Muscat and Busuttil agree on ‘toning down’ party media

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and PN leader Simon Busuttil agreed on depoliticising the party owned media in an attempt to create a better political climate.

Muscat and Busuttil met during a visit by a Labour Party delegation at the PN headquarters in Pieta. The meeting followed a similar meeting earlier this month which took place at the Labour Party headquarters in Hamrun.

The newly elected PN leader said: "The political climate would draw an advantage from a good relationship between the two parties."

The two leaders agreed that these meetings should be held on a more regular basis, with PN leader Simon Busuttil stressing the need of practicing "cooperative politics."

The two delegations agreed that meetings between the two parties would be held regularly, with Muscat and Busuttil also meeting every two months.

Busuttil said that once the PN's administrative elections are over in June, the two parties would meet each other regularly following the successful meetings held during the electoral campaign.

Today's meeting started off with both leaders sharing a few jokes, with Labour leader Joseph Muscat noting that he had last visited the PN headquarters five years ago.

"I met with my predecessor... Or rather your predecessor... our predecessor," he said, at which Busuttil quipped "our leader" in reference to Labour's electoral slogan "Malta taghna lkoll."

He quipped that everything was Taghna lkoll now... "except for government appointments".

The Labour delegation was also curious as to which view did Busuttil enjoy from his office on the third floor at the Stamperija. As Busuttil and PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier turned to open the blinds and revealed a full view of the Labour HQ, Muscat joked that now they should start waving at each other from the two buildings.

Busuttil called for a less antagonistic approach by the political party media, which was met by mutual agreement by Muscat and his deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela.

Stressing the need for the party owned media, namely the two parties' television stations, to "calm down", Busuttil said that the time was ripe for the two parties to discuss ways how this could be achieved.  

Agreeing with Busuttil's call, Muscat noted that that people were fed up of  politics, adding that he had recently asked the Labour Party's media to tone down the political antagonism.

After the meeting, Simon Busuttil and Joseph Muscat informed the press that the "chemistry" between the two was "positive" and that it augured well for a good start for political collaboration.

In reply to questions by journalists, Busuttil said the Opposition was open to see which amendments the government was to propose on the Code of Ethics reviews.

"I believe that any rules and guidelines must be updated to reflect the needs of the times. But we have our own red lines which we believe shouldn't be skipped," Busuttil said. "If a person excepts to hold an executive role within the Prime Minister's Cabinet, then this person must give up his private practice."