Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1070939
7 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 JANUARY 2019 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The videos and recordings taken in a domestic setting, were circulated widely on so- cial media platforms over the Christmas period. However, the accusation of domestic vio- lence was made by Delia's wife in a court application respond- ing to a request he made to see his children. Asked how he could work se- renely in such an atmosphere, the embattled PN leader said family problems were not a reason to step down. "Am I doing the right thing or not? Do I run away from problems or fight them? Have I ever lost focus or failed to attend any- thing? You can channel your emotions into work. God for- bid that everyone who has a family problem stops working. What if it is a doctor? A prin- cipal? A politician? A Prime Minister?" "Does the Secretary General get on your nerves?" asked the host. "There is a recording… "Azzopardi said, referring to another leak in which Delia hits out at PN secretary-gener- al Clyde Puli. "There are three recordings, but two are not of me," Delia began, before light- heartedly adding, "but yes he does sometimes. There is no- body who I work closer with than Clyde Puli." Delia was curt about news- paper reports claiming he still had tax arrears of €64,000. "It's a lie. The Times of Malta lied. It published another lie that [Soho brothel landlord] Emanuel Bajada was a client of mine. I didn't file for libel, but I spoke to the person who sent me the questions and answered all of them." Corinthia issue Delia also declared that he was not in favour of the gov- ernment deal worked out in Corinthia's favour to have its previously touristic lease at St George's Bay, modified to in- clude massive residential and mixed-used development. "I am in favour of Corinthia's improvement. I am against however the giving of 300,000 square metres of our land to Corinthia for free without a tender... Why should we take one com- pany and give it a gift?" Delia said. He stopped short of alleg- ing corruption, however. "Be- tween what is wrong and what is corrupt there is a difference. I don't shoot from the hip and speculate. The government must explain. The people will then decide." PN finances Azzopardi also grilled the Opposition leader on the par- ty's financial situation and how he was addressing it. "I decided to appoint a group of people I trust. From day one we needed to take a decision. I wanted the party to have a robust financial base." Delia said he had a 10-year plan to eliminate the PN's debt. "In four years our media arm will stop losing mon- ey. We are already exceeding targets," he said. Among the new revenue streams was the commercialisation of party clubs, he added. Although the economy is growing it is growing as a result of population growth and is not resulting in people having more money in their pockets, Delia said. "Pensioners, young people who can't afford rent… let's see who is suffering," De- lia insisted, adding that he was reaching out to those who were "suffering in silence." "I spent Christmas listening to the people, not just a few MPs. The man whose home of 50 years is being taken away, the homeless, the couple who are both working and cannot afford the education they want for their child." 'Corinthia land transfer is wrong' ADRIAN Delia was elected leader of the Nationalist Party in September 2017 by the vote of party members. Ever since, he has had to face dissent from his own parliamentary group. Kurt Sansone traverses the instances Delia faced serious opposition from his own MPs. November 2017 – IVF leave motion The issue: The PN had put forward a motion to reverse a legal notice that granted 100 hours of leave to people undergoing IVF treatment. The PN objected because the definition of pro- spective parents in the legal notice was different to the definition in the IVF law, which had not yet been amended. Adrian Delia denied his parliamentary group a free vote on the matter. The dissenters: Simon Busuttil, Mario de Marco, Karol Aquilina, Karl Gouder, Therese Comodini Cachia and Chris Said. What happened: When the motion came up for a vote, the six dissenters stayed away from Parliament to show disapproval with the motion without joining the government side in voting against it. The six had wanted the party to give them a free vote on the matter. They insisted the leave for IVF patients was a social measure to help people when at their most vulnerable. The PN motion was defeated after government MPs voted against. The Democratic Party also voted against the PN motion. April 2018 – Domestic violence law The issue: The government put for- ward a law to fully transpose the Istan- bul Convention dealing with domes- tic violence. The new law introduced tougher punishments for domestic violence, among other changes. The PN objected to the new law because it dropped the reference to the unborn child, which had been part of the law it was to replace. Adrian Delia allowed PN MPs a free vote. The dissenters: Simon Busuttil, Mario de Marco, Karol Aquilina, Karl Gouder, Therese Comodini Cachia, Chris Said, Jason Azzopardi and Clau- dette Buttigieg. What happened: When the law came up for its final vote in Parliament, eight PN MPs and the two PD MPs voted with the government in favour of the law. The rest of the PN parliamentary group voted against, while reiterating its resolve to re-introduce a refer- ence to the unborn child when elected to government. August 2018 – The removal of Simon Busuttil The issue: In the aftermath of the Egrant inquiry findings, Adrian Delia removed Simon Busut- til's good governance portfolio and asked him to resign from the par- liamentary group. The inquiry exonerated the Prime Minister on a matter that had been a main elec- toral plank for the PN in 2017. Several PN MPs objected to the heavy-handed tactics of their leader. The dissenters: Simon Busuttil, Mario de Marco, Karol Aquilina, Karl Gouder, Therese Comodini Cachia, Jason Azzopardi, Claudette Buttigieg, Beppe Fenech Adami, Claudio Grech, Ryan Callus and Marthese Portelli What happened: The dissenting PN MPs rallied under the hashtag '#notin- myname #strongertogether' or made statements that put distance between them and the leader's position. They disagreed with the request for Busut- til's resignation from the parlia- mentary group. Veterans in the party tried to mediate and Delia eventually backed down from his position that Busuttil should resign. However, the former PN leader remained without a portfolio to shadow. Delia took the good governance portfolio under his wing. Compiled by Kurt Sansone The PN's trail of dis ent