PN Opposition will be ‘strong and constructive’ – Busuttil

IMinutes after being sworn in as Opposition leader, newly elected PN leader Simon Busuttil pledged to build a "strong and constructive Opposition."

While promising that the Opposition will be the government's "counterweight" he stressed that the PN is prepared to cooperate with the government as long as the boundaries between the two camps are clearly outlined.

Busuttil said that a strong Opposition is a "guarantee of liberty and pluralism," and said that the Opposition will make its voice heard when it disagrees with government.

"However, we also need to be a constructive Opposition and we will extend our hand of friendship and cooperate with the government."

"We are ready to cooperate with government as long as the Opposition's role and autonomy is clear. We need clear guidelines on how this could be achieved, for example by reintroducing an Opposition Nominees Act, which was first proposed by former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami...If the Prime Minister really wants our cooperation I urge him to seriously consider the reintroduction of  the Opposition Nominees Act."

He added that the PN will be an alternative government with decent proposals for the benefit of all. "I wish to build an Opposition where everybody knows where he or she stands with us and not wait for election time to know what we stand for."

The Opposition will recognise what is right and "be ready to criticise when the need arises and offer solutions while criticising, in the country's best interest," Busuttil said. The Opposition will "willfully and wholeheartedly" participate in all Parliamentary committees, he added.

Busuttil also called for the establishment of a petitions' committee to make sure that Parliament "listens to the people and their needs."

He also called on the government to ensure that the Parliament is given a central role in the Constitutional reform, which he said would need to be approved by a two-thirds in Parliament.

Speaking before Busuttil, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that Busuttil and himself will be "friendly and respectful" opponents and expressed hope that the two of them can draw on their European Parliament experience and "write a new page in the relations between the government and the Opposition."

Muscat stressed that the new government was trying hard to introduce a new style of politics based on consensus.

"On a personal level, I congratulate him for his new role, which I know all too well, and as Tony Blair had once said it is a job which nobody wants to keep for long. While we will certainly disagree on a number of issues, I hope that we'll be loyal adversaries."

On his part, Speaker Anglu Farrugia said that Busuttil will now be shouldering the responsibility carried by his new role and quoting UK Prime Minister Benjamin Disreali, the Speaker of the House said "No government can be long secure without a formidable opposition."

Farrugia praised and thanked Busuttil's predecessor, Lawrence Gonzi who was not present in Parliament today because he is abroad. It is expected that Gonzi will be officially thanked by the Speaker and the two sides of Parliament tomorrow.