'Where's your calculator?' Delia challenges Finance Minister on government costs

Former Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia has hit back at Finance Minister Clyde Caruana after the minister questioned the party’s costings for its proposed tax cuts.

Speaking at a Nationalist Party rally in Balzan on Thursday, the shadow finance minister repeatedly challenged Caruana over the government’s own spending, asking: “Where is the calculator, Caruana?”

The rally, held in a Nationalist stronghold, was addressed by Opposition leader Alex Borg and the party’s candidates for the 8th district. They included Ivan Castillo, Ludwig Cauchi, Edmond Cuschieri, Beppe Fenech Adami, Angelo Micallef, George Muscat, David Pace Ross, Justin Schembri, Julie Zahra and former party leader Adrian Delia.

Delia’s remarks came after Caruana described the Nationalist Party’s proposed tax cuts as a “mess”, arguing that the party’s maths did not add up.

The former party leader opened his speech by introducing himself to a crowd that knew him well.

“My name is Adrian Delia, I am 56 years old, a lawyer and the finance minister says I don’t know how to use a calculator.”

He then asked the crowd to work through the government’s figures with him, referring first to the Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Health Care costings. 

Delia said the government had spent €900 million on three hospitals and claimed it had received good value for money.

Delia also referred to the Censu Moran Hub, saying it was meant to cost €45 million but had ended up costing €50 million. He asked how many healthcare hubs could have been built with the money spent on the hospital's concession.

He said the prime minister did not mind that Gozo had no new hospital and that, instead of new beds at St Luke’s, “there are pigeons”.

“But then I couldn’t go do a reel in front of it!” he continued, “ It must have been because they were protecting the nestlings.”

Delia questioned how the government could be credible after spending so much money on the hospitals, he said, with nothing to show for it.

He also referred to works at Ta’ Qali, saying gravel there had cost more than €300,000. He claimed that while the national park was meant to cost €20 million, the final bill had reached €60 million.

“Where is the calculator, Caruana?” he asked again.

Delia also questioned a €120 million direct order given to a contractor while, he said, a tender for the same service was being contested in court.

He then turned to public debt, saying Malta had accumulated €6 billion in debt over 55 years, while another €6 billion had been added during the years of Prime Minister Robert Abela and Caruana.

He urged voters to use their own calculators and make their own calculations during the election campaign.

Borg also spoke about credibility, saying the Nationalist Party had shown it could be trusted by investing in healthcare and creating new economic sectors, including iGaming, maritime services and aviation, which he said the current government had built upon.