Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/826731
maltatoday, MONDAY, 22 MAY 2017 7 News Simon Busuttil says only he 'can clear Malta's name' YANNICK PACE NATIONALIST Party leader Simon Busuttil insisted yes- terday that only he can clear Malta's name come 4 June. "The country needs some- one new, someone who is clean and someone who is willing to clean up politics," he said. In addition to having dragged Malta's name through the mud, the PN leader said the government was now unable to defend the country against false accusations because it did not have the moral au- thority to do so. Addressing a PN mass meet- ing in Zabbar, Busuttil said that this week he had once again found himself in the "unprecedented" situation of having to testify before an inquiring magistrate to ex- pose corruption, adding that he had to do so because the police commissioner refused to do that and the Attorney General was too scared to. He said he had gone to court with a whole raft of docu- ments showing corruption by the "Castille clique". Busuttil said the country de- served to be led by someone who was not willing to put up with corruption and who would remove those around him who engaged in wrong- doing. He urged voters to ensure that this does not go on and to use their vote to remove Mus- cat from office, arguing that government corruption over the past four years was not a matter of isolated incidents. Busuttil argued that wide- spread corruption had now led the country into a situation where important economic sectors, such as the financial services sector, were under threat, with foreign compa- nies and banks changing their approach towards Malta. "We worked so hard to bring these companies to Malta, and now they are choosing other countries," said Busut- til. Faced with this situation, he said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was now appealing for national unity. "Prime Minister there is al- ready national unity, there is already a national force against corruption and the dirt you have brought with you – a national force united against you," said Busuttil. Moreover, he promised lower taxes for self-employed people and small enterprises, free childcare for everyone, better pensions and free med- icines. "I promise more social hous- ing for those that don't have a roof over their head, and I promise the biggest invest- ment ever seen in this coun- try's infrastructure," he con- tinued. The PN leader warned peo- ple not to buy into lies being circulated by the Labour Par- ty about what a Forza Nazz- jonali win would mean for the country. "Don't let fear win over truth. Do not let them scare you. Let us overcome the fear they want to instil," he said, adding that rumours that the PN would pose a threat to fireworks, port workers or students' stipends were un- founded. On LGBTIQ rights, Busut- til said the PN had promised that these would not be taken away, and would work to give members of the community even more rights. He insisted the PN would re- spect any agreements in place that would benefit workers, and dismissed claims that a PN government would bring about a situation where the Gozo Hospital would be "no longer viable". "A public hospital should not be looking at profits and cor- ruption but people's health," he said, adding that if anyone should be worried about the government taking back the hospital is those who are cor- rupt. He said he could understand those who had been hurt by the PN, and that when he asked those who had been hurt to vote for the PN once again, he was asking them to look past what had been done to them and to vote in the na- tional interest. "When you weigh that which has been done to you against the good of the country, I be- lieve that you too will do what is good for the country," said Busuttil. Busuttil said he wanted to appeal to Labour Party sup- porters, who were also hurt by what was happening and who knew that what the coalition was saying was true. "You too have been betrayed. You too deserve better and so does the Labour Party. We are not against the Labour Party but against a small group of people that has taken over the party and our country." Finally, he said that those who were proud to not feel like they belonged to any of the two parties, also had a place in the coalition. "There is a large percentage of people who have not yet de- cided how they will be voting, or whether they will vote at all," he said. "I appeal to you, to choose Malta as well and to join this national coalition."