[Live-Blog] Joseph Muscat, Simon Busuttil square off on Xarabank

He said that “trouble” under the Labour government started from the day it was elected. Busuttil expresses confidence that the people will write a new chapter for this country. “I believe that people will choose Malta.”

“You are the one pressuring the magistrate… you said it would be impossible for the inquiry not to find anything,” Muscat replies.

Ad break number 3 drowns out the leaders’ shouting

“You tell me because you apparently have a copy of all the bank’s accounts,” Muscat retorted, calling him desperate.

Busuttil retorts that even Muscat’s body language was betraying him, to which Muscat sarcastically comments that he should employ him as his consultant. “If we’re talking about body language why don’t you show him your sweaty hands? You are desperate,” he says, before calling Busuttil “a chicken” for not accepting the challenge.

Muscat says the PN’s proposals for the elderly were not sustainable whereas the Labour’s were.

“Why do you want me to resign?” Busuttil replies.

He then says that his favourite proposal is free childcare for all – and the two leaders bicker on whether childcare services should be free for all, including parents who don’t work.

“The report was published,” Busuttil insists.

“I’ve read it … why doesn’t Simon Busuttil lead by investigation and sack Beppe Fenech Adami? Remember all the scaremongering four years ago [that Labour won’t work]? It’s the same tactic… the proof of the pudding is in the eating and you know that what they scared you about was all a lie.”

Addressing financial services workers, Busuttil says: “You know that your jobs are on the line… even on the gas tanker they wanted kickbacks… You’re listening to Muscat and you’re thinking ‘but this is not I’m feeling’. Our promise to you is that we will clean this country of corruption. Because more important than proposals are integrity and honesty.”

Busuttil replies: “There are two magistrates.”

“Not true… they revoke your warrant,” Muscat replies. “Everyone knows that the investigation is not a criminal investigation.”

“You know that we deliver on our pledges.”

“Unlike you, I don’t read FIAU reports and I don’t break the law.”

He reminds Busuttil of a company he represented for nine years and which was given €5 million when Busuttil became deputy leader of the PN.

He reiterates that he’s so convinced that the Egrant allegation is a lie that “I’m putting my political career at stake”.

“Yes people have a choice between the negativity of the opposition and the positive pledges of the Labour party,” Muscat says, reiterating that Busuttil took people out to the streets “on a lie which he keeps repeating”.

Busuttil doesn’t believe that the Egrant inquiry will absolve Muscat: “I will resign if I’d be the Prime Minister under investigation.”

Just a month ago the two were on Xarabank debating Egrant allegations. And today, just an hour ago, the Malta Independent claimed to have read an FIAU report investigating Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.

I think we can safely deduce where the debate will be going…