On the Granaries, Busuttil waits for Muscat’s ‘mask of deceit’ to fall

Opposition leader wants to pursue a policy of ‘serious government’ and against lawlessness, but is ready to give concessions to pre-1992 Armier boathouse owners and support derogations from EU’s spring hunting ban

File photo: Simon Busuttil
File photo: Simon Busuttil

Simon Busuttil wants to see Joseph Muscat’s ‘mask’ to fall for all to see the “dearth of the prime minister’s values.”

Yesterday, the Opposition leader laid out his political strategy in an interview with MaltaToday journalist and pollster James Debono, telling him that a time will come when people will realize that behind Muscat’s mask “are no values or principles, and then they will want a serious government over the lack of seriousness.”

At the core of his critique was Muscat’s alleged belief in meritocracy. “If you say something, you must believe in it. If you say you believe in meritocracy and ‘Malta Taghna Lkoll’, then it cannot be meritocracy only for Labour voters,” Busuttil said.

He also said that a justice minister facing criminal charges in court should resign in a bid not to influence the magistrate he himself appointed, referring to the traffic offence for which Owen Bonnici will be facing in court. “Chris Said resigned as parliamentary secretary when he was facing criminal charges [of perjury – of which he was later acquitted] – seriousness demands that such standards are kept.”

But Busuttil also retained cautious stands on moral and political issues which can also cost his party key voters.

On Armier’s illegal boathouse squatters, Busuttil made his indignation clear on the “lawlessness” Muscat wanted to bless by allowing the installation of energy meters there; but then was clear he would stick to the former PN administration’s agreement for pre-1992 owners.

“It’s not right the government gives smart meters to illegal boathouse owners. This is public land snatched away by these people but the government is saying ‘no problem, I’ll regularize everything with a smart meter’. If my party in the past did not make this point strong enough, my policy is that whoever breaks the law will be dealt with as such. But you’re either going to send out a message against lawlessness or not.”

But then Busuttil also said he would “act on principle with who already has rights” – referring to pre-1992 boathouse owners. “Not everyone is illegal.”

He also said that a derogation from the EU laws on spring hunting and trapping would be acceptable if obtained without breaking European laws.

But he steered clear from tagging Muscat’s plan to postpone local council elections up until 2019, in a bid to stymie participation in a forthcoming 2015 referendum against spring hunting.

“We don’t agree with their postponement. We’re no hypocrites: how can a government who pledged the vote for 16-year-olds in local councils proceed to remove their first electoral opportunity?

“Democracy does not get removed from one day to the other. It comes slowly, closing one window, one door, after another, until you realize you have been locked inside a room.”

Busuttil was adamant on the need to accept the reality of migration and that human beings will be moving across lands in a bid to evade danger to their lives.

“It is a misfortune for people to lose their lives at sea. There is no magic wand to stop migration, or to stop the difficult situations being experienced by countries. What should happen is for a greater will, at regional and international level, to pull the same rope and address the problems affecting these countries.

“The responsibility of 500 people who lost their lives at sea last week is everybody’s, ours as well. I want to see an EU that is more united and stronger on foreign affairs, to be able to influence and exert more pressure to address problems in these countries [of origin].”

Busuttil also showed himself averse to increased public subsidies on public transport, likening the forthcoming liberalization of the network to a ‘new drydocks’; and said the PN’s central economic policy would always be based on lower government spending where possible.

“The Nationalist government left a strong economy behind. I still call on the government not to ignore certain warning signs. In July, the deficit increased by €50 million over the same month in 2013: so the warning I had made stands; national debt increased by €323 million; public sector employment has increased so that Labour can increase its votes. These are red flags which we must bring Labour’s attention to.”

At the same, he said government should not be spending any more money than it should, chastising Muscat for creating a Cabinet that will cost €100 million over five years. “Is this how our money should be spent? Muscat did this to buy out his MPs and given them some new job.”