Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/307854
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 MAY 2014 3 LABOUR'S "soldiers of steel" will be forgotten once again after the European electoral campaign, Op- position Leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday evening in reply to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's recent appeal to Labour's grass- roots. Addressing a party event in Zeb- bug, the Opposition leader said the so-called "soldiers of steel" were only being remembered by Mus- cat during election campaigns, in contrast with his "closest friends" whom he said were being given nu- merous jobs with the government. "The Labour Party is maltreat- ing its own loyal supporters. The 'soldiers of steel' were only given a 2c cut in fuel prices, but if you hap- pen to be the minister's wife you get €13,000 per month," Busuttil said, referring to the wife of en- ergy minister Konrad Mizzi – Sai Mizzi, who was appointed Malta Enterprise envoy to Asia. "The soldiers of steel are only given leftovers, and after the elec- tion they will be forgotten once again," Busuttil said. Setting much store in saying that Zebbug, the town where Busut- til was addressing PN supporters, was a stronghold for former health minister Godfrey Farrugia, Bu- suttil remarked that Farrugia was another example of the way the Labour government "first uses and then discards a person when he is no longer needed." "Muscat first removed Farrugia from his health portfolio, and then offered him another ministry to silence him. But we all know how Farrugia stood up to him and re- fused to be used in this way by Muscat. "We have a government that after just a year already lost a minister who resigned, and a parliamentary secretary who refused to form part of Muscat's cabinet. This is the grim reality of Muscat's govern- ment after just a year in govern- ment." Busuttil voiced his concern about the lack of job creation and said that unemployment was continu- ously increasing, now reaching the 8,000 mark. Asked to comment about Mus- cat's insistence that the Labour Party was still the underdog in the European elections, Busut- til said that this was not the first time that the prime minister was giving a false impression in a bid to divert attention away from the real issues. "He reverts to gimmicks to solve problems. Instead of 'out-of-stock medicines' he is now using the term 'pending order'; hospital corridors are now being called 'wards'; pri- vatisation plans are now re-brand- ed as 'strategic partnerships'. This is how Muscat intends to solve the country's problems. That is why I'm not surprised that Muscat is insisting on the underdog status despite surveys showing the total opposite," Busuttil said. The Nationalist Party leader concluded that the upcoming elec- tions were "a very difficult elector- al test" for his party, adding that it was impossible to climb back over a 36,000 vote deficit registered in the last 2013 elections. "Our party is on its feet despite the several challenges it has had to face. Let us send a strong mes- sage that the Nationalist Party is on the right direction and has in- novative ideas, because a nine-seat majority should not entail abuse of power and arrogance," the Opposi- tion leader said to the applause of those present. Earlier, PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami spoke about the proposed amendment to the Con- stitution which prohibits discrim- ination based on disability, saying that this motion by the Opposition highlighted the difference between the political parties. "16 months in the legislature, it is now evident that after the Labour Party used persons with disability in a scandalous manner just to ob- tain their votes, these persons are now left with empty promises," Fenech Adami said. News Malta has 'a right to derogate' from EU ban on hunting, says PM While reiterating that the people have the last word, Joseph Muscat believes Malta should continue derogating from an EU ban on hunting MIRIAM DALLI PRIME Minister Joseph Muscat was unequivocal in stating that Malta should continue to derogate from the European Union's ban on hunting. "I am not a hunter or trapper but if we currently have a derogation, we should retain the right to continue derogating," Muscat said, amid the clapping and the cheers from the au- dience. The Labour leader was taking part in a political activity organised in Birkirkara, interviewed by ONE pre- senters Simone Cini and Manuel Mi- callef. He was arguing that the leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil lacked the credentials a true leader required: "He chose to sit on the fence or ab- stain instead of stating clearly his po- sition on the matter. It is obvious that in a referendum, it is the electorate that decides. But he was asked what was his own position…and he failed to answer." Muscat added that like he sat on the fence on civil unions, the PN leader was also failing to declare his position on the proposed spring hunting ban. "Where does he [Busuttil] stand? He negotiated the EU pack and ne- gotiated what the hunters have today. I don't find it acceptable that he de- clares politicians should stay out of it because he is scared of taking a clear stand. "On the other hand, people know where they stand with us. I believe Malta has the right to continue to derogate." Muscat added that citizens in a democratic country had constitu- tional tools they can make use of and no prime minister will interfere with those tools. He insisted that the mat- ter at hand was not about civil unions or spring hunting, but an issue of leadership. "People must know what sort of decisions we take. Not a single day has passed since I was elected Prime Minister that I wasn't asked to take a decision… whether good or bad. I don't have the luxury to abstain. And those aspiring to be leaders of the country have to learn how to take decisions." The Labour leader also criticised the PN for the "negative" campaign they embarked on for the EP elections. He was reacting to allegations of political discrimination in the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme (POYC), allega- tions which the government discov- ered were unfounded. "These cheap shots by the PN show that Busuttil has nothing to offer. He said he wanted to lead a positive cam- paign… I wish to know what a nega- tive campaign means to him. After three weeks, I still don't know what his message is. At best, he sits on the fence." Busuttil – 'Only leftovers for Labour's soldiers of steel' Opposition leader says that a nine-seat majority for Labour does not give government licence to be arrogant and abuse of power Prime Minister Joseph Muscat (centre) said that Opposition leader Simon Busuttil is choosing to "sit on the fence", just as he did on the issue of civil unions