Prime Minister Wants To Weaken Institutions He Cannot Control, Grech Warns Following Attacks Against Standards Commissioner
Prime Minister Robert Abela is determined to remove Commissioner for Standards George Hyzler, PN leader Bernard Grech warned, noting that the government wanted to weaken institutions it could not control.
“Abela is happy when he can control and he attacks when he cannot. He does this to us too. When they attack, we know we are an obstacle and making a difference. The same is happening with Hyzler,” Grech said in an interview this morning.
Hyzler has faced stern criticism in recent weeks from the government and Labour Party, with government whip Glenn Bedingfield leading the charge. Hyzler has authored several damning reports into MPs and Cabinet members, the most recent involving Minister Carmelo Abela. He is also in the process of writing other reports into key figures.
Grech also faced questions on recent survey results, which showed him and the party losing gains made over the past few months. He suggested that a public spat between former leader Adrian Delia and MP Jason Azzopardi played its part.
“I was and am determined not to allow frivolities take centre stage. I was ready to go to the executive and take action, but I was presented with a joint declaration, and I believed it would be more useful to support this. This surely impacted the survey result but let’s not think this was the only reason,” he said.
According to a survey by Malta Today, the PN leader’s trust rating is now at 25.7%, dropping 10%. It is his worst result since becoming PN leader in September 2020. The party also lost support, dropping to 30%, the same level when Grech took over the party.
The PN’s rivals, the Labour Party, has made the gains, with the ruling party enjoying around 44.8% of support. According to the surveys. Robert Abela’s trust rating has increased to 49.6%.
Grech noted that further changes would be needed to bridge the gap.
“I recognise that this time we have made a step backwards. What I want is honest politics. Today’s survey shows that people are not happy with what happened this week. When we move forward, we recognise it, but we also recognise when we move backwards,” he said.
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