Chris Said outlines PN's vision for European elections

Outlining the PN’s political agenda in its MEP electoral manifesto, PN Secretary General Chris Said has insisted that as opposed to the Labour Party, “you know where you stand” with the Nationalist Party.

This morning the PN is holding its General Council which is expected to approve the party's electoral manifesto for the May 2014 European elections. Party leader Simon Busuttil will address the party's councillors at the end of the event, which was also addressed by the PN's 11 candidates.

“In the run up to the general election, the Labour Party had pledged several measures, primarily their electoral battle cries of meritocracy, accountability and transparency. However, a year into the government’s legislature, what has been uncovered is deceit and hidden agendas,” he argued.

“The government’s general election manifesto had never mentioned the sale of the Maltese citizenship, the LNG tanker, or the gay adoption clause in the Civil Unions Bill. However, the PN’s political agenda is transparent and not deceitful,” he said.

Addressing the PN's General Council, Said argued that the 'Malta Taghna Lkoll' mantra was the epitome of Labour’s "deceit" and failed manifesto.

“The Malta Taghna Lkoll slogan has seen the government implement the sale of the Maltese citizenship, the LNG tanker, and the gay adoption clause in the Civil Unions’ Bill,” he said.

In a dig at the government’s 'Gvern li Jisma’' (A government that listens) slogan, Said insisted that this could not be further from the truth.

“Marsaxlokk and Birzebbugia residents know otherwise because the prime minister has continued to steamroll over them,” he said.

The government’s plans to permanently anchor a 215 MW Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal at Marsaxlokk Bay saw the government and the Opposition up in arms, with Joseph Muscat insisting that this would lead to a decrease in electricity tariffs. On the other hand, echoing the PN’s previous decries, PN Secretary General Chris Said argued that the LNG tanker is sidelining the health and safety of residents.

“Under the government, the country’s supposed independent state entities are nothing but independent. They are safeguarding the country’s rights but conversely, they are safeguarding Labour’s interests,” he said.

Dubbing police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit as “the government’s puppet”, Said lambasted the police for sidelining the country’s interest in favour of the government’s concern.

“The police tried to hide Owen Bonnici’s accident, and it was up to the PN media to reveal this. Why is the police hiding this, if it had been for anyone else, a statement would have been immediately published, but instead Owen Bonnici’s accident was only made public five days later,” Said rallied.

The PN Secretary General argued that just like they did in the citizenship scheme at the European plenary, Nationalist MEPs would strive to safeguard their rights.

“When the government tried to steamroll over the country by the citizenship scheme, Nationalist MEPs were at the forefront to defend Malta’s name which under the Labour government had been tarnished,” Said held.

Nationalist MEPs would also strive for a better environment – the state of which has gone down to levels last seen under the government of Dom Mintoff and Lorry Sant.

On the issue of migration, Said argued that Nationalist MEPs would work for burden sharing, but instead of threatening pushbacks and vetoes, the PN would work for burden sharing by discussing it diplomatically.

Said also underlined that the country, even Labour votes, have been “hurt and deceived” by the government, because they were only used for their vote and then taken for a ride.

“The election is the perfect platform for the country to show the prime minister that Malta will no longer be steam-rolled arrogantly over them and their interests. The country can ensure this by voting for PN candidates.”