Bernard Grech ignores dismal survey numbers in NET TV interview

Bernard Grech spoke at length on traffic and transport, while ignoring the MaltaToday survey results, when interviewed on NET TV on Sunday.

The PN leader was not asked and neither did he address the survey results that show the Labour Party commanding an absolute majority with 24,000 votes ahead. The survey also showed Grech’s trust rating crashing to a new 14-month low.

Instead, the reaction to the survey was left to former PN secretary general Michael Piccinino, who was in the studio before Grech.
Sounding subdued, the PN leader turned the spotlight on transport, traffic and Workers’ Day celebrations instead.

He said despite government’s recently announced traffic-mitigation plans and its Vision 2050 document, the proof of the pudding would be in the eating. He said government was good at promising things but failing to deliver on them.

“For us, workers hold invaluable worth, not only because of the work they carry out, but also because we believe that every worker deserves a good quality of life,” Grech said, citing the need for better transport options and better paid jobs.

Grech paid tribute to Maltese and Gozitan workers, describing them as the backbone of society. 

He spoke about recent workplace visits across the islands, noting how these interactions allowed him to hear directly from employees about both the struggles and opportunities they face in today’s labour market.

Grech took the opportunity to highlight the PN’s proposals to support business owners, importers, and exporters, including tax reductions and assistance funds to help them manage growing economic pressures. 

Among the most pressing issues, he said, are the tariffs announced by the American government, which risk impacting Malta’s importers and exporters.

“The Prime Minister cannot shirk this responsibility,” Grech insisted. “Robert Abela is choosing to remain silent on this issue and is failing to provide the necessary reassurance to Maltese investors.”

Turning to the Government’s Vision 2050 strategy, Grech said that while he welcomes the idea of a national vision, the plan lacks a realistic outlook because it omits any reference to Malta’s projected population growth.

He warned that the country needs a long-term plan rooted in improving quality of life, rather than simply accommodating unchecked growth.

The PN leader also took aim at the government’s transport strategy, recalling how the Labour administration had previously mocked the Nationalist Party’s proposal for a trackless tram, only to later consider the very same idea. 

“This is a government that lacks the political will to implement its own proposals,” Grech said. “We’ve seen it time and again with the Malta-Gozo bridge, the fourth ferry, the metro, the mental health hospital, and the Gozo hospital, all shelved or left in limbo.”

Hospital red flag
On healthcare, Grech raised red flags about the tendering process for two major projects: The expansion of the emergency department and the construction of an acute mental health hospital. 

He revealed that the only bid submitted came in at double the estimated cost, while other potential bidders were unable to submit their offers due to technical limitations within the system. 

The situation, he said, mirrored previous controversies surrounding the Vitals hospitals deal.

“The Opposition will continue to demand that public funds be spent properly and will not allow the Maltese and Gozitan people to be robbed once again, as happened in the case of Vitals.”