“Salvu is doing a good job, especially since he is making politics interesting again.

“I think one of the problems politics is facing today is that people seem disgruntled by politicians,” Dr Busuttil told journalists following a visit to financial services firm Fexserv Company Limited.

Dr Busuttil insisted that Mr Mallia’s message reflected his own views that the party faced a tough challenge of getting rid of “the most corrupt government” this country had ever seen.

In an interview to The Sunday Times of Malta earlier this month, Mr Mallia said he joined the PN on two conditions: that he would be solely guided by his conscience and that he would put the Maltese flag before anything else.