Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/858250
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 AUGUST 2017 2 News PN LEADERSHIP The PN's leadership contest that will eventually turn into a two-horse race to be decided by some 22,000 paid-up members, is widely believed to be a war for territory between outsider Adrian Delia and MP Chris Said. As sources who spoke to MaltaToday explain, a clear division between party orthodoxy and a new breed of politician has manifested itself. Chris Said has rallied a sizeable number of the PN parliamentary group behind him, amongst them: Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami, Jason Azzopardi, Frederick Azzopardi, Stephen Spiteri, Robert Cutajar, Karl Gouder, David Stellini and possibly Claudio Grech and Claudette Pace, and MEP David Casa Adrian Delia, who is giving Said a run for his money, is openly backed by Clyde Puli, Kristy Debono, Jean- Pierre Debono, Hermann Schiavone as well as Malta Independent head of content Pierre Portelli, who could be interested in a secretary-general bid. Mario Galea is said to be a supporter Toni Bezzina is known to be backing the PN treasurer Alex Perici Calascione for party leader No public backers yet for Frank Portelli, who has come out on the hard right of the party in this contest How have PN MPs aligned themselves in their party's new battelines? PN leadership candidate Chris Said has pledged to give education "absolute priority" and convene a four-day "general conven- tion on education" to ad- dress issues in the education process at all levels if he is elected. Said said the convention would involve a number of workshops addressing the different levels of the edu- cation process, from early to higher education. Parents, teachers, educa- tors and students would all be invited to participate and would generate ideas for the PN's electoral manifesto, Said said. "As leader of the PN I will give great importance to the education of our chil- dren. For this reason I will appoint special representa- tives to assist the shadow minister for education and myself as leader of the PN to outline educational poli- cies for our children and youths." Priority would be given to educators whose profession "had not been given the im- portance it deserved in the last few years." "Many teachers tell you that they are not valued and lack the tools they need to train," added Said. The building of new schools would remain a priority, he said, but more important was what students were be- ing taught. "As leader of the PN, education will be an ab- solute priority." Said also pledged to open an office that would serve as a point of contact for sug- gestions and complaints from teachers, students and parents as well as a hotline for those who might not be able to visit the office in person. "As leader of the PN, I will see to it that the PN once again becomes the party of education." PN MP endorses Said's leadership bid On Friday, PN MP David Stellini gave his backing to Chris Said in the upcoming PN leadership race. Stellini, a newly elected MP who contested the Gozo district, previously served as a press advisor for the EPP in Brussels. Born in Sannat, the 39-year old has spent the last 10 years as the EPP's leading spokes- man on immigration, ter- rorism and data protection. "I know Chris Said. I know he delivers. I know he is a vi- sionary," Stellini said during an event held at the AZAD offices in Valletta. The new MP said he believed Said would have a unifying ef- fect on the party that would strengthen it. PN leadership contender Adrian Delia has pledged to address what he called the "new poverty" facing many Maltese families. Addressing a press confer- ence at the Msida skatepark yesterday, Delia expressed concern at the problems that the young people who regu- larly gather there will inherit from the present generation. These include the cost of liv- ing, as well as an increasingly fast-paced and competitive lifestyle. Expenses which were once considered luxuries are now necessities and are eating away at family pay finances, making it hard for many families to make ends meet. "The PN was the party that created the middle class by levelling inequality as much as possible and opening op- portunities in education, business and the public sec- tor, but while the PN was busy creating opportunities and bringing investment to the country it stopped lis- tening to the people... we thought that it would be enough to create wealth." Delia proposed that the Opposition would bind itself to conduct a detailed analysis of situations affecting family life which would be renewed every year. This information would allow it to propose measures in Parliament that would protect those who "are not poor, but not having the time of their lives as this government would like us to think," he said, explaining that many people who would normally try to better their position and climb the first step to middle class are find- ing themselves unable to. Many families across Malta and Gozo depend on finan- cial relief. "Let us think how we can improve these peo- ple's lives." "Our position is that the country is doing well finan- cially with its first budget surplus, but we'll soon see if that really exists or not." A PN budget would in- clude specific measures to safeguard struggling fami- lies, including tax reform for families who live in rented premises, better incentives for first time home buyers, programmes for families in need of family planning and an increase in social assis- tance to those who are pro- viding care for the disabled or elderly. Delia proposed "an honest debate on best solutions for those who face those prob- lems on a daily basis." The PN would take the feedback it receives to prepare laws that would help others enjoy "widespread human dignity." Conservative views on cannabis Answering questions from reporters, Delia said he didn't agree with Minister Chris Fearne's stance on marijuana use being a per- sonal choice, saying it was more than that as its ripple effects would spread beyond the individual. Fearne had not specified the minimum age for legal cannabis use, Delia said, asking "should it be 18, or 21, or 16?" Sociological and scientific studies show that cannabis use is particularly harmful to the young, he said. THE PN must continue its dia- logue with all segments of Mal- tese society by creating structures where different opinions can be heard, PN leadership candidate Alex Perici Calascione said yester- day. Addressing reporters outside parliament, he said that dialogue strengthens the party and keeps it close to the people. The lawyer highlighted the importance of hav- ing structures within the party that would ensure that the people con- tinue to be at the heart of the PN's politics. Reforms needed to be introduced to strengthen internal structures, he said. Members of sectional and dis- trict committees need to serve as the link between the PN and soci- ety once again said the leadership hopeful. "It is in this way that the PN can be more aware of what is going on in society and propose necessary changes." Perici Calascione said that this would enable ideas and opinions from the grassroots, the activists and committee members, to reach the leadership. The leadership hopeful also said he believed that any reforms should incorporate changes to the roles of high ranking positions within the party. "The role of secretary general should continue to be a central one with the person in the position fo- cusing directly on the party's work and needs," Perici Calascione said. However, the time had come for the role of assistant secretary gen- eral to be abolished and replaced by directors for the party's various entities, which include its infor- mation office, Elcom, local coun- cils, sectional committees and its logistics and activities organisers, as well as AZAD, a PN founda- tion founded to educate and raise awareness about political issues, he said. Said: Education 'absolute priority' Delia pledges to address Malta's 'new poverty' Perici Calascione proposes reform of PN structures Sectional and district committees need to serve as the link between the PN and society Point of contact promised for teachers, students, parents Detailed analysis of situations affecting family life