‘Get a grip on your Opposition for country’s sake’ Prime Minister tells Delia
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that this government has managed to create prosperity with a purpose. “We have managed to create a thriving economy and attracted more and more companies to invest in Malta. It is my duty to go round the globe and publicize my country for further investment.”
Speaking in Santa Venera yesterday, Dr Muscat said that all this investment has to serve a purpose. He referred to what he described as “the news of the year”, the increase in salary for educators. He said that these professionals have a huge responsibility, among the largest there is. “A mistake in any other work place can be made right, but a teacher cannot make any mistakes because it will affect our children.”
He said that the previous administration never raised the salary for educators. “There will be those who will argue that the government is not fair in increasing the salary for one profession and not the other. We should be guided by faith, not envy. If it happened to teachers, it can happen in other professions.”
Dr Muscat said that the government is able to make these improvements because of the wealth in the country which was only possible thanks to the hard working Maltese. “We thank you all, dear workers. It’s thanks to you we have this booming economy. It’s the Opposition which never lifted a finger to help us in this endeavour.”
He said that the last election has confirmed the state of mind of the public. “If you are negative and try to work against your own country, the public will put you aside.”
“I honestly believe that the leader of the Opposition wants a true change in direction of the party. Get a grip, take your Opposition and lead them. Get those six or seven individuals and tell them to act in the interest of the country.”
He said that the Nationalist MEPs have been working hard to undermine Malta’s reputation and said that it is ironic that they are defending Hungary in the meantime.
Commenting on the debate which will occur on Tuesday at the European Parliament, Dr Muscat said that Francis Zammit Dimech should step down as he is the only MEP who is mentioned in the Panama Papers.
He referred to medical marijuana and said that the government should lead a debate into this controversial issue. Dr Muscat said that it is not fair that a person has to watch a relative endure pain when it is known that certain medication deriving from marijuana can reduce pain drastically.
“I want the next generation to be the richest and most cosmopolitan. The best years of our country are yet to come,” he concluded.
Zammit Dimech replies: Muscat is lying
MEP Francis Zammit Dimech said that Joseph Muscat is lying and trying to deviate attention hours before a parliamentary debate on the collapse of the rule of law in Malta which happened under his watch.
“Once again Joseph Muscat is lying on my involvement in the Panama Papers to try to deviate attention in the light of a damning resolution outlining the total collapse of the rule of law in Malta which happened under his watch and which will now be debated at the European Parliament. “The Panama Papers make reference to Valletta Legal acting as intermediaries for clients. I never formed part of Valletta Legal but Valletta Legal had an office sharing agreement with me - we were using the same premises and therefore the name ‘Francis Zammit Dimech Advocates’ is indicated as part of the address of that firm but ‘Francis Zammit Dimech Advocates’ never had any interest in Valletta Legal which in any case acted for clients since even Valletta Legal never had any company of its own or for its own lawyers in any offshore jurisdiction.
“The truth is that the only minister in the whole European Union that was mentioned in the Panama Papers was Konrad Mizzi who along with the chief of staff of the Prime Minister Keith Schembri holds an offshore company in Panama for his own interest (and not even as a professional intermediary). Furthermore the Prime Minister failed to take action against them and owing to the collapse of the rule of law, FIAU and the police did not take any action neither.
“Desperate attempts by the government to try to silence me on the current situation in Malta will fail. I will keep on working to defend the rights of Maltese citizens.”