Bernard Grech Pitches Himself As The People’s Politician: I Had To Work Hard In Life Unlike The Prime Minister
Opposition leader Bernard Grech has emphasised his working class roots during his first political rally address as he sought to emphasise the difference between himself and Prime Minister Robert Abela and to pitch himself as a politician of the people.
“I did not receive any direct orders or services from the Presidential Palace,” Grech said, in a reference to claims that Abela would regularly use the palace’s services during his father’s tenure as President. “I had to get my hands dirty and work.”
As part of the party’s Independence Day celebrations, Grech sought to remind the country of the several scandals that have engulfed the Labour government and the country, insisting that his decision to run for office was rooted in a desire to see honesty and integrity return to local politics.
He accused Abela of refusing to debate ideas with the PN, challenging him to a debate which he said they could both learn from.
Despite the Labour Party’s socialist roots, Grech said that the last nine years had seen the party cosy up to big business, leading to it being out of touch with the people’s concerns and aspirations.
He pointed to Abela’s inaction when faced with scandals involving Labour ministers like Edward Zammit Lewis, Carmelo Abela and Rosianne Cutajar. “People no longer trust this government. How can we trust those who are detached from the reality people are living?”
He accused Abela of wanting to build a yacht marina in Marsaskala simply so he could park his boat close to his house – a reference he repeated several times in order to drive home the message.
“People’s wages aren’t increasing while at the same time, the country’s wealth is being shared among those within the circles close to power,” Grech said. “How can he understand you? All he has to do is put €300-worth of fuel in his boat and he’s off to Sicily.”
Grech pledged that if elected Prime Minister, every decision he would make would be taken in the interest of the Maltese and Gozitan people. Rather than seek out dodgy investors for the country, he would look to attract respectable well-meaning people who wanted to generate jobs and wealth for Malta. “Companies like Facebook and Google that are based in Ireland. They should be based here. We can be a hub for technology.”
On the environment, Grech said the PN had started the process of creating a coalition of willing forces who believed that Malta’s natural heritage needed to be respected and safeguarded. It was for this reason, he said, that the PN had launched a working group on the environment.
He also pointed to pledges to increase teachers’ and nurses’ wages, which he said showed that the PN had the people’s interests at heart.
With an election around the corner, Grech said the PN was showing that it was able to govern. The government, he said, was showing that it needed the PN to take decisions.
“They’ve been asking for our opinion on cannabis for months. They just don’t know how to decide,” he said.
Grech also pointed to announcements by the government in recent days, including a change in mandatory quarantine regulations and a proposal to address agricultural leases, as decisions that were only taken as a result of the PN speaking up.
Slowly but surely, he said, the PN was finding its feet and attracting new and young faces that were contributing to a renewed party that was eager to work and bring its message across.
Speaking directly to Labour voters who “felt betrayed”, Grech urged them to join the PN in order to bring about the necessary change.
“Join us and we will do it together. The time for division is over. This is not a fight between red and blue, but a fight for Malta.”
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