Simon Busuttil: PN’s policy documents deliver where short-sighted government plans fail

In the next election, people would have to choose between the short-sighted party currently in government or the pro-active, vibrant Nationalist Party that was constantly coming up with realistic, long-term solutions for many of the country’s sectors, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said on Sunday.

Busuttil, who was addressing a PN convention entitled ‘Idea Ghawdex’ (Idea Gozo), said that – for the first time in history – the party in opposition was offering alternative and sustainable plans for the retail sector, traffic congestion, the economy and the quality of life.

Busuttil said the party was committed to Gozo and that the convention was proof that, even from the opposition, the Nationalist Party was looking out for the best interests of Gozitans.

“Wherever you look in Gozo, you will see the influence of the PN,” he said. “This party has done so much for this island that the impact of those decisions can still be felt today.”

Busuttil thanked former PN minister for Gozo, Anton Tabone and Giovanna Debono, for their hard work for Gozo and for the many projects and policies they had introduced.

“If I learned anything of Gozitans is that they will never forgive or forget a betrayal, but they will also give you their loyalty if you prove to be a man of your word,” he said.

“That was proven again today in the MaltaToday survey that revealed that the PN enjoys a majority of support in Gozo.”

Busuttil said the PN’s past was in sharp contrast with the propaganda and meaningless promises of the current Labour administration.

The government, he said, had already spent three years on futile statements about a permanent link between Malta and Gozo, and had been harping on incessantly about a fast ferry service, without any conclusion in sight.

“They first spoke about the cruise liner terminal more than a year and a half ago, and they have now stopped talking about the air strip,” he said. “What this government has done for Gozo is stop cargo lorries and trucks taking the ferry to Sa Maison, besides selling Gozo’s only general hospital.”

Busuttil said this government was renowned for one of its ministers spending hundreds on a minibar bill, another employing his wife at €13,000 a month.

“In Gozo, they are even disabusing the blue parking permits issued to disabled persons,” he said. “And a Transparency International report has shown Malta losing more places in its corruption index, making us no longer the best in Europe, but only just the best in Africa.”

Busuttil said it was evident there was a wide consensus in Gozo for a permanent link between Malta and Gozo, but cautioned that further work needed to be done to secure a nation-wide consensus.

The accessibility that a permanent link would make possible would open the door to so many new opportunities and ideas, he said.

Busuttil said that to ensure that any development in Gozo was truly sustainable, a long-term plan was essential, as opposed to the short-term policies of the current government.