'Proud to be a salesman for our families and business' - Muscat

The previous government didn’t even have the ability to take a decision on food, he adds.

“Health is a priority,” he says. Miriam Dalli

He says the Brangelina movie ‘By the Sea’ will showcase the sister island; on the permanent link to Gozo, Muscat said that the application filed by the PN for EU funds had been refused by the EU and the government had to do a fresh feasibility study.

Telling Busuttil that he was “bitter”, Muscat claims that PN MPs had “disassociated” themselves from Busuttil and his “negativity”. He adds that people close to the PN had been positioned in key posts in PBS and DOI but the Labour government had left them there.

“Simon Busuttil was a Radio 101 journalist and given a direct appointment at MIC,” Muscat says, as Chris Cardona quips “DJ Simon”.

Muscat says Busuttil couldn’t have been more rude when he referred to the parents of MPs.

The PM goes on to point out that whilst Busuttil criticized the IIP, “his friends” were making money through the programme; the number of PN MPs who held consultancies with the government; the Gozo whistleblowing case and much more.

Muscat says he was “surprised” that Busuttil “preferred to be destructive” and said nothing about the elderly. A budgetary measure launches a pilot project whereby the government would pay up to half the minimum wage of a live-in carer for elderly on waiting lists but whose families choose to keep them with them.

Muscat refers to reforms to help persons with disability, including incentives to encourage more people to join the workforce, Fondazzjoni Lino Spiteri to help with training and support at the place of work and the €12 million hub.

A €50 million project to restore housing estates and social reforms to help migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

He goes on to list in-work benefits and allowances for families and those who join the workforce.

Muscat says Busuttil had not yet understood that COLA was a compensation: “Saying that pensions used to increase thanks to the cost of living adjustment proves he hasn’t understood anything.”

15,400 pensioners to receive an average increase of €6.12 per week while 6.6 widowed pensioners will receive an average increase of €8.90 per week. “Do you know of any other country in Europe that can increase pensions for those most in need by 18% in a year?”

He says, that the international price of oil is higher than last January’s but the price in Malta was cheaper.

Muscat did not name the companies but said that the Prime Ministers at the time had valid reasons to do so.

He reminded that the PN used to call Labour’s pledge ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

“What about the debt on Enemalta? Not even 1c had been paid by the previous administration. Instead, we already halved the debts and we are honouring the debt ignored by the PN administrations.”

Muscat says Busuttil also got it wrong on the international price on oil. The average price was of $89 and not of $140. “The problem is that the PN hasn’t understood how the economic and energy policies work. What if we listen to the PN and do away with the new gas station? We would have to keep the Marsa power station running on HFO and bring back the chimney. We have to follow EU regulations and ensure security of supply. What happens if there’d be a technical fault with the interconnector? Are we going to spend three days without electricity?”

“Our policy has introduced stability; removes pollution.”

Busuttil yesterday said that the marginal expense of the interconnector is 6c2 per unit. According to the demand, this however can go up to 18c, depending on the demand in Sicily. Muscat says that one had to include congestion charges, trader scheduling charges, unbalance charges, dispatch fees, spinning reserve contribution, operational costs, maintenance costs, excise duties and insurance u transmission losses. This excludes depreciation.

Once again, Muscat hit out at Busuttil’s “zero economic credentials”.

He says the government was doing more to reach to the vulnerable, help workers out of precarious work and decreasing income tax while increasing pensions.

Muscat says Busuttil has a “statistical problem”, unable to properly read statistics. Amid claps and cheering from the government benches and objections from the Opposition side, Muscat turns to Busuttil and says: “Don’t be like [David Agius] … if you want to copy, at least copy correctly.”

Muscat says exports have increased by 8% to the EU and 27% outside the EU, contradicting claims by Busuttil that exports were on the decrease. He goes to contradict a number of other statistics cited by the Opposition leader, including those relating to employment.

“We are here to defend honest workers, honest families and honest taxpayers. If those who want to abuse of social benefits want to find refuge in the PN, then be it. But we will not allow abuse. We are proud to engage more teachers and more LSAs and more doctors.”

Muscat says the percentage of workers with the government has decreased from 26.7% under the PN to 26.1%.

429 people joined the public service over the past year, including 121 with health and 282 in education.

Muscat says the government was opening new sectors in education, health, logistics and energy.

He adds that debt under the PN administration, debt had increased by €100 million per month.

“While others are experts in speaking about EU funds, we are experts in implementing them.”

Referring to a 3.6% deficit in 2013, Muscat says his government chose policies which consolidated economy growth – resulting in a 1.6% deficit by end of year. The government is now targeting 1.1%.

“We changed direction, decreased bills and income tax. We are accused of increasing expenditure, and yes we did: we have increased the expenditure on education by 38% to €216 million; Elderly care has gone up by 40%.”

He adds that the decrease in taxes resulted in higher revenues.

“We don’t believe in politics of envy and scaremongering but in hope and courage.”