Agius Saliba: Government will implement every manifesto pledge within legislature

Government will ensure that every proposal in its electoral manifesto is implemented within this legislature, Labour Party Deputy Leader Alex Agius Saliba said.

“No matter how ambitious,” he said, sweeping aside what he described as economic challenges without precedent. 

Agius Saliba said this during the opening of the party's General Conference, in which he highlighted Malta’s consistently stable energy price and strong leadership under Prime Minister Robert Abela.

During his speech, Agius Saliba compared this to the situation he sees in the rest of Europe as an MEP. Here, he encouraged Maltese people not to take their situation for granted while larger countries in the bloc are surprised by Malta’s stability. 

He highlighted that Malta’s energy prices have remained stable since the electorate gave the PL their trust in 2013, something he said was made possible by the strong leadership of Joseph Muscat and now Abela.

Agius Saliba expressed complete certainty that Abela can lead government to implement the entirety of its manifesto despite the economic climate, insisting that the prime minister has always been at his best in the face of challenges.

“We have to roll up our sleeves so that, once again, we can make sure that Malta’s institutions keep working, to remain close to the people, and to remain a shoulder for the government to lean on while implementing its manifesto,” Agius Saliba said.

Agius Saliba said the Nationalist Party’s reaction after the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech stood sharply against that of government, adding that this made it “crystal clear” who deserves to run the country.

He noted that the prime minister remained composed and cautious, who at no moment attempted to place any pressure on the judicial system.

“We could have said a lot,” he said. “But we chose prudence.”

On the other side, he turned to PN Leader Alex Borg, who he said was on the steps of Castille within the first few hours of the trial’s verdict to point fingers.

“He’s a judge, jury, and executioner!” Agius Saliba said. “I’ll say one thing and one thing only: God will liberate us all from the political poverty of the Nationalist Party.”

Furthermore, Agius Saliba expressed his full confidence in the upcoming Budget which will be announced in the coming weeks, insisting that the PL will continue to stand by families and businesses.

Over the first 100 days of this legislature, Agius Saliba contrasted the approach of the prime minister with that of Borg. 

On one hand, he recalled a government who has “taken off running” with a number of projects already underway. Of these projects, Agius Saliba pointed to the extension of the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital, along with the construction of a Mental Health Ward, which has been missing since 2020.

Conversely, he said Borg started off this legislature with a 22,000 vote defeat and now plans to “abandon” his office in Pieta to be closer to Castille.

“But you don’t get people to trust you based on where your office is,” Agius Saliba remarked.

At the end of the first session of the General Conference, voting opened for the election of the national executive, with 32 candidates contesting the 12 ordinary member seats.

The General Conference will conclude on Sunday morning with a speech by Prime Minister Robert Abela.