Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1511356
EQUALITY FROM THE HEART WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 12 NOVEMBER 2023 • ISSUE 1254 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY 2% STAMP DUTY WHEN BUYING IN GOZO ENDS IN DECEMBER HURRY! Malta supports, but has yet to commit to Cypriot plan for sea aid corridor to Gaza PAGE 3 Amid saints and football stadia, 'St Joseph' rules the house name game PAGS 4 - 5 Minister says land is 'valuable financial asset' for Enemalta PAGE 14 Gaza aid Qajjenza land Door names 'From the heart' KARL AZZOPARDI BERNARD Grech believes European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is not a threat to his leadership, telling MaltaToday she is an "asset". In a wide-ranging interview, the Nation- alist Party leader gives short shrift to ru- mours Metsola will replace him. "She is an asset to Europe, Malta and the party. People should admire her; how can you not? I have no doubt she supports my leadership," Grech says. He insists criticism of government over public debt is directed at wasteful spending and not money spent on energy and fuel subsidies. Grech says a PN government led by him will not stop energy subsidies. "Debt is not rising because of the subsi- dies, we agree with the subsidies, but gov- ernment is not subsiding people's needs, government is subsidising corruption, waste, lack of hard work, lack of planning," he says. The Nationalist leader speaks of how he plans to change the country's eco- nomic model and how he has addressed the PN's debt mountain. maltatoday READ INTERVIEW IN MT2 Watch on MaltaToday's online portal, Facebook and Spotify FULL RESULTS ON PAGES 16 - 19 Bernard Grech: 'I have no doubt Metsola supports my leadership' Budget bounce gives Labour 9,000-vote lead Personal impact of Budget 2024: Good 29.8%, Bad 13%, No change 30.4% Trust to run the economy and finances: PL 35.1%, PN 24%, None 41% Clyde Caruana performance rating: 2.9 marks out of 5 Voting intentions: PL 49%, PN 45.4%, Others 5.6% | Turnout: 69.5% Trust barometer: Robert Abela 38%, Bernard Grech 23.6% None 38.5% Lydia Abela says the 2024 Budget is one of compassion and generosity OPINION MT2 €1.95 JAMES DEBONO THE Labour Party has recovered some of its losses with MaltaToday's survey showing its support now stands at 49% in the aftermath of a socially-inclined budget. Support for the Nationalist Party remains stable at 45.4%, while third parties collec- tively see their share of the vote drop to 5.6%. The MaltaToday November survey leaves no doubt that the socially-inclined budget has given the party in government a boost in the polls, with the PL registering a five-point increase since October. The PL now leads the PN by almost 9,000 votes, reversing a 5,000-vote deficit registered just a month ago. In the trust barometer Robert Abela regis- ters a 38% mark, a decline of one point, while Grech hits 23.6%, an increase of almost four points. Public opinion on the budget is evenly split (30% either way) between those who believe it will impact them positively and those who feel the budget leaves them where they are. Labour is more trusted than the PN with handling the economy and public finances. And Clyde Caruana gets a pass mark for his performance as finance minister, scoring 2.9 on a five-point scale.