Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/416739
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2014 8 News On Budget 2015, Busuttil says tax cuts and lump sums should make up for 58c COLA MATTHEW VELLA Opposition leader Simon Busuttil wants Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to "admit" that the party is enjoying millions in property expropriated by the State, which it is using for its party clubs. Interviewed on Radju Malta's 'Ghandi Xi Nghid' by Andrew Az- zopardi, Busuttil said that the PN would take the matter to court and challenge the discriminatory 'financ- ing' of the Labour Party, which en- joys low rents on properties which had originally been expropriated and then devolved to it by successive La- bour administrations. "I want Labour to return the prop- erties. I don't want parties to have unlimited donations, and indeed I want private donations to be even more restrictive. But we want to start from the same point. Labour has 28 properties, six of which were expro- priated from private families, pre- venting them from their enjoyment," the PN leader said. When faced with a line of thinking by PN secretary general Chris Said that should Labour refuse to return the properties it should pay the PN an equivalent amount of the prop- erties' value, Busuttil stopped short from confirming this stance. "No, I want the Prime Minister to admit that he has millions in stolen, private property. Every party should declare the value of their property, and to have equivalence. "Our point of departure is that La- bour gives the property back, other- wise we will take the matter to court, because this discriminatory situation creates big problems in a democ- racy." Budget 2015 The PN leader is also insisting that the government's discretion- ary measures in tomorrow's Budget should include universal tax cuts and lump sums for low-income earners to make up for the dismal weekly 58c Cost Of Living Allowance being given. "There are different ways [govern- ment can compensate for the CO- LA]… you don't need to break down the system," Busuttil said. When told that tax cuts would only benefit high earners, Busuttil sug- gested that a lump sum be paid to those who don't pay income tax. "The government cannot just pay out that amount of COLA. If it's 58c only, you don't need to change COLA, but give good compensatory measures so that people's quality of life improves. If you just give 58c it will regress." Busuttil also reiterated that the Labour government fell short on its commitment to reduce the pub- lic sector workforce by 500 annu- ally, after having told the European Commission it would only replace two-thirds of its retiring workforce, except for health and education workers. "Over 16 months since it took power, around 2,000 retired from the public service. Over and above replacing that workforce, another 2,400 were added in new public sector jobs, bringing it to a total of 4,400," Busuttil said. "Is the Prime Minister trying to fool us when he says that the public sector increased by 2,400? We can- not afford this increase when this threatens our economic fundamen- tals. It can cause tremendous conse- quences. We are still paying for an increase of 8,000 in the public sec- tor workforce taken on before the 1987 election by Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici." Busuttil was also adamant that a decision by the government to fur- ther regularise the position of Armi- er boathouse squatters by granting them a smart meter was wrong, but left wanting on his party's position on whether the public land squat- ters should stay or not. "I want people to talk about what's happening today, not what we'll do in the next three years and a half. We should be talking about Joseph Muscat. It's an obscenity that some- one who breaks the law gets an en- ergy meter." Busuttil accepted the fact that Armier squatters had "broken the law" but when it was put to him whether the PN would remove them, the Opposition leader shifted talk to allegations that Labour min- ister Helena Dalli's property was the site of illegal works by a person who was yet to acquire this property. "Of course [she should resign], this gov- ernment was elected on a pledge of accountability." Busuttil: Labour must return party clubs or face court action Paradise Bay owners apply JAMES DEBONO THE owners of the Paradise Bay Lido have presented an application to regularise additions made to a per- mit issued in 1999, including stairs and a parapet wall built without any authorisation. Currently MEPA is banned by law from regularising any development on scheduled locations such as Para- Busuttil: The government is also falling short on reducing the public sector workforce Seeking the sanctioning of additions to a permit for Paradise Bay lido