Joseph Muscat promises another ‘earthquake’

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he will lead the country with the same courage he showed five years ago when he took over the Labour Party's reigns.

In a throwback to his inaugural speech upon taking over the party in 2008, Muscat said: "I will embark on an earthquake of change in country's administration and I will be proved right once again. I have a clear mandate to change things and that is what will be done."

Speaking on the appointment of television presenter and Nationalist Party supporter Lou Bondi on the national festivities foundation, Muscat said: "I understand the genuine anger shown by Labourites but in five years time we will have a different country with different structures where everybody can work freely and injustices will become a thing of the past."

In reaction to the controversy stirred by Bondi's appointment, with Labourites including MEP Joseph Cuschieri venting their anger online, Muscat said: "During the past five years, I was the one who suffered the brunt of vicious personal attacks. If anyone should feel insulted it is me. However, when I was elected as party leader five years ago, I said I would carry out an earthquake in the party and people did not believe me. I took certain decisions, which were controversial and caused a stir and following recent appointments we are getting the same kind of reaction."

Muscat reassured listeners and urged them to have faith in his methods. "I know what I am doing, as I knew what I was doing five years ago."

He added that the foundation for national festivities includes a wide array of persons from different fields, from historians to DJs "because I really want these feasts to belong to everyone."

He reiterated his longing to see Labourites celebrate Independence Day with Nationalists and vice-versa.

"I believe that next year Nationalists can recognise the importance of Freedom Day achieved by Dom Mintoff. In the same way I want Labourites to recognise the importance, albeit one could have certain reservations, of Gorg Borg Olivier's Independence. I do not want to be accused of not giving the 50^th anniversary from Independence its due importance," Muscat said.

Speaking on the Labour Party's One Radio, Muscat defended the controversial appointments which have characterised the first 100 days of the new government.

He said meritocracy should neither exclude Labourites nor Nationalists. "We have to relay and reinforce the message that we are committed to work with everyone."

In reference to Jason Micallef's controversial appointment as chairman of the V18 board, overseeing Valletta's 2018 European Cultural Capital title, Muscat said: "I believe that he will do a good job and I will defend all appointments because I believe that everyone who was appointed will do a good job."

On former Nationalist stalwart John Dalli's forthcoming executive role in health, Muscat described the system as "rotten" and stressed that the previous government had no plans in place but "was simply managing health by crisis."

Insisting that the government is tackling three main areas in health, namely, primary health care, out-of-stock medicines and the emergency department, Muscat said John Dalli's appointment follows the government's resolve to carry out wholesome reforms. "If nothing is done, the system will collapse," Muscat said.  

Muscat said it was health minister Godfrey Farrugia himself who suggested that Dalli should be invited to help the government in the health sector since the former PN minister was the last health minister to lay out a clear roadmap in the health sector.

Muscat also said that his government would be carrying out public consultation meetings for each ministry every six months.

"Our message is clear, we have an open door policy where people can come forward with their criticism and they can freely voice their opinions," Muscat said, adding that the Cabinet of Ministers will also hold meetings outside Castille.

"Every now and then Cabinet meetings will be taken outside Castille and take place in different localities in Local Council or parish halls," he said.