Delia says Muscat is guilty of engendering new poverty class

Opposition leader questioned the Prime Minister's vision of improving a middle class which has resulted in a country relying on 'containers', people living in them, children being taught in them and acting as makeshift police stations

PN leader Adrian Delia sat for a radio interview with NET FM
PN leader Adrian Delia sat for a radio interview with NET FM

Opposition leader Adrian Delia on Sunday accused Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of creating a new “poverty class” instead of the much vaunted new middle class that he used to speak about.

Delia said that the Nationalist Party would be brought closer to the people after it had distanced itself from them for many years. 

The PN leader was speaking for a radio interview on NET FM this morning after the PN annual meeting, where Delia was to present his closing remarks was postponed for next Wednesday due to the bad weather. 

"Those in poverty or at risk of poverty are growing," he said. "The PN is there to help people bear the brunt of the government's decisions."

Similar to Muscat's own mantra in the run-up to the 2013 elections, Delia said that the PN endorsed an open door policy and did not discriminate between nationalist and labourites.

The Opposition leader lamented the school 'containers' being used in cases where schools are overpopulated and said that the Marsascala police station was likewise a container and that poor people were likewise sleeping in makeshift homes.

“Is this the best of times, with children, the police and workers all in containers? Was this Joseph Muscat’s vision?" Delia questioned.

Turning to Gozo, Delia said the island would remain a priority for the PN. He said the government had completely forgotten Gozo and was now trying to make amends by building a tunnel. Delia said a regional council for Gozo should be set up to give Gozitans further say over issues affecting the island.

He also announced that Gozitan MP David Stellini will be contesting the MEP elections.

He also accused the government of treating farming as a dying trade and said the sector was being slowly killed by the government.

Delia vowed that the PN would defend farmers and seek ways to help them, including by tapping EU funds.

The Opposition leader warned that there was only a short window of opportunity to save this sector.