'We lead, they follow': PN accuses PL of copying party's proposals
PN claims PL copying its proposals because of upcoming election
The PL is copying several of the Opposition’s proposals that it had criticised in the past, simply because there is an upcoming election, the PN told the media on Monday.
Shadow environment minister Rebekah Borg told a press conference that among such proposals, the PN last year suggested setting up a Child Trust Fund that would allocate €5,000 to every child upon their birth.
“Unfortunately, Labour criticised the proposal, saying something similar had already been launched abroad. Now that there is an upcoming election, the PL announced a birth bonus of €5,000 for every child.”
Borg said the Labour Party had also condemned the Opposition’s work-life balance proposals, including the idea of extending maternity and paternity leave. Instead, the government stuck to the EU’s minimum for the work-life balance directive.
“Today, the Labour Party is proposing double the minimum leave,” she said, referring to Labour’s pledge to double paternity leave from just two weeks to a month.
She said the PN had previously proposed to introduce a four-day working week - something that was heavily criticised not only by the Labour Party, but also by the island’s employers’ association.
Abela has now promised that a re-elected Labour government would discuss the proposal of a "compressed week", also known as "a four-day week", she said.
“Unfortunately, once again, PL agrees with us just because there is an upcoming election,” she said.
Borg also noted how the Nationalist Party had pledged 15% corporate tax for local and foreign businesses, and the PL had similarly promised to reduce corporate tax for Maltese companies.
“They criticise, then copy, all because an election is coming and not because they care about the Maltese and Gozitans.”
She said the PN have also called for a holistic planning reform. The PL not only criticised the proposal but also launched two bills behind the public’s back. Now, she said, the Prime Minister was agreeing with NGOs that there needs to be a holistic reform.
Fellow PN candidate Errol Cutajar, meanwhile, referred to the PL's criticism of the PN's proposal to build four new hospitals, and reminded viewers that it was the PL that had brought the health sector to its knees after it paid €400 million in taxpayer money to Steward Healthcare over the hospitals' deal.
Cutajar recalled that the PN has also long called for the replacement of the MV Nikolaos vessel, a proposal that faced backlash from the Labour government. Since then, the government has now proposed two new ferries, he added.
Cutajar also noted that the government had tried to blame the interconnector between Malta and Sicily for power cuts, adding that the interconnector idea was "so good that they are planning to build a third one".