Opposition will be credible, constructive and firm, Alex Borg says
'Every government decision will be scrutinised against one basic question: Is this putting the interests of the people first?'
The Opposition will back government measures that benefit the common good, but will be constantly vigilant and demand accountability and transparency, Alex Borg said in parliament on Wednesday.
He was speaking during the debate in reply to the President's address at the state opening of parliament.
The people, he said, had made their electoral choice and they will be respected, but the government had a duty and a responsibility to deliver on its promises and serve all the people.
Indeed, the people will henceforth not judge the government by its promises, but by its results.
The PN Opposition, he said, will be serious, credible and vigilant. It will be a strong opposition that scrutinises the government and put the interests of the people before anything else.
The people did not just want more money in their pockets, but a better quality of life, with efficient health and education sectors, stronger communities and peace of mind.
Young people, he said, will expect easier access to the property market, and pensioners will expect to be able to make ends meet.
Small businesses will want to see bureaucracy cut and an environment that enables them to create jobs and thrive.
Workers will want an economy that yields better wages, more family time, a better quality of life and a better future.
"Every government decision will be scrutinised against one basic question: Is this putting the interests of the people first?," Borg said.
If it was, the Opposition would support it, and if it wasn't, the Opposition would demand answers and explanations.
He said the country needs direction, a government that looks beyond the next general election and where convenience does not come before principle.
"The state cannot be an extension of the ruling party," he insisted.
The people had not handed the government a blank cheque. Accountability was a basic principle of democracy and those in power would need to explain their decisions, especially how they spent the people's money.
"And those who err must shoulder responsibility," he stressed.
Borg pledges solutions
He said the Opposition would not accept a situation where questions in parliament were not answered adequately and in a timely manner. It would not accept a situation where information in the public interest was hidden
The country's institutions must be allowed to work, standards must apply to everyone, and there must be proper checks and balances.
The Opposition, meanwhile, would not just identify problems, but also come out with solutions. It would not wait for the next election to make its proposals but would prepare itself to be an alternative government for Malta, Borg concluded.