Busuttil says 'employment is best social policy'

The best social policy is job creation, PN leader Simon Busuttil said this evening as he echoed former party leader Eddie Fenech Adami who in a historic speech upon becoming opposition leader in 1978 said the “PN had workers at heart.”

“This government does not truly believe in equality but it is the government of inequality,” Busuttil said, hitting out at the jobs created for Labour insiders at the expense of PN and Labour supporters who are not close to government.

As the PN is gearing up for the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of EU membership, culminating in a mass rally which will be held tomorrow in Valletta, the opposition today held an activity in Hamrun which was addressed by party leader Simon Busuttil and a number of guests.

Insisting that “no work means having no dignity” Busuttil explained that unlike the Labour administration, the PN has clear ideas on how new jobs can be created. Revisiting the PN’s plan to attract new jobs in the creative industry, Busuttil said that the PN had “a clear vision to create new jobs and a better Malta.”

“Growing unemployment simply means that government has not created enough jobs,” Busuttil said as the PN’s latest European elections campaign event focused on job creation.

Reminding the PN supporters of the events which led to EU accession in 2004, former trade unionist and PN candidate Gejtu Vella warned that the country cannot afford to waste more time and called on the electorate to vote for candidates representing the party which “took the country into Europe and unlike some others still believes in the EU.”

Vella also called on the PN to address precarious working conditions, which he said was growing and worsening. “Hundreds of workers are currently in precarious employment and the PN can defend these workers and give them shelter,” he said.

In reply, Busuttil welcomed Vella’s call and said that under Labour governments, the “PN is the only refuge for workers,” adding that workers and unemployed persons were betrayed by Labour.

Deputy leader Mario de Marco said, that while tourism and the financial services sector were still going strong, a number of economic sectors such as manufacturing took a downward turn, with exports falling by 20% in the past year, the biggest drop in the EU27.

He added that imports also suffered a blow since Labour took office 14 months ago, with retail business drastically slowing down.

Turning to unemployment, which in March reached 7,644, compared to 7,350 in the corresponding month last year, de Marco said that while the PN had the vision for a better Malta, the government had no plan to address the growing rate of unemployment.

“The figure would have been higher had the government not created 1,300 new posts in the public service, over and above the 1,500 jobs which are normally vacated in the public service,” de Marco said, adding that government’s “recklessness” would cost the tax payer €90 million.

To add injury to insult, de Marco said that at the same time government was facing a cash flow problem in the health sector and pensions.

Calling for economic diversification, de Marco said that the creative industry, which already employed thousands in Malta, and the Green Economy “not only offer job opportunities but also competitiveness.”

The event was also addressed by youth activist Isabelle Camilleri who said that the country “does not need buzz words but we need a vision which creates jobs for young people.” Stressing that “young persons have a right to quality jobs,” Camilleri called on government to create and implement a clear strategy in the sector.