The government only sees art as a form of entertainment, with artists becoming increasingly concerned and frustrated by this mentality, Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.
Speaking on the Nationalist Party's television channel NET TV, Grech said he "understands" artists' concerns, especially at a time when it seems the government was leaving them behind when taking decisions.
Times of Malta revealed on Friday DJs will not be allowed to perform in restaurants, hotels or lidos, prompting widespread anger among performers who said they were being singled out. A petition by those in the sector has also kicked off, urging the authorities to provide details on how the industry will be reopened.
"It is evident that for this government art is just entertainment. I understand artists’ concerns and frustration. Let us try to understand that while we know we are going through the pandemic, with regulations and proper enforcement, we can ease more measures safely.
"We cannot leave artists behind. Art is not something we can just store in a drawer and go back to it in a year. If you do that and people are not able to create art, you will kill it," Grech said.
'Young people important for the present'
Moving on to young people and their potential input in politics, Grech said he believes young people do not only have value in the future, but also in the present.
“I don’t want their input when they’re not young. I want it now when they’re creative and full of energy,” he said.
“This sense of freedom and energy needs to be harnessed so that together with those who are experienced, we can have a party and country that move forward,” he said.
And on the elderly, Grech said they too needed to be valued.
Carmelo Abela position 'shows prime minister is weak'
Meanwhile, Grech said Prime Minister Robert Abela had confirmed that he is a "weak" leader when he failed to take a decision on Minister Carmelo Abela.
The minister was questioned by the police on Wednesday after Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Alfred Degiorgio mentioned his name to investigators in connection with the failed 2010 HSBC heist.
When asked about the minister, the prime minister indicated that he did not find the allegations credible and accused the PN of being in cahoots with criminals to push claims linking the minister to the bank heist.
Grech said the response was inadequate.
"We have a prime minister who has lost control of his ministers. He is a prime minister who knows he has a problem but for some reason, he cannot act.
"I cannot believe Minister Abela when he says he cannot remember testifying. The prime minister needs to understand he is responsible to keep Malta’s name clean," Grech said.
The PN leader went on to criticise the public broadcasting service (PBS), saying this should be there for everyone since it functions because of taxpayers' money.
"It has a duty to report all the news. So when you see that the PN is constantly at a disadvantage – when it comes to the order, the filming, the tone of reporting – you unfortunately see that we have public broadcasting that has been hijacked.
"If elected, I will make sure to clean up the place. You can’t have journalists going from ONE TV to TVM to OPM and back,” he said.
Development and construction needed
Asked about rampant development taking over the island, Grech said that while the construction industry "feeds a lot of families", the country cannot be dependent on a single sector to survive.
"We cannot be dependent on just this, as has happened in recent years, as this would have an after-effect. We have a country developing rapidly but at the same time, the country is becoming ugly.
"I want to give the opportunity for work and development but while also safeguarding open spaces and rural land. We also need to push for more sustainable work. Old buildings that are empty, for instance, need to be utilised. We propose introducing incentives that help move towards that direction," he said.
Grech also pledged he would also make sure motorsports enthusiasts get the racetrack they have been promised for years. This, however, needs to be done without "destroying precious land".
He said the PN has already identified a space for this after the government continued to drag its feet for years.
In his closing remarks, Grech appealed to disgruntled PN supporters to reach out to the party so they can discuss why they felt this way.
The PN leader also urged the public to remain vigilant and follow all pandemic-related rules and called on the government to ensure proper scanning of tourists arriving on the island.