Government threatening democracy and European values - Busuttil

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil this evening said that the Labour government was threatening democracy and European values.

The PN leader issued his warning when addressing a political activity at St George's Square in Valletta to mark the tenth anniversary of EU accession.

"Let's not take these values for granted," said Dr Busuttil while urging those present to vote for the PN candidates in the forthcoming European Parliament elections.

Dr Busuttil said no government could try and 'buy' votes weeks before an election, or ask people to pick up their medicines from Labour Party clubs.

The PN leader said that the government was also threatening democracy by taking over institutions such as the army, the police force and PBS to serve the party's ends.

The only authorities which the government had not managed to take over was those safeguarded by the EU such as the Central Bank, Dr Busuttil said. Even the fact that the government was casting doubts whether to allow the holding of the spring hunting referendum was very worrying.

Dr Busuttil also criticized the legal notice through which the Minister of Education could request personal information on students. This at the same time as the government itself was not ready to divulge information such as the contract signed with Henley and Partners on the citizenship scheme.

Dr Busuttil said that the government was acting as if it was above the law, as evidence by the way how it had its billboards without a planning authority permit.

The opposition leader cautioned that the PN would not allow the Labour Party to try and rewrite history by portraying itself as the party which had championed EU membership.

He lashed out at the Prime Minister who today penned an article in Times of Malta saying that the PL had respected the will of the people on this issue, reminding how the PL had proclaimed after the EU membership referendum that its partnership proposal had won at the expense of membership.

Dr Busuttil also took a dig at former Labour leader Alfred Sant who is now vying to be elected in the European Parliament after having campaigned against membership.

He drew contrasts between the PN and the PL, saying that while the PN 10 years ago had celebrated EU membership, a milestone in Malta's history, today the prime minister had held a press conference to announce a two-cent reduction in the price of petrol. This was the kind of vision of the Labour government.

Dr Busuttil said that he was proud to have played his part to persuade the people to vote for Europe as head of the government information campaign.

It was now fitting to mark the tenth anniversary of EU accession and to look forward. Time had proven how right the PN was on this issue. According to a recent survey, 75 per cent were in favour of Malta's membership, as compared to 54 per cent in the 2003 referendum. This meant that thousands of Labour Party supporters changed their opinion in favour of EU membership. This proved that the PN had not defended its own interests but those of the entire nation.

The responsibility for those who were persuaded to vote against, had to be shouldered by the PL.

Dr Busuttil said Malta's economy had been transformed as a result of membership, with sectors like aviation, gaming and pharmaceuticals flourishing. The quality of life improved and Malta benefited from millions of euros to upgrade its infrastructure.

Malta needed to continue to profit from the opportunities opened by EU accession, but he questioned whether the government was competent enough to rise to the challenge.

Malta's EU policy needed to be based on persuasion and not the hostile approach adopted by the government, Dr Busuttil said.