'PN never shied away from negative surveys' - Bernard Grech

The Nationalist Party has never shied away from negative surveys and has always pursued "authentic politics", Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Saturday.

Speaking during a radio interview with Andrew Azzopardi, Grech rebutted claims that the PN amplified "better" survey results but ignored negative ones. "We never took people for a ride," he said.

He insisted there is currently no level playing field and accused the Labour government of “rigging the game”, citing bias in PBS as the main indicator.

"The Government has hijacked the institutions of the country," he said.

Grech touched upon the Speaker’s role in the House and the controversy over Rosianne Cutajar’ breach of ethics in a case involving Yorgen Fenech and a property deal. He accused Anglu Farrugia of inaction and did not exclude a boycott of the Parliament in protest.

In a clear reference to his personal case of unpaid taxes, Grech said that should it have been another person who was caught in breach of ethics, the authorities would have clamped down on them. “The law is not equal for everyone. This government is a great threat to democracy,” he said.

He lambasted the government on its track record on the environment and on a lack of urban development and planning, which he said led to the heavy road floods in recent days.

Grech reiterated the PN’s oppoistion to the proposed cannabis legislation, “I understand that there are many that want to consume cannabis, but I have no issues with popularity. I want the country to move forward”.

He also validated PN MP Mario Galea’s harsh stance against exotic animals and zoos and said that it is selfish to keep animals suffering in a cage.