Abela says PN fuelled election rumours to destabilise Malta

Prime Minister Robert Abela said the Nationalist Party had fuelled rumours on a possible election date to stagnate the country and its economy. 

“Every few months they came up with a new date, and their sole aim was to cripple the country’s economy and create uncertainty among businesses,” Abela said. 

The PM was speaking during a political event held in Mosta on Tuesday evening. 

“The establishment even said the Budget would not be carried out, then they said we would not implement it. It is always the same aim - to destabilise the country,” he said. 

He said the PN had predicted an economic shutdown when the country was greylisted by the FATF last summer. 

“Instead of companies leaving, more came. We now have the largest foreign investment in the country’s history. When you are united, and decisive, you can only be successful,” he told supporters. 

He said investment in 2021 grew by 20%, with the country registering the lowest unemployment figures ever recorded. “Don’t let them scare you.”

On the pandemic, Abela said despite predictions by experts and foreign bodies, the government did not lose its will to work. “I told my team that we should not stop working despite the predictions, and recent months have shown that our work has paid off.”

“We had a 9.2% growth in our GDP during the last 20 months. This shows our proposals are built on a solid base,” Abela said. 

He also made reference to the PN’s €1 billion pledge to create 10 new economic sectors. “We already opened a number of these sectors, and I was personally present to inaugurate them.” 

Ian Borg takes umbrage at Bernard Grech snipe on PL headquarters    

Addressing supporters, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg made reference to Bernard Grech’s sarcastic comment to ONE News that he will be turning the PL’s headquarters in Hamrun into ODZ land. 

He was replying to questions put forward by ONE News journalists on a PN pledge to increase ODZ areas in the country. 

“Bernard Grech said he wants to tear down our party headquarters and turn it to ODZ,” Borg said. “Don’t you even joke about it, you will find us Labourites there to protect our home.”

He also said one cannot help but draw a comparison between Robert Abela’s and former PM Lawrence Gonzi’s governments in “how an international crisis should be handled.”

“Nearly half of Bernard Grech’s candidates were part of the Lawrence Gonzi administration. It is relevant to compare because if we do not carry out our job properly, we could be faced by the same government,” he said. 

He also spoke about infrastructural work carried out in Mosta. “They don’t like me a lot, but what they can’t say is that work was only carried out in the district I will be contesting on.”