'Positive' budget based on results – Charlo Bonnici

Speaking to weekly newspaper Illum, Charlo Bonnici insists that the budget was a "positive" one that is founded on the results obtained by the Nationalist Party in Government over the past years.

He rejects the criticism that the budget is also socially regressive, insisting that, income-tax reduction on the €19,000-€60,000 bracket aside, it contained plenty of socially-friendly aware measures such as added childcare benefits.

Bonnici also argues that in previous years and previous budgets, lower income groups had benefited considerable, and added "one must look at the whole picture."

Bonnici also explains his unwavering support for Tonio Fenech's candidacy as deputy leader of the PN, insisting that his loyalty, capability, and experience make him the best choice "at this moment in time."

He is however tight-lipped on whether there is another individual within the PN he would have preferred to see throw his or her name in the ring, but did not do so.

Bonnici also recognises that the party must take pains to reconnect to its "lost sheep", insisting that this is particularly so with regards to people who felt that they had suffered injustices.

He insists that such injustices must be put right to place the party on a solid footing for the coming election.

Somewhat surprisingly for a man who was instrumental in founding NET and served as Head of News, Bonnici insists that the age of party-owned media has come and gone.

He also concedes that it is "inevitable" that the national broadcasting service (PBS) suffers from a degree of influence from the party in government.

In order to contain this influence, Bonnici opines that the time might have come for public broadcasting, as an entity, to be elevated to the same institutional level as the offices of the Ombudsman, and the Attorney General.

Read the full interview on Sunday's issue of the Illum.