Figures showing that 17 per cent of the population is at risk of poverty have exposed the extent of the government’s failure to protect the vulnerable, Opposition Leader Adrian Delia said on Saturday. 

In an interview broadcast on NET FM radio, Delia said that the figures spelt out a chilling reality for people and showed that the Labour Party could not guarantee a decent standard of living for citizens. 

“A country like ours shouldn't be seeing figures like this. When the government has announced one surplus after the other, we cannot accept that close to 20 per cent of the population is at risk of living in poverty,” Delia said. 

“What will happen next year when we have to reconcile the economy with COVID-19 restrictions, like the thousands of tourists who didn’t come [to Malta] this year?” 

The PN leader said this was a recurring problem in Robert Abela’s government, which is functioning without a long-term economic plan. 

“The Prime Minister had no economic models or plans to follow,” Delia said. 

“Some weeks ago he gave comments to l-Orrizont on his economic vision, and his five points were virtually lifted from documents the PN had proposed last year.”

“It is becoming clearer that the Labour Party cannot guarantee an acceptable standard of living. The PN knows where to invest and which direction it wants to take the country to ensure that we do not see these extremes of poverty.”

Media freedom

Turning the discussion to media freedom, Delia said that imbalance in political news coverage should never attempt to be corrected by censoring journalist’s questions. 

“It is clear that Robert Abela’s vision for ‘broadcast reform’ is simply to transform broadcasters into propaganda machines for the government.”

Delia was referring to a recent decision by the Broadcasting Authority to censor journalists' questions following official government press conferences, for fear that the questions may lead to partisan replies. 

Despite widespread criticism, the BA has refused to contemplate any change to its directive.

On the cancellation of the current affairs programme Xarabank, the PN leader said that while at times he had disagreed with the TV show's slant, it was undeniable that the show had given voice to people in desperate situations and had made space for the full spectrum of political opinions. 

“There was a time when you couldn’t buy a particular newspaper without fear of retribution. The Labour Party has this track record of stifling media freedom that we cannot revert to,” Delia said. 

“As a party we always have and always will continue to fight against censorship and defend the right to freedom of expression.”

Crime rates

Asked about the rise in reported violent crime over the past weeks, Delia said you cannot expect the authorities to seriously tackle criminality when they aren’t capable of holding themselves to account. 

“The example the government is giving, when we see politicians enjoying their life through the fruits of their criminality, is that crime pays,” he said. 

“The government is allowing entire sections of our communities to become overrun with criminality and there is no reassurance when they refuse to discuss why this is happening.” 

“We are losing control of the country and that’s dangerous. We have to understand and intervene on the situation before it's too late.” 

Schools and coronavirus

In his closing statements, Delia turned to the subject of the start of the school year and exams amid another outbreak of COVId-19. 

“Thousands of students will be sitting for exams that can determine the outcome of their entire lives. They have already faced a lot of pressure and stress that can lead to long-term psychological and physical suffering.”

“We need to find clear alternatives to allow these students to go on with their schooling without putting themselves in unnecessary risks and allow parents to make clear plans for their futures.”