'Irresponsible' Abela putting aside national interest as he toys with election date, Bernard Grech says

Bernard Grech calls the budget 'fake' and insists that Robert Abela knows he is going for an early election but refuses to put a stop to the uncertainty

PN leader Bernard Grech
PN leader Bernard Grech

Opposition leader Bernard Grech said Robert Abela is "irresponsible" for putting aside the national interest when letting uncertainty loom over an early election.

“The budget is fake since the Prime Minister put up partisan billboards all over the island despite knowing he is going for an early election. This confirms that this budget only caters for today, and fears for tomorrow,” Grech said.

He was reacting to the Prime Minister's budget speech on Tuesday evening.

Grech said Abela ignored the issues most critical for the country, mostly Malta's competitiveness and reputation. He stated that the PM ignored the worst result in 17 years of Malta’s attractiveness, as shown by the EY survey.

“This is your legacy and you are jeopardising our children’s future,” Grech said in a clear reference to the budget slogan, ‘The country that we want to leave for our children’.

Grech also accused the Labour government of going on a spending spree and blaming it on the pandemic. He also reiterated that the government is ‘robbing’ people by overcharging on utility bills.

“We want to offer you more time on your hands, a better quality of life and less stress in your life,” Grech said.

He also took a jab at the PBS, and accused them of impartiality by not attending his press conference, while attending that of the Prime Minister a day earlier.