[WATCH] Muscat claims PN ODZ proposals ‘place decisions in politicians’ hands’

‘The Labour movement has a clear direction and it will be in sync with government’ - Muscat

At the first opportunity, Prime Minister and Labour leader Joseph Muscat hit out at the Nationalist Party’s proposal on outside development zones, insisting that what the PN was in reality proposing “puts decisions in the hands of politicians”.

Addressing an extraordinary general conference of the Labour Party, Muscat insisted that an in-depth analysis of the PN’s proposal would actually result in the government taking a decision, irrespective of whether a two-thirds majority were to be reached in parliament or not.

“We’re already seeing a PN leader who’s changing his position on ODZ … He started off by claiming that ODZ was untouchable, a statement which was softened after he said that this would only happen in ‘exceptional cases’,” he said.

Muscat, whilst reiterating that his government would seek parliamentary mandate in cases where ODZ boundaries need to be changed, went a step further in accusing Simon Busuttil of putting forward a proposal that gave further power to politicians.

“I disagree that politicians should be the ones to decide on projects. This should be handled by the technical people. The one good thing that the previous PN administrations did was the setting up of a planning authority that placed the onus on the experts,” he said.

“I will not turn back time to when projects were decided by politicians … the ideal recipe for corruption.”

Muscat spoke of the party’s need to get back on track and share the same energy being delivered by the government.

“The Labour movement needs to get back on a positive track. Government continued working and results were achieved … but the party came to a halt,” he told delegates, who in the coming hours will be choosing their new deputy leader for party affairs.

Muscat admitted that the party needed to take a good look at itself but it was now time to share the government’s energy.

“Our direction is clear and we know where we’re going. There are no doubts about that. I am here to lead a movement and for that we need to remain that the same party which the people associate with the party in government. There was a time when we people got used to us as the party in opposition. We have changed that page and it will keep it so.”

Muscat expressed confidence in that people were not ready to trust the PN as a party in government and, at worst, “tell us that they expect more from us”.

Muscat praised the candidates – Owen Bonnici, Chris Cardona and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi – for their “honest and positive campaign”.

“We will be electing one of them to work with the other two,” Muscat said in his opening comments.

The Labour leader described the past few weeks as a period during which the party took a long look at itself and its internal structures.

“In no way should we think that everything we do is right, and everything others do is wrong. I don’t think that this was the case, and the process was indeed a positive one,” Muscat said.

He reiterated that dialogue should remain at the core of the Labour movement, urging the party faithful to look forward with a more positive outlook, rather than at the grievances.

“None of us have been forced to be here,” Muscat added.