‘I will not shy away from taking decisions’ – Muscat on shooting incident

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has this morning pledged that he will not shy away from taking decisions to ensure that responsibility is shouldered in the aftermath of the shooting incident involving the driver of home affairs minister Manuel Mallia.

“I am disappointed at the irresponsible actions that have a shed a bad light on the government. But this government is not arrogant, and will acknowledges its mistakes and take the necessary the decisions,” he said.

While insisting that he will not stay clear of establishing political responsibility, Muscat, said the government – who is become under increasing criticism of the handling of the shooting involving the driver of the home affairs minister and police constable Paul Sheehan – will first wait for all investigations to be completed.

 “Just like I never shied away from taking decisions, I will not shirk from taking any decision into this incident. Things must first take their course, and contrary to Simon Busuttil, I will ensure that responsibility is shouldered,” Muscat rallied to the Birkirkara faithful in a stark reference to the PN’s call for Manuel Mallia’s resignation.

Accusing Opposition leader Simon Busuttil of “double-standards,” he said it was contradictory of Busuttil to demand political responsibility at this stage, claiming that when George Pullicino was accused of administrative shortcomings in relation to a €35 million PV contract, the PN leader was adamant that all investigations must be carried out.

Conceding that the budget was overshadowed by the shooting incident, Muscat insisted that he is unfazed as the “people would nevertheless enjoy the benefits.”

Trumpeting the government’s budgetary measures, Muscat insisted that the government’s measures were “socially just,” and highlighted Labour’s true values.

Muscat insisted that the Labour Party – who in recent weeks has been criticised as forgetting its fundamental values and aims in favour of targeting people on welfare – underlined that the party’s roots have never been sidelined or put in jeopardy.

“This government represents the pensioners and the middle class, but the Labour Party mostly came into existence to appease and help the workers.”

“The budget sought to award the hardworking and to encourage people to work. A person is finding working everyday, the level of unemployment is the country’s lowest ever and the third lowest in the EU,” Muscat said.

Moreover, Muscat insisted that “Labour’s identity and its social equality” is also being highlighted in the government’s measures for the disabled.

“From next year, at least one disabled person must be a member on a government board. This government is implementing widespread social reforms to ensure that there is greater social inclusion among the disabled,” he said.

Highlighting the government’s measures, Muscat also said that the government was also achieving its deficit targets. He said that notwithstanding the European Commission’s concern at Malta’s budget, there was no need to change any measures – a “major achievement for the government,” according to Muscat.

Earlier, education minister Evarist Bartolo said the Nationalist Party was like a woman who is trying to restore her virginity after working for 25 years in a brothel.

“Imagine how after working for 25 years in a brothel, a person goes to hospital to restore her virginity. This person would then tell her partner that she is a virgin. Presently, the Nationalist Party is doing this, and it is deceiving the electorate,” he said while lambasting the Nationalist Party’s “lack of credibility and honesty.”