Labour focuses on Busuttil’s speeches in two-year review of government

Labour deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela has claimed there were enough facts for Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to sack former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono, over a whistleblower’s allegations that her husband Anthony Debono – a ministry official – commissioned private construction works under the ministerial budget.

“It is evident that Simon Busuttil is not acting in the same way with Debono as he did with Ninu Zammit and Michael Falzon because these two were dispensable,” Abela said about the former ministers suspended from the PN over having kept secret Swiss back accounts.

The police are investigating a whistleblower’s claim that Giovanni Debono’s husband had used public funds to carry out construction works for her constituents. Anthony Debono, contacted by MaltaToday, has refused to comment while Giovanna Debono has denied any involvement and pledged her full cooperation with the police.

Abela said it was Labour who gave citizens the tools to report politicians to the police, insisting that the PN was 24 months too late in telling the electorate that it was the party that had made a difference in people’s lives.

“The PN’s main problem is that of credibility: the same people that lost the citizens’ trust are still the face of the party. There was an admission by Busuttil himself when he placed two MEPs in his shadow cabinet,” he said.

Abela said the Labour government had tried to minimize any shockwaves with the change in administration, adopting “pluralistic policies” that had been welcomed by businesses, foreign investors and credit rating agencies.

Journalists were shown a video production of the PN leader’s speeches and statements before and after the election, some of which show Busuttil saying that Malta would be forced to request a bailout under a Labour government.

It was pointed out by journalists that no reference was made to the resignation of home affairs minister Manuel Mallia; the controversial €4.2 million Cafe Premier bailout; the Auditor General’s report on the fuel products hedging deal with SOCAR and the government’s review of the IIP law before it was approved by parliament.

“The difference is that we are a government that listens and accepts criticism. We learn from our mistakes and never snub institutions such as the National Audit Office. But it must be recognised that this government is making a difference in people’s lives and they are feeling it,” he said.

Abela said that, in contrast, the PN administration had failed to act on several reports by the Auditor General and kept making use of the same policies, “even when these should have been changed”.